The Hemingway Home And Museum

Statehood And Indian Removal

Defense of Florida’s northern border with the United States was minor during the second Spanish period. The region became a haven for escaped slaves and a base for Indian attacks against U.S. territories, and the U.S. pressed Spain for reform.

Americans of and began moving into northern Florida from the backwoods of and . Though technically not allowed by the Spanish authorities and the Floridan government, they were never able to effectively police the border region and the backwoods settlers from the United States would continue to immigrate into Florida unchecked. These migrants, mixing with the already present British settlers who had remained in Florida since the British period, would be the progenitors of the population known as .

These American settlers established a permanent foothold in the area and ignored Spanish authorities. The British settlers who had remained also resented Spanish rule, leading to a rebellion in 1810 and the establishment for ninety days of the so-called Free and Independent Republic of on September 23. After meetings beginning in June, rebels overcame the garrison at , and unfurled the flag of the new republic: a single white star on a blue field. This flag would later become known as the “”.

Some Seminoles remained, and the U.S. Army arrived in Florida, leading to the . Following the war, approximately 3,000 Seminole and 800 Black Seminole were removed to . A few hundred Seminole remained in Florida in the .

Pensacola Gazette

Tips For Visiting The Ernest Hemingway Home And Museum

Opening Hours: Hemingway Home is open 365 days a year from 9:00 am- 5:00 pm.

Admission Price and Tours: Admission to the Hemingway Home is $17 for adults and $7.00 for children . They accept cash only. Confirm current prices here.

• Included in your admission price is a 20-30 minute guided tour.

More Tips: If arriving on bicycle, there is a bike rack on the property where you can lock it up.

Information was updated January 2022, but can change without notice. Please confirm directly with the venue.

Heritage Recreation And Culture Services

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Civil War And Reconstruction

American settlers began to establish cotton in north Florida, which required numerous laborers, which they supplied by buying slaves in the domestic market. By 1860, Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 free before the American Civil War.

On January 10, 1861, nearly all delegates in the Florida Legislature approved an ordinance of secession, declaring Florida to be “a sovereign and independent nation”an apparent reassertion to the preamble in Florida’s Constitution of 1838, in which Florida agreed with Congress to be a “Free and Independent State.” The ordinance declared Florida’s secession from the , allowing it to become one of the founding members of the .

The Confederacy received little military help from Florida the 15,000 troops it offered were generally sent elsewhere. Instead of troops and manufactured goods, Florida did provide salt and, more importantly, beef to feed the Confederate armies. This was particularly important after 1864, when the Confederacy lost control of the Mississippi River, thereby losing access to Texas beef. The largest engagements in the state were the , on February 20, 1864, and the , on March 6, 1865. Both were Confederate victories. The war ended in 1865.

Accommodations In Key West

For your convenience, here is a list of hotels in Key West. Please consider booking your Key West accommodations through the included link. It costs you nothing extra and helps support this website. Thank you!

Id like to thankthe Key West Attractions Association for providing me with a complimentary visit to the Hemingway Home and Museum. As always, I tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

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Tours At The Hemingway Home Museum

Included with your admission is a 20-30 minute guided tour of the property, which I highly suggest you take! The guides are very knowledgeable and can point out so many interesting things that you may otherwise glance over. The tour is not required though, and you can explore the property on your own including the gardens where the Hemingway Cats like to play!

I hope that you make your way to Key West, Florida and the Hemingway Home soon! And make sure to follow along because I have a few more blog posts in the works about my recent solo trip to Key West including one about the Old Town Trolley Tours and another about my visit to the Harry S. Truman Little White House!

Hemingway Home & Museum Tour

Ernest Hemingway lived in Key West for more than 10 years. He was known to say that the Key West atmosphere helped him write. His home was a large estate on Whitehead street in Old Town Key West. When he bought the estate, a Spanish Colonial house built in 1851, it was in total disrepair. He spared no expense in rebuilding the home and added a swimming pool in 1937 which was the first in-ground pool in Key West and the only one around for 100 miles. Hemingway wrote in the early mornings and poked around town in the afternoonunless he was fishing. The author and his friends would go big game sport fishing in his custom yacht, Pilar, for giant tuna and marlin around Bimini and Cuba. The tour guides are well versed in the history of Hemingway, his house, his writings, and his sport fishing days. Stroll the gardens and imagine Hemingway and his wife sitting beside the lovely pool with their many cats. Visit the book store and pick up a Hemingway novel. The Hemingway Home & Museum is a very popular attraction in Key West, especially if you are a writer. Dont skip this wonderful tour through a historic venue.

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Naming The Hemingway House Cats

While Ernest Hemingway had cats as a child and often sought the companionship of a fine, it seems that after the arrival of Snow White, Hemingway fell even more head over heels and took on any and all cats that crossed his path, often calling them his purr-factories and love sponges. Its said that in his lifetime he was papa to hundreds of cats and at one time almost 60 cats shared his Cuban residence with him! He was often quoted saying one cat just leads to another and maybe thats why I am writing this post. We have several cats who have found their way into our home and honestly bring us so much joy!

Hemingway had a habit of naming all of his cats after famous people and at the Hemingway House, they still honor that tradition today! so we follow that same tradition today. This is Billie Holiday, one of my favorites!

Ernest Hemingway Home And Museum

Key Wests most famous literary resident, Ernest Hemingway, lived in this two-story Spanish-colonial villa for nearly a decade and composed several of his best-known works here. His second wife, Pauline, insisted they add a pool to the spacious groundsthe first inground pool in Key West. The cost ballooned to around $20,000, a fortune in the 1930s, and was said to have contributed to the breakup of their marriage. Its just one of the fascinating stories guides will share on the half-hour tour of the home and gardens . And yes, youre guaranteed to see plenty of six-toed cats, descendants of Hemingways original six-toed cat, Snow White.

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Hemingway Home Pool & Garden

The extravagant pool, which cost around $20,000 at the time, was an architectural feat, as the builders had to bulldoze into coral rock. Accordingly, there was no fresh running water in Key West at the installation time, so builders installed a water pump to retrieve salt water to fill the pool. The website claims the pool was Hemingways idea, but he left oversight to Pfeiffer, who supervised the construction.

In addition to the pool, the stunning backyard of the Hemingway Home & Museum showcases a glass-enclosed conservatory, stone-lined path featuring lovely waterfalls, trees, shrubs, tropical plants, and gorgeous Florida flowers.

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Precolonial And Colonial Times

At various times before the 19th century, people who were related or subject to the and the inhabited Key West. The last Native American residents of Key West were Calusa refugees who were taken to Cuba when Florida was transferred from Spain to Great Britain in 1763.

Cayo Hueso is the original name for the island of Key West. It literally means “bone cay”, referring to a low island or reef. It is said that the island was littered with the remains of prior native inhabitants, who used the isle as a communal graveyard. This island was the westernmost Key with a reliable supply of water.

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Hemingway Home Hours And Admission Price

You should plan to spend about 1-2 hours visiting the Hemingway House, taking the tour, browsing the gift shop and of course, looking for cats! You could easily spend more or less time and its a very casual and small setting. I have seen people sit and read a book in the gardens watching the sun reflect off the iconic pool. Hemingway put it in himself and its said that there is a penny in the concrete surrounding it. He put it there after saying that the project cost him every last penny he had!

Hemingway Museum Hours And Admission

• The museum is open daily, 365 days a year, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for walk-in visits.
• Tour rates include a 20 to 30 minutes guided tour.
• Tickets are only available at the main gate.
• The museum requests cash only for admission, and no reservations are required.
• General Admission for Adults: $17, Children $7, Children age five and younger are free.

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The Hemingway House Cats

At the risk of sounding too sentimental, I honestly get a little emotional when I visit the Hemingway House. I find so much beauty in the fact that here we have an iconic home, almost untouched since Ernest Hemingway wrote some of his most well-known pieces there in his studio, with short stanchions protecting the bed, controlling the crowds, yet providing a welcome retreat for the cats. Its as poetic and fascinating as the author himself was! If Ernest could see it now, I think that he would surely get a kick out of watching the cats lie on the bed, showing off their six toes, while onlookers photograph the scene as if its no big deal. Its just so different than any other museum in America but Ernest Hemingway wasnt just any other writer in America either.

So, why the cats? Well, Hemingway, who has always been a cat person made friends with a local ship captain and it was him who first gave the Hemingway family a cat they called Snow White. And she wasnt just any old cat, she had six toes! Those were thought to be good luck among sailors. Its said that many of the cats on the island, especially the six-toed cats, are related to Snow White. Whether thats true or not, we dont know for sure, but what we do know is that there are 60 cats living at the Hemingway House and a handful do have six toes.

Key West Day Trip And Snorkeling Adventure

• Snorkel in the world’s third-largest coral reef
• Discover tropical fish, reefs and animals
• Enjoy a boat ride to the snorkeling location

You’ll cross 42 bridges and hop 32 islands before reaching the southernmost city of the continental U.S. Key West is a colorful town, where everything can be done by foot. Some of the most popular activities include a visit to the Hemingway House and a trolley or train tour around the island.

Alternatively, you can just relax on the beach and enjoy the smell of jasmine in the air. This package includes a catamaran snorkeling cruise – a memorable chance to discover a whole new underwater world. Key West’s coral reef is the 3rd largest in the world. It is home to numerous fish, animals, and plants. This reef can be snorkeled year round because of its warm, tropical waters.

401 Biscayne Blvd. Miami

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Hemingway Home & Museum Shop

For all things Hemingway, stop in the Hemingway Museum Gift Shop. Here, followers can spend hours browsing the Hemingways bookstore alone. In addition, visitors can peruse and purchase Hemingway gifts and souvenirs that include apparel, mugs, ornaments, magnets, stationery, and artwork. Theres also a home and décor section with furnishings, dinnerware, and cat bowls, of course!

The Hemingway Home Key West

The Hemingway Home Museum, a National Historical Landmark in Key West, Florida is a popular Key West tourist destination, even if you arent a cat person. Key West as a whole is iconic! Forever a safe harbor for wandering souls, dreamers, and the ones who are over it all. I am not exactly sure what it is, but I like to think its the rat race, expectations, distractions, and the like. While Key West has always attracted people for these reasons, there are many who stumbled upon Key West and realize that its exactly what they have been looking for! I am actually reading Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All The Way right now and find Jimmy and Ernest to be similar in so many ways, and I am sure most of the people who end up in Key West have similar stories to tell. For these reasons and more, its one of my favorite places. Key West is just bursting with character!

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Visiting The Hemingway Home Key West Cats And All

If you find yourself in Key West, Florida, you need to visit the Hemingway Home. There is a reason why people like me come through once and then find themselves going back time after time. Its just such a special place. Dont forget to swing into the gift short to purchase everything from Ernest Hemingway books to cat magnets and everything in between! Say hi to Billie Holiday for me!

Also, there is a Hemingway Cats app that you can download prior to your visit that shares the cats names and help you identify them.

Hemingway Home And The Last Penny

One of the most unusual features of the home is the large swimming pool. It was completed in 1938 at a cost of $20,000, which was a lot of money in those days.

It was the first in-ground swimming pool in Key West. As a metaphor for the expense of the pool, Hemingway took a penny and stuck it into the wet concrete of the patio surrounding the pool.

He said jokingly, “Here, take the last penny I have”.

Visitors still have fun looking for the penny that is visible between the stones at the north end of the pool.

It feels like the Hemingways still live there because a lot of the furnishings belonged to them.

There are many European antiques purchased during their travels. There are also trophies and animal skins from Hemingway’s many safaris and hunting trips.

The studio where he worked gives you a sense of the man and his working conditions. He produced some of his best known writing in this studio.

Ernest loved cats and always had many of them around his various homes.

You will also get to see the descendants of Hemingway’s cats. Hemingway had a six toed cat, and many of the cats on the property alsohave six toes.

If you want to impress your friends, you can tell them six toed cats are also known as polydactyl cats.

Ernest and Pauline got divorced in 1940, and Ernestmoved to Havana, Cuba with his third wife, Martha Gellhorn.

Pauline continued to live in the house with her sons until her death in 1951.

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Should You Visit The Hemingway House Cats In Key West

|| We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. All opinions are our own. ||

The answer is YES! There are so many reasons why we love to visit the Hemingway House cats in Key West, Florida, and of course the Ernest Hemingway Home Museum too! Since I have been there before, toured the house, and followed around the cats, I didnt think that I needed to visit again during my recent trip in May, but as I walked past those uneven brick walls surrounding that beautiful home on Whitehead street, I couldnt resist. And I am so glad that I did because it really is one of my happy places.

Let me tell you why!