Key West’s quirky and laid-back attitude to life (and death) is on full display at Key West Cemetery, with headstone inscriptions that read “I told you I was sick,” "I'm just resting my eyes," and “So long and thanks for all the fish.” Key West’s diverse culture is also evident here: there are sections dedicated to Jewish people; Catholics; Cubans who died in the island’s 1868 revolution; and victims of the battleship Maine explosion in 1898.
You can wander through the cemetery on your own although guided tours are available. Themed city-wide history tours, ghost tours, and bike tours also often pass through.
Key West Cemetery is free to enter.
Reservations are required for guided tours and incur a fee. You can book a tour at the main office.
You can pick up a map for a self-guided tour at the front office.
There are several entrances to the 19-acre (8-hectare) cemetery, but it’s best accessed by the entrance on Passover Lane with Angela Street where you can stop into the office to pick up a walking tour guide. If you plan to ride the Old Town Trolley around Key West, the cemetery is stop number 13.
The cemetery is open seven days a week, from early morning through late evening. If you’re planning to visit in the middle of the day, be sure to protect yourself against the sun and heat as there are few trees and little shade in the cemetery.
The Key West Cemetery is within easy walking distance of several of Key West’s historic attractions. The most notable is the Hemingway Home and Museum, a 10-minute walk away, which is a National Historic Landmark and Literary Landmark and offers a glimpse into where one of America’s best-known writers lived and worked.