We are Rhonda and Mike, a Canadian couple who make it a priority to travel every chance we get! More Tips: If arriving on bicycle, there is a bike rack on the property, just beyond the ticket booth, where you can lock it up. As far as historic homes/museums in Key West go, I much preferred the Audubon House. After the tour, make your way to the museum and bookstore for Hemingway keepsakes, books, and novelty items on sale. by booking through the sites we use and love! About half of Hemingway's cats are polydactyl. Visiting Hemingway's Key West home and museum was high on my list of things to do when our cruise ship stopped and we were not disappointed. Those imperfections remained as a reminder of the house’s age. The tour guides are well versed in the history of Hemingway, his house, his writings, and his sport fishing days. The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum illustrates. The cost ballooned to around $20,000, a fortune in the 1930s, and was said to have contributed to the breakup of their marriage. Please consider booking your Key West accommodations through the included link. The Hemingway House & Museum is a major tourist destination. On November 24, 1968, it was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark. For your convenience, here is a list of hotels in Key West. The kitten was from a litter of the captain’s cat Snowball, who also had six toes. The Hemingway house was bought at a silent auction for $80,000 by Bernice Dixon, a local business owner. Hemingway, his wife Pauline and their two sons lived together in the house until 1940, when Hemingway left for Cuba. The Hemingway Home Book Store and Gift Shop offers a full array of Ernest Hemingway’s novels, poems, short stories and biographies, as well as various publications related to Key West, home to Hemingway from 1931 to 1939. Visit the descendants of his legendary cats. Admission Price: Admission is $16 for adults and $6.00 for children (5 and under are free). Located minutes from the hotel shuttle stop, getting to the Hemingway Home and Museum is easy. He spared no expense in rebuilding the home and added a swimming pool in 1937 which was the first in-ground pool in Key West and the only one around for 100 miles. Ernest Hemingway, the American author whose ideas of courage and honor in a confusing and hostile world remain as inspiration to this day. There are so many cats at Hemingway Home that the museum has its own veterinarian to care for them. While in Key West, he wrote many of his famous novels. Ernest Hemingway penned most of his greatest work while residing in this tranquil environment. It is at 907 Whitehead Street, across from the Key West Lighthouse, close to the southern coast of the island. The museum is the home of over fifty cats; some of which have six toes. When Hemingway died in 1961, his sons agreed to sell the estate. We describe our travel style as "laid back luxe" and enjoy a mix of outdoor adventures and historic sites. That means that they have extra toes. There are many personal pictures and art from Hemingway’s collection on display and some of the Hemingway family’s furnishings are still in the house. Thank you! There was one cutie in particular who had a great time swatting the straps hanging from my camera bag. Hemingway wrote in the early mornings and poked around town in the afternoon—unless he was fishing. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum invites you to hold your Key West wedding or other special event in the famous property's beautifully landscaped gardens. It is at 907 Whitehead Street, across from the Key West Lighthouse, close to the southern coast of the island. 907 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040, USA, How to Earn, Redeem, and Maximize Marriott Bonvoy Points, The Thoughtful Traveler’s Guide to Indigenous Tourism, All Travelers to U.S. Will Need to Quarantine and Show Negative COVID Test Result, Warm Your Winter With These 11 Hot Cocktails From Around the World. INSPIRATION & EXPERT ADVICE FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS. On the first floor, Hemingway joined his family in Grandfather Abba's Bible readings and prayers. There is something for everyone on this … The gardens create an intimate atmosphere for all types of events. There is something for everyone on this fascinating tour. I may have left the Hemingway house thinking, “that was okay” but I bet someone who is a fan of Ernest Hemingway would connect more with the place. I didn’t know there was going to be cats everywhere, so this was a pleasant surprise! The cats came to be when Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by Captain Harold Stanley Dexter. Hemingway collected 17th and 18th century furniture from Spain and his wife Pauline installed chandeliers she collected while living in Paris. Take a look at a writer's creative space at The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, offering short tours of the house once occupied by the Nobel Prize-winning artist. To this day, many of the cats that live at Hemingway Home are descendants of the original Snow White. Key West is well known for its unique and historic houses, but perhaps none is more popular than the Hemingway Home. Did you know that over 50 cats reside on the property, many of which have six toes on their front paws? Hotels near The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West on Tripadvisor: Find 56,106 traveler reviews, 50,069 candid photos, and prices for 75 hotels near The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, FL. Stroll the gardens and imagine Hemingway and his wife sitting beside the lovely pool with their many cats. And yes, you’re guaranteed to see plenty of six-toed cats, descendants of Hemingway’s original six-toed cat, Snow White. The museum is open daily, and the admission fee includes a guided tour. Experience a step back in time with a guided tour of his estate or a leisurely browse through the tropical gardens where one of America's greatest authors created a unique legacy. Technically, they are called polydactyl cats, but informally everyone knows them by their real name—Hemingway cats. Yes, there are cats all over the property, even in the house! The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum: 2020 Top Things to Do in Key West. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Visiting Hemingway's Key West home and museum was high on my list of things to do when our cruise ship stopped and we were not disappointed. His second wife, Pauline, insisted they add a pool to the spacious grounds—the first inground pool in Key West. Hemingway wrote some of his best works here, including the classics "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "To Have and Have Not," and "Green Hills of Africa." He purchased the property, which by then had been boarded up and abandoned, for $8,000 in back taxes owed to the city. During his years in Key West, Hemingway completed about 70% of his works including A Farewell to Arms, Death in the Afternoon and For Whom the Bell Tolls. I actually liked that the house wasn’t immaculately renovated. For the ultimate Hemingway fan, you should really try and make it to Hemingway Days in July. It is right across the street from the Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters Museum, another popular Key West attraction. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum: Hemingway House and Museum - See 19,874 traveler reviews, 10,460 candid photos, … Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum . His home was a large estate on Whitehead street in Old Town Key West. A visit to Ernest Hemingway's tropical hideaway is a Key West must for a reason. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is located close to the Key West Lighthouse on the western end of the island in the Old Town Key West. Pauline’s parents, Paul and Mary Pfeiffer, were prominent citizens of Northeast Arkansas and owned more than 60,000 acres of land. My initial interest in visiting the Hemingway Home was not because I’m a Hemingway fan (I’ve never read anything written by him), but because I love old architecture. The house is situated on the island of Key West in Florida. As I was reading the plaque in the cemetery, I noticed that many of the cats were named after famous people. When you want to admire the great works of culture, head on over to the museum at The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West. Hemingway Home and Museum – Explore the tranquil environment where one of America’s foremost authors and Nobel Prize winner, Ernest Hemingway, penned many of his most notable works. Most of the famous felines simply ignore all the passersby but you might get lucky like we did and have one jump up on you lap to say hello! The author and his friends would go big game sport fishing in his custom yacht, Pilar, for giant tuna and marlin around Bimini and Cuba. As always, I tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Ernest Hemingway lived in Key West from 1931 to 1961. A cruise ship was in town that day, so there was a constant flow of visitors through the house. General admission to the museum is $16 for adults and $6 for children ages six through 12, so you can visit the infamous museum without breaking the bank! I always go. Don't skip this wonderful tour through a historic venue. - Hemingway Home Museum The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott, Arkansas includes a barn studio associated with Ernest Hemingway and the family home of his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. Cost for adults is around $13. For the next ten years, Hemingway used the house as a place to stay during his trips between Cuba and his home in Ketchum, Idaho. As nice as the furniture and architectural details were, the most memorable part of my visit was the cats. She lived in the main home until 1964, when she moved into the guest house and turned Hemingway’s home into a museum. After Bernice’s death in the late 1980’s, the estate was passed onto her family who have kept the property open to visitors wanting to learn about the life of Ernest Hemingway. I thought the house was very pretty on the outside and had a nice lived-in feeling on the inside. Please confirm directly with service providers. The top floor of the home was virtually a mini-museum of the outdoors, where Ernest's father, Dr. Clarence Hemingway, kept his wildlife specimens. His mother, Grace Hall Hemingway, gave music lessons in the parlor. There were hardly any people there and the tropical gardens were gorgeous! The Ernest Hemingway house is an iconic landmark in Key West, and not just because of the house's famous resident. AFAR participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission if you purchase an item featured on our site. After Hemingway's death in 1961 the home took on a three year rest and renovation period and opened as a museum in 1964. Yes, its always buzzing with tourists but try to see how many of the famous polydactyl cats you can find. I think that had a lot to do with the amount of people that were there. There is some pay and display parking in the streets surrounding the museum and a very small parking lot. The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum is a significant address on any Key West itinerary. Yes Please! The Ernest Hemingway House was the residence of American writer Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s. Museum Pages Non-Business Places Landmark & Historical Place Hemingway Home Museum Videos Hemingway Home Museum was … The museum welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world and looks forward to … I must admit, I didn’t fall in love with the Hemingway property. To make the most of the experience, it's … Hemingway Home and Museum. Guided tours are offered throughout the day and you can browse the property as long as you like during open hours. Little ones are just as welcome as their parents at this museum.The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum's patrons can find places to park in the area. The estate didn’t become Hemingway’s home until 1931. I especially have a thing for buildings with wrap around porches and wooden shutters. When he bought the estate, a Spanish Colonial house built in 1851, it was in total disrepair. Had they been gone, the house would have lost its historic ambiance. © 2021 Travel? Take one of the guided tours to learn all about Hemingway. The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum illustrates Key West's deep literary history, with Hemingway at the forefront. Unfortunately, cats do not live forever, but you can pay your respects at the Cat Cemetery behind the house. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum travelers' reviews, business hours, introduction, open hours. Due to its association with Hemingway, the property is the most popular tourist attraction in Key West. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is a national historic landmark, and Key West's premier outdoor wedding and event venue. It is also famous for its large population of so-called Hemingway cats, many of which are polydactyl. There were little imperfections throughout the house like cracks in the ceiling and chips in the walls. 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