Hemmingway House and Museum - Old Town Key West, Florida

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Visit the Hemingway House in Old Town Key West

Whether you are a fan of Ernest Hemingway’s writing or you just enjoy touring interesting historic sites, you’ll appreciate a visit to the Hemmingway House and Museum in Old Town Key West. The Spanish Colonial style house was owned by Hemingway from 1931 to 1961. He lived and wrote at the house for over a decade.

There are so many interesting things to discover and learn about at the Hemingway House, you’ll find a visit almost as intriguing as the man who owned it.

The house and much of the grounds surrounding it are maintained to reflect their appearance during Hemingway’s residency. Original furniture and other items used by Hemingway and his family are in place or exhibited throughout the rooms of the home. You’ll see items collected by his wife as well as Ernest Hemingway himself.  

In the living room of the Hemingway house, you can see examples of some of the items collected by his wife Pauline when she lived in France. Chandeliers from her collection are displayed, as is her 17th century Spanish chest-on-chest. A lithograph of Hemingway’s friend Gregorio Fuentes and his red leather Cardinal’s chair are also on display in the living room.

The dining room at the Hemingway House contains Pauline’s beautiful Spanish walnut dining table that dates from the 18th century. A hand-blown glass chandelier from Murano is exhibited here, as is an intriguing Spanish bottle safe. Photos of Ernest Hemingway are also exhibited in the dining room.

Touring the breakfast room, kitchen and hallway of the Hemingway House, you’ll see small breakfast room Pauline had created and her modern kitchen. A beautiful Spanish Deacon’s Bench is displayed in the hallway.

Visitors can tour the master bedroom, the boys’ bedroom, and the nursemaid’s room at the Hemingway House. The master bedroom exhibits a painting by Henry Faulkner as well as a beautiful reproduction of a cat sculpture that was a gift to Hemingway from Pablo Picasso.

Outdoors, you can tour the beautiful grounds that surround Hemingway’s House including a brick walkway and pool Hemingway had installed. Hemingway’s writing studio is also open to visitors. It is maintained in the same condition as it was when Hemingway worked on his masterpieces.

In addition to touring the Hemingway House and grounds, you’ll find the sixty or so cats that live here highly entertaining. These cats are descendants of those kept by Hemingway himself.