Key West Art & Historical Society

10/06/2026

🎄✨ VENDORS WANTED! ✨🎄

Are you a local artist, maker, artisan, specialty food vendor, or small business? Join us for one of Key West’s most festive holiday traditions!

🎁 Annual Holiday Concert & Bazaar
📅 December 11, 2026
📍 Key West Museum of Art & History, 281 Front Street

Last year, 3,000–3,500 locals and visitors joined us for an evening filled with holiday shopping, live music, food, dancing, the Festival of Trees, and a spectacular projection show on the historic museum façade.

This is your chance to put your products in front of a large, enthusiastic holiday-shopping crowd and be part of the celebration!

✨ Vendor spaces include:
6’ x 3’ porch spaces
10’ x 10’ ground-level spaces
Food vendor spaces in Clinton Place Park

Spaces are first come, first served and are expected to sell out!

👉 Reserve your vendor space now: kwahs.org/bazaar

10/05/2026

🌊💡 Florida’s historic lighthouses take center stage!

Last week, PBS’s Florida Road Trip explored the stories, people, and history behind some of Florida’s iconic lighthouses - including the Key West Lighthouse.

We’re especially proud to see our curator, Dr. Cori Convertito, featured in the episode, sharing insights into the history of the Key West Lighthouse and the people whose lives were shaped by it.

📺 Missed the broadcast? You can watch the episode on YouTube and take a journey along Florida’s coast from Amelia Island to Key West.

🔗 Watch here: https://youtu.be/zld9HvEIeR0?si=iXZsKP1sEPwz9UlE

10/03/2026

🌟 It’s Community Day this Sunday, October 4!

Spend the day exploring the history, art, and culture of Key West at the Key West Art & Historical Society's museums.

🎟️ Monroe County residents: Bring your valid ID and enjoy FREE admission all day!
Please note: The Tennessee Williams Museum is temporarily closed as we prepare for its exciting new location. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

In the meantime, Community Day is the perfect opportunity to visit our other three museums:
⚓ Key West Lighthouse & Keeper's Quarters Museum
🏦 Key West Museum of Art & History
👻 Fort East Martello Museum & Gardens

Whether you're climbing the lighthouse for incredible views, discovering the island's maritime past, or exploring world-class art and history exhibits, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

We can't wait to see you this Sunday!

10/02/2026

🔎 It’s all in the details!

Sometimes, history comes in small packages. This brass uniform button may be tiny, but it has a big connection to lighthouse history. ⚓️

Look closely and you’ll spot the intertwined 'US' for United States and 'L.H.E.' for the Lighthouse Establishment - all tucked into one little button.

And speaking of details…our very own Key West Lighthouse has plenty worth looking for! From the tower’s historic architecture to the people who kept its light shining, every detail tells a story. 🌴💡

So next time you visit, don’t just look up, look closer. You never know what little piece of history you’ll discover. 🔍

📸: 1998.04.0032

10/01/2026

☕️ Happy International Coffee Day!

Coffee has been part of Key West's story for generations.

This photograph, taken by Arthur Rothstein in 1938, gives us a glimpse inside the original Pepe’s Café on Duval Street, where a worker pours a cup of fortified Cuban coffee.

A cup of coffee may seem like a small detail, but photographs like this help us see history as it was lived - one customer, one café, and one cup at a time.

📸: The Arthur Rothstein Legacy Project

09/28/2026

📢 Museum Closure Notice

Our Fort East Martello Museum and Gardens is closed today, September 28, for museum store inventory.

We will reopen Tuesday, September 29 at 10:00 AM and look forward to welcoming you back!

Thank you for your understanding. We appreciate your patience! 💙

09/27/2026

📣 VENDORS WANTED! 🧟‍♂️

Join us at ZombieLand - the ultimate pre-party for the Key West Bike Parade- Zombie Bike Ride

We’re seeking:
🍔 Food Vendors
🎨 Face & Body Painters
🛍️ Artisans & Makers
🤝 Non-Profits
📝 Apply by Oct 15: kwahs.org/zombie

Enjoy live entertainment, a kids’ zone, food, drinks & spooky fun with over 7,000 attendees!

🗓️ Sunday, Oct 18 | 2–6 PM
📍 Fort East Martello Museum

09/25/2026

🌴 Summer Discount Alert - 25% OFF! 🌅

Now through the end of September, enjoy 25% off our exclusive Key West Lighthouse Sunset Experience with promo code 25%OFF - including our popular Proposal Package!

✨ Take in Key West’s legendary sunset from the top of the iconic, historic Lighthouse, with 360° views of the island city, the Hemingway Home, Southernmost Point, and the sparkling ocean.

This unforgettable 90-minute experience includes:
🗝️ Private access to the Lighthouse Tower, Observation Deck, Keeper’s Quarters & Grounds (for groups up to 😎

🍷 W**e or Prosecco from UVA W**e Shoppe

🧀 A curated platter of artisanal meats, cheeses, or sweets

Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, romantic getaways, or just treating yourself.
🔗 Book now at www.kwahs.org/sunset

Experience Key West’s world-famous sunset in style from the observation platform of the island city’s iconic and historic Lighthouse. Offering the most exclusive sunset experience in the Florida Keys.

09/24/2026

🎭✨ Throwback Thursday! ✨🎭

We are officially ONE MONTH away from Fantasy Fest! 🎉

Today, we’re looking back to 2001, when the Bacardi Rum float made its way down Duval Street in the Fantasy Fest parade. 🥃🎭 A great reminder of the incredible creativity, imagination, and larger-than-life spirit that has always made Fantasy Fest such a special part of Key West history.

As we get ready for this year’s celebration, we’re looking forward to seeing all the creativity, costumes, floats, and unforgettable moments that Fantasy Fest brings to the streets of Key West!

📸 KWAHS Collection 2018.29.2288

09/22/2026

in 1917, Coast Guard Lieutenant Stanley Parker made the first naval flight out of Key West when he piloted a Curtis N-9 seaplane on an inaugural flight. Approximately three months after the flight, Naval Air Base Key West was commissioned.

KWAHS Collection 0000.00.0347



NAS Key West