About Key West City Guide

Key West City Guide is an independent, visitor-focused guide to Key West and the Florida Keys. We provide clear, practical information on what to see, what tickets to purchase in advance, how to avoid parking fines, and how to navigate the island without unnecessary expense or wasted time in lines. We are not the City of Key West, the National Park Service, the Florida State Parks division, or a tour operator, and we sell no tickets directly. The entire guide starts on the Key West City Guide homepage, and every figure states the date it was last verified.

Why this guide exists

Key West presents several specific planning hurdles that penalize unstructured trips: the Dry Tortugas National Park ferry (Yankee Freedom III) sells out three to six months in advance; the Ernest Hemingway Home strictly accepts cash only at its admissions gate; and parking in Old Town residential zones incurs a mandatory $100 fine and immediate towing. Meanwhile, visitors frequently pay for rental cars or paid shuttles without knowing that the City of Key West runs the free, air-conditioned Duval Loop bus every 15 minutes between major landmarks.

Every price, opening hour, ferry departure time, and parking regulation on this site is read directly from the official page of the managing institution and stamped with the verification date. Where an authority does not publish a figure, we state 'not stated' rather than guessing.

Primary information sources

Admission fees, operating schedules, and rules are gathered from official primary sources:

National & State Parks: National Park Service (nps.gov/drto), Florida State Parks (floridastateparks.org/fort-zachary-taylor)
Museums & Historic Sights: The Hemingway Home (hemingwayhome.com), Key West Art & Historical Society (kwahs.org), Harry S. Truman Little White House (trumanlittlewhitehouse.org), Mel Fisher Maritime Museum (melfisher.org)
Municipal & Transport: City of Key West (cityofkeywest-fl.gov), Florida Keys & Key West Tourism Council (fla-keys.com), Yankee Freedom Ferry (drytortugas.com) Tour rates, durations, ratings, and inclusions reflect published operator data checked on the date indicated on each product card. Walking times, entry queue patterns, and parking strategies are independently verified.

What we do not claim

There is no invented author persona on this site, and we make no claims of personal accompaniment on guided tours. We do not operate or personally conduct these tours, nor do we inspect or audit maritime vessels.

We do not process reservations or handle credit card transactions. When you click 'Check Availability', you are directed to the verified booking platform (such as GetYourGuide) or to the official ticket desk, where all terms, payment processing, and cancellation policies apply directly. Official ticket desks and National Park facilities are linked plainly without affiliate tracking.

How this site is funded

Selected tour and activity links on this website are affiliate links. If you book an excursion through these links, we may earn a small referral commission at no added cost to you. This revenue funds the research, data maintenance, and ongoing updates of the site.

It does not influence whether an activity is recommended, nor does it affect our editorial assessments. When booking directly with the official ticket office is cheaper or mandatory (such as cash entry at the Hemingway Home or direct booking for the Dry Tortugas ferry), we explicitly recommend doing so.

Corrections & updates

Admission prices, ferry schedules, and island regulations update periodically. If you notice a figure or policy that has changed since our stated review date, please let us know via our contact page. Verified reader feedback directly improves the accuracy of this guide for future travelers.