13 BEST Things to Do in Key West with Kids (2025)
Looking for family things to do in Key West? You’re in the right place.
Key West is very popular with retirees, couples, and partiers. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still a lot of fun things to do in Key West as a family.
We enjoyed visiting Key West with our 12 and 3-year-olds and found a few really cool things to do that all of us enjoyed. We plan to go back next year.
I’ll be honest, Key West wouldn’t be my first choice of a place to use as a home base in the Keys as a family – but I do think its worth a visit (for a day or two at least) because of all the unique things to do there.
So, let’s jump in – here are the best things to do in Key West with kids!
Things to Do in Key West with Kids
1. Visit the Butterfly Conservatory
The Key West Butterfly List was at the top of our list during our visit to Key West, and we’re glad that we went.
It’s a small conservatory, but its very nice inside – one of the prettiest butterfly conservatories we’ve seen. There are butterflies of course, but also birds – including a few flamingos!
There’s a large gift shop on site, that you can check out after you walked through the conservatory.
Overall, a visit here would probably only take about 1 hour tops. You can save a couple dollars by buying your admission online in advance, rather than in person.
2. Visit the Shipwreck Museum
Key West Shipwreck Museum is a cool thing to do for people of all ages. Not only is it visually interesting to look through inside, but it has a 65-foot tall lookout tower that you can climb for a nice view from the top.
You can save some money by buying Shipwreck museum tickets here.
When you visit this link, and click on packages, you can see that you can also get packages to combine a visit here with other things too, such as the Aquarium.
3. Explore the shallow waters around Key West
The beaches surrounding Key West tend to have calm, shallow water. This is because Key West is protected by a large barrier reef which prevents huge waves from reaching the shore.
This makes Key West a perfect place for young kids who want to swim, snorkel or even just wade in the water.
Here are beaches, and other ideas of how to get out to enjoy the shallow water with your kids:
Public Beaches in Key West
- Clarence S.Higgs Memorial Beach (known as just Higgs Beach) is a great family-friendly beach. It contains the only shore-accessible underwater marine park in the US, as well as a 400-foot long pier. It has rentals for beach equipment and bathrooms on site. Has access to to the largest underwater marine park. Right across from Higgs Beach is Astro City Park, which has a large kid’s playground. Read more here
- South Beach (pictured above) best for a quick dip after walking around town, but not a day trip as there are no public washrooms. It’s a beautiful beach with 200-foot stretch of sand and shallow water.
- Smather’s Beach one of the largest beaches in Key West, has all the amenities you need on-site. Parking is $5/hour, and its located a bit east of town
Boat Rides and other open-water experience
- Key West Dolphin Watch and Snorkel Tour A lot of the snorkel tours in Key West cater to party crowd, advertizing open bar, unlimited drinks, etc. But this one is more family friendly (provides soft drinks instead of alcohol), all ages are welcome, and its highly rated. 3 hours, and costs about $100 per person
- Shark and Wildlife Viewing Adventure in Key West 2 hour tour that allows you to see sharks, stingrays and dolphins. Around $100 per person
- Island to Island Charters choose between 3, 4 or 6 hour private cruises, which cost between $450 and $850 for the entire family (not per person.) They also have 2-hour sunset cruises that are a bit cheaper
4. Get a photo in front of the ‘southernmost tip’ of the United States
This famous buoy is sitting right on the southwestern tip of Key West, and is the southernmost point in the continental US.
Many people get their photos in front of it – infact, you should expect a bit of a line up.
The lines aren’t usually too bad; we were there in mid-October and waited for around 10 minutes to get our photo taken.
Be prepared to ask (and help) others with taking family photos.
Pro Tip: This buoy is about an 15 minute walk from the ‘heart’ of Key West, but its also just around the corner from the Butterfly Conservatory. So, we visited them both in an afternoon.
5. Climb the Key West Lighthouse
The Key West Lighhouse dates back to the 1800s when they wanted to establish a Navy base on the island.
Today, you can climb the lighthouse (88 steps) to the top, for some views of the surrounding Key West and the ocean. It’s a cute place to visit, especially if you want to show your kids what a real lighthouse looks like from the inside.
There’s also a little museum apart of the Lighthouse, called the Keeper’s Museum where you can learn about the early days of lighthouse keeping on the island.
To get an idea of what a visit to the lighthouse looks like, check out this album here.
Tickets for the lighthouse can be bought on their website.
6. Visit Judy Blume’s bookstore
If you or your kids are book lovers, I’d recommend stopping at this cute little bookstore which is owned by Judy Blume.
We personally had to visit this place, as my 12-year old daughter and I have both read many Judy Blume books and are big fans. The bookstore has books for everyone though, not just Judy Blume books.
We were hoping to meet Judy Blume as we’d heard that she is sometimes in the store in person! I emailed in advance to see if that was possible, but unfortunately, she was away at the time of our visit.
The staff was very kind when I emailed though. They put aside an autographed copy of a book my daughter wanted. When we got there, they had a cut-out though for my daughter to take her photo in front of.
So, even though we didn’t get to meet Judy Blume, we were glad that we dropped by her bookstore.
Pro Tip: The building that the bookstore is located in has washrooms which are a short elevator ride to the 3rd or 4th floor (ask the staff in the bookstore.) It’s also a short walk from Duval street, and lots of restaurants.
7. See sea creatures at the aquarium
The Key West Aquarium is one of the most sought-after place to take kids in Key West.
Located right in Mallory Square, the Key West Aquarium has both indoor and outdoor areas.
They have a sea turtle there named Lola (a rescue) as well as nurse sharks, stingrays and a touch tank where kids can touch starfish.
The aquarium is small and doesn’t take long to get through. I would say to budget for about an hour tops. Buy tickets online here.
8. Walk up Duval street
One thing we loved doing in Key West as a family was just simply just walking around and taking it in.
Key West is one of the few places in the Keys that is made for walking, and biking.
We took in the sights, popped into quirky souvenir shops, listened to buskers. There are so many Victorian homes, colourful buildings, and things to see as you’re walking around.
Just to walk around was an experience in itself, so I definitely recommend taking the time to do that.
The best area to walk around taking in the ‘vibe’ of the heart Key West is in the northwestern part of the city.
We started our walk near the Studios of Key West Building (where Judy Blume’s bookstore is), and walked along Duval street north.
If you want to bike around Key West, there are a few places in town that do bike rentals. Most of them have bikes that have kid’s seats that can be attached, as well as kid’s bicycles.
- Eaton Bikes – offers attachable kids seats, and kid’s bikes
- Island Bicycle Rentals – has kids seats that can be attached, kids bikes, and even trailers for young kids that you can attach to a bike
9. Mallory Square
A safe and fun thing to do as a family is to walk around the waterfront, pedestrian-only Mallory Squre.
Mallory Square is where the Key West Aquarium is located, so you would likely end up heading there anyway.
The big thing to do in Key West is to see the sunset at Mallory Square – its a big event every night attended by both tourists and locals; there are live performers, vendors and festivities at that time. You can read about the tradition (which has been running for decades) here.
Otherwise, there are also things to do on Mallory Square during the day too.
- Eat at one of the restaurants on or near the the square. El Meson De Pepe’s Restaurant & Bar is right on Mallory Square and has a very cute interior, plus a kids menu!
- Visit the sponge market, where you can find unique souvenirs (including but not limited to sea sponge.) Sponge-making in the area has a fascinating history and health benefits, which you can read about here.
10. Ride the Old Town Trolly or the Conch Train
From near Mallory Square, you can hop on the Conch Tour train which can take you around town, and drop you off back at Mallory Square.
It’s a 1-hour tour, and leaves every 30 minutes throughout the day.
The Conch Tour Train is the more well tourist tour on wheels, but it wasn’t the only tour on wheels I saw in Key West.
There’s also the Old Town Trolley (pictured above) which does hop-on-hop off tours.
For both, Old Town Trolley and the Conch Tour Train, you can save a few bucks buy booking the tickets online in advance rather than upon arrival.
11. Spend an afternoon at Truman Waterfront Park + Eco-Discovery Center
Truman Waterfront Park is one of the best places to hang out in Key West with kids.
There’s a huge splashpad, playground, views of the ocean – and lots of shade (which is ideal in the Florida heat.)
You can come here just for the park, or you can plan to visit the Eco-Discover Center which is an educational place for kids located right onsite.
The Key West Eco Discovery Center is indoor, educational museum with interactive learning. There are different topics covered on different days in the center, such as sea turtles, hurricanes, and other ecological topics relevant to the area.
It’s important to know that you can’t simply ‘drop in’ to the Eco Discovery Center. You should email them 1 week in advance to set up your visit (which are available Wednesdays through Saturdays only.) Find details
12. Learn about local history
There are some historically significant homes in Key West that have been turned into museums that you can walk through.
For school age kids, depending on what grade they’re in, it might be interesting to visit them and learn about US history specific to the Keys.
Truman White House
- The only presidential house in Florida. It’s been lived in/stayed in by Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman (the 33rd US president) and Thomas Edison
Hemingway House
- The home of American writer Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s
- There are cats roaming the property that are descendants of one of Ernest Hemingway
Keeper’s Quarters Museum
- As mentioned above, the Keeper’s Quarters Museum is about the Key West Lighthouse
13. Do a day trip to Dry Tortuga National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park is on a remote island 68 miles (105 km) from Key West. People visit for a few reasons:
- Fort Jefferson, a military fortress
- amazing snorkelling and ocean views
- camping
You can book tickets to Dry Tortugas directly from Yankee Freedom, which is the name of the ferry that brings you there.
The tours are around $220 per adult, and they include:
- round trip transport (which takes 2 hours and 15 minutes one-way.) You leave Key West at 7am and arrive back at 5:30pm.
- 45 minute guided tour of the fort
- snorkel equipment
- food for breakfast
Read more details, including the itinerary and buy tickets directly from Yankee Freedom here. (Definitely book early too as its very popular with a limited amount that can fit on the ferry each day.)
Where to Stay in Key West with Kids
Staying in Key West is definitely on the pricier side (you’re looking at a minimum of $700 USD, and that would be for something very small!) If that’s in the budget for you, then there are a few places to stay. I recommend:
- Budget: Old Town Garden Villas – Andros Suite -a 1-bedroom apartment with a pull-out couch in the living room. right in the heart of Key West, close to the lighthouse museum
- Mid-Range: Hyatt Central Key West Resort & Spa – very close to where everything is (3 minutes from Duval street), has a pool and hot tub and activities nearby, breakfast is included, and all rooms have balconies
- Luxury: 3-Bedroom home in a gated community If you’re looking to feel ‘at home’ in Key West, this fully furnished house in a safe, quiet community should do it. It has access to a waterpark on site, has balconies and is only steps away from the hustle and bustle of Key West.
If you find Key West crazy expensive (like we do), then I recommend checking out:
- AirBnbs in Big Pine Key (which has the wild deer refuge, and is only 40 minutes from Key West)
- AirBnbs or cottages in Cudjoe Key, which is even closer than Big Pine Key.
- Cheaper accommodations in Marathon, which is just over an hour’s drive from Key West. We loved staying in Marathon because there was lots to do there with kids and Key West really wasn’t that far at all. We stayed at Bonefish Bay Motel
Tips for Key West for Families
- Accomodations are very, very pricey for families, as mentioned above. If you really want separate rooms for parents and children (like we do), then its hard to find anything for less than $1,000 per night.
- Book tickets online in advance as much as possible. Many of the attractions and museums in Key West offer a discount if you book online
- Key West has a party atmosphere, and many of the souvenir shops have souvenirs with quotes or pictures that are inappropriate – just something to keep in mind
- Those travelling with babies and toddlers should consider renting equipment from Baby Quip
Key West with Kids FAQ
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about visiting Key West as a family
Is Key West worth it with kids?
Key West is definitely worth it for kids. Even though its a party magnet, it has so much for families too. The calm, shallow water beaches, the aquarium on Mallory Square, the butterfly conservatory, the shipwreck museum, and how walkable (and likable) it is – all these things make Key West a worthwhile family destination.
How to get around Key West with kids?
Key West is very walkable, and you can get around easily on foot or by renting a bike. You can drive around, but sometimes parking can be tricky so you need to be flexible. There’s also the Old Town Trolley, the hop-on-hop-off-bus for all ages, and children under 4 are free.
Does Key West have swimmable beaches?
Yes, the Key West beaches tend to be very swimmable. There are minimal waves due to a large reef protecting the island from waves. So its excellent for people who want to swim in shallow, calm water.
Final Thoughts on Family Things to Do in Key West
I hope that this article has filled you with lots of ideas for family things to do in Key West. Our first impression of Key West when we arrived was it’s party atmosphere (but we were there during Fantasy Fest which didn’t help.) When you really look into everything, there’s lots of amazing things to do in Key West with kids.