Located in the historic Key West Bight, discover this state-of-the-art museum with hands-on exhibits, raw footage, unique artifacts, and the only scale model of Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park.
As you travel through this interactive timeline of Key West history, uncover the history of sponging, turtling, fishing, cigar making, and tourism that put Key West on the map. Touch a genuine silver bar from the Spanish Galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha that sank full of gold, silver, and emeralds during a hurricane off of Key West in 1522. Get to know Henry Flagler, John D. Rockefeller’s partner in Standard Oil, in the original paymaster’s railway car from the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway. Inside the Maggie Atwell House, see the only remaining wooden structure built by the FEC, learn about the backbreaking work of building the railroad over the open ocean and the mosquito infested mangrove swamps of the Florida Keys.
Posted By : hippiegirlanna
My husband and I enjoy going to history museums. We were pleasantly surprised by the huge amount of information at this museum on all the history of ship wreckers, and the development of Key West since the 1600 and beyond! Very informative.
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Posted On : 2024-03-27 13:09:27 
Posted By : juliebfromindy
We were familiar with Flagler and his railroad adventures so we thought we’d take a more in-depth look inside this museum. There is a parking lot right across the street and building is handicapped accessible. When you walk in you have a beautiful model of the fort located at the Dry Tortugas. It really is fantastic. The you enter the rather small exhibit area about what Key West supplied to the north, a timeline of the railroad, some fun ship information, and a great introduction to the sponge market. Next you enter an outside area that has a great movie about Flagler and his dream of a railway to Key West. You then visit a replica of a rail car followed by a restored house used during the building of the railway. Museum is small but full of very interesting information. Would be better if it all was airconditioned but we survived.
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Posted On : 2022-08-31 16:10:40
Posted By : Randall_H
If you like history and one man’s perseverance to achieve a valuable goal. Easy visit and nice way to duck out of sun.
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Posted On : 2021-12-18 09:09:36 
Posted By : CarolAnnG11
It’s a good thing to do while waiting for the Trolley. (I am really glad we did not buy special tickets just to come into the museum.)
It is informative; however you learn a lot of the same information in other museums. So you are getting some repetition
The woman who checks you in is as lovely as can be and knows the schedule for both the trolley and the train. (Down to the minute.)
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Posted On : 2021-09-22 16:04:04
Posted By : bockscar1
Been on a Flagler kick, and the southernmost terminal was a must-visit. Small museum but good info. Spent about an hour and a half. Did a wonderful job explaining Flagler's vision and the many engineering innovations required to achieve it.
A key question the museum did not address, and I wish it did, is answering why the railroad failed as a business enterprise after it was built (before the 1935 hurricane). Flagler had envisioned it as being part of the Panama Canal transportation chain, but it didn't play out that way. Why?
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Posted On : 2020-03-09 10:49:04
Posted By : Mark S
I had high hopes for this museum and it did not disappoint. In addition to all of the artifacts, the short films were also very interesting. Spent well over an hour here. Highly recommend.
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Posted On : 2020-01-12 18:38:55
Posted By : EricA955
We spent about an hour and a half here learning about Key West’s origins and development over time. There are a number of well done exhibits, we especially enjoyed the timeline that correlated what was happening in the broader world to what was happening in Ke y West. Likely your best source of information about Flagler’s Overseas Railway short of reading a book on it. This was a delightful small town museum with a broader regional reach. Well worth your time, highly recommended!
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Posted On : 2019-12-07 14:47:43
Posted By : richardrB9379HM
I saw the Shipwreck Treasure Museum and Sails to Rails (formerly Flagler Station) Museum on the same day. They both explain how shipwreck salvaging created the wealth in Key West, and the railroad part explained how Standard Oil business partner to John Rockefeller, Henry Flagler, built the East Coast Railroad Extension from 1905-1912, connecting all the Florida Keys together through 42 bridges to Key West. Both the Museums are very interesting in understanding how the Florida Keys and Key West developed. I would recommend this museum.
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Posted On : 2019-12-02 13:52:42
Posted By : Daniel B
Loved this museum. Great history lesson. The facility was exceptionally inviting, clean and full of great information.
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Posted On : 2019-10-15 11:55:25
