The Florida Keys Scenic Highway is definitely one of a kind. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico stretching out as far as the eye can see, it winds through vistas of natural beauty, areas rich in history and legend, views of spectacular sunrises, sunsets, sparkling stars, and moonlight. It s a highway where travelers from all over the world experience their own adventures in paradise--many come for a visit and never go home. The southern section of US 1 is part of the old national road that started in Maine and traveled down the East Coast to Florida. Its predecessor routes were primitive roads built in the 1880s to connect pineapple farms around old Key Largo to docks where crops were transported to the mainland. Before that, the only way to travel in the Keys was by boat. The Florida Keys Scenic Highway travels through some of the nation s most spectacular scenery. While it s not part of an old Bob Hope and Bing Crosby movie, folks in the Florida Keys still describe the stretch of US 1 from Key Largo to Key West as the Road to Paradise. From the moment you reach the top of Key Largo’s Jewfish Creek Bridge on US 1 traveling south, the feeling of escaping the pressures of daily life by traveling to “the islands” overtakes you. Come experience outstanding natural beauty, world-class fishing and diving, festivals, sunset celebrations, state and national parks, water sports, historic sites, museums, island cuisine, sunshine, tropical atmosphere, rich cultural heritage and friendly people that enjoy the laid-back lifestyle of the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are a melting pot of cultures and they accommodate the multi-lingual and international guests that frequent the islands. Historically, Bahamian and Cuban influences have been dominant since people from these nearby islands have been traveling to the Keys for hundreds of years. Culture, music, art, architecture and cuisine of the Keys are steeped in these island traditions. Come experience the splendor of this byway, and find a feeling of beauty and relaxation in a one-of-a-kind location found no where else in the world.

Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways
Length
106.5 mi / 171.4 km
Time to allow
Four hours
Fees
There are no fees to travel the byway.

Who looks after this road

  • Jane Tallman · 305-289-2521

We publish 12 places that sit on this road, listed in the order you meet them. This is not a route and not a drive time — it is the names, so you can put them into whatever navigation you already use.

“Off” is a straight line from the place to the road, rounded. It is not a driving distance, and the road itself is a simplified centre line, so treat a mile or two as noise.

  1. IslamoradaFL2 miles off

    No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.

  2. MarathonFL1 mile off

    No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.

  3. Key WestFLon the road

    In our guide: 15 historic sites · 3 animal attractions

  4. Key West Garden Club at West Martello Tower (Key West Gardens at Fort West Martello)FL1 mile offHistoric site

    A free tropical garden laid out among the remains of a Civil War-era fort beside the sea, kept up by volunteer members of the local garden club.

    Hours
    Open daily 9:30am – 5pm Except Christmas & New Year’s Day
    Admission
    Free Admission Donations Gratefully Accepted
    Run by
    Key West Garden Club (501(c)(3), member volunteers)

  5. Key West Lighthouse & Keeper's QuartersFLon the roadHistoric site

    A lighthouse that opened in 1848 with a woman as its keeper; visitors can climb 88 steps to the top of the tower, and the keeper's house shows the belongings and photographs of the keepers and their families.

    Hours
    Open Monday to Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (last admission 4:30 p.m.)
    Admission
    Adults: $17 ( $15.50 online ) Senior/Local/College ID/Retired Military: $13 ($11.50 online) Youth (Ages 7-18): $9 ( $7.50 online ) Children (Under 7): Free
    Run by
    Key West Art and Historical Society

  6. The Ernest Hemingway Home & MuseumFLon the roadHistoric site

    The author's former home, seen on a 20-30 minute guided tour; cats live on the grounds, some descended from a six-toed cat Hemingway was given. Tickets are sold only at the gate, with no reservations.

    Hours
    Museum is open daily, 365 days a year 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Admission
    Adult Rates General Admission - $19 Group rate available through our contact page Office 305.294.1136 Child Rates General Admission - $7 (6-12 yrs old) 5 and Under Children 5 and younger are FREE
    Run by
    Hemingway Home & Museum (legal name in the site's own structured data)

  7. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State ParkFL1 mile offHistoric site

    A pre-Civil War brick fort with cannon and gun ports to walk past, plus a beach where people swim and snorkel; re-enactors give demonstrations on the third weekend of each month, and chairs, umbrellas, snorkel gear and bikes can be rented.

    Hours
    The park is open from 8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year. The fort closes at 5 p.m.
    Admission
    $6 per vehicle (up to eight people). A Monroe County surcharge of 50 cents will be added, per person.
    Run by
    Florida State Parks (Florida Department of Environmental Protection)

  8. Audubon House & Tropical GardenFLon the roadHistoric site

    An 1840s house built by a ship's pilot and master wrecker, furnished to show family life when shipwrecks on the reef fed a local salvage trade; it was saved from demolition in 1958.

    Hours
    Monday – Sunday: 9:30am – 4:15pm Gallery & Gift Shop: 9:30am – 5:00pm
    Admission
    Adult $16 Students of any age $14 Children 6-12 $7.50 Children under 6 FREE
    Run by
    Audubon House & Tropical Garden (site says the house was saved in 1958 by the Mitchell Wolfson Family Foundation; current operator not otherwise named)

  9. The Truman Little White HouseFLon the roadHistoric site

    The house where President Truman spent 175 days living and working between 1946 and 1952, seen on a guided tour that includes his living quarters, original furniture and the rooms where he met his military chiefs.

    Hours
    MUSEUM OPEN DAILY 9:30AM-5PM
    Run by
    Truman Little White House (site names a supporting Foundation; owner/operator not stated in the text read)

  10. Key West Shipwreck Treasure MuseumFLon the roadHistoric site

    A museum about Key West's shipwreck-salvage trade, told with actors, films and objects from an 1856 wreck; visitors can climb a 65-foot lookout tower and lift a real silver bar from a Spanish galleon.

    Hours
    Open everyday 9am to 5:30pm, final entry 5pm.
    Run by
    Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum (operator company not named in the text read)

  11. The Artist House (Artist House Key West guest house)FLon the roadHistoric site

    A Victorian guest house on Eaton Street that was the first home of Robert the Doll, made in Germany in 1904; the doll itself is now on display at the East Martello Museum.

    Run by
    Artist House Key West (bed and breakfast)

  12. Key West AquariumFLon the roadAnimals

    Adult
    20.99
    Season
    year-round