After renting an apartment and then house with his second wife Pauline, Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway began to call Key West home. For Hemingway Key West was where he wrote much of his classic A Farewell to Arms , became a frequent customer at the bars downtown and set out on big game fishing adventures in the Key West waters.
For a literary adventure, visitors come from all over to step back in time in Key West and experience the life of Ernest Hemingway. Reading can’t provide the same feel as visiting the bars the great author frequented, the waters he roamed for fish and even his Key West home, known to have been owned by Hemingway from 1931 until his death in 1961.
The Hemingway Home and Museum
Located at 907 Whitehead Street, the Hemingway Key West residence still stands and welcomes thousands of fans from all over. Their tour guides can tell you all about the history of the home and Hemingway’s many adventures in Key West while you roam his house and gardens, among the more than forty cats who now claim this place as home.
See the house where Hemingway began his days by writing for a few hours, his in-ground pool, a luxury for the 1930s that Hemingway planned himself, and the new array of cats, some descendants of the original cat, Snow White. Snow White was given to Hemingway by a ship’s captain.
No reservations required for this back-in-time experience and tickets can be purchased at the gate.
Literary Weddings
To take your Hemingway adventure one step further, weddings can also be held at the Hemingway Home and Museum. Weddings are held in the garden, and the property can be rented for daytime or evening events, large or small. Private evening tours can also be arranged for you and your guests, so you can experience Hemingway like never before.
For wedding videos and photos of the garden, you can visit the Hemingway Home and Museum website by clicking here.
Hemingway’s Bar Scene
Bars were another Key West attraction the late author enjoyed. It was probably a mix of the big game fishing opportunities and the laid back drinking scene that first made Hemingway feel at home here in Key West. The downtown area was close to his property, and was a popular place for Hemingway to go for some drinks.
In particular, Hemingway became close with Joe Russell, the owner of the famous Sloppy Joe’s Bar. To celebrate this piece of literary history, Sloppy Joe’s holds an annual “Papa” Hemingway Look-Alike Contest. This is held around Hemingway’s birthday, during Key West’s annual Hemingway Days celebration, which includes:
A look-alike contest
Readings and signings
A three day marlin tournament
And more!
To find information about the next look-alike contest, click here.
Vacation in the Hemingway Key West Days
For a literary retreat like no other, step back in time to the Hemingway Key West days! You can’t get closer to the work and life of Hemingway than by stepping back in time here in Key West.
Key West can provide any type of getaway you are dreaming of! We have businesses that offer a wide variety of services, including:
And More!
