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Mel Fisher Maritime Museum: Accredited Florida Keys Attraction
4.2
110 Ratings
Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum
The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is the lone accredited institution in the Florida Keys. Not only is it an enthralling tale of adventure, but it’s also a nationally acknowledged research facility!
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum - Relive Mel Fisher’s battles with the government to retain the artifacts they found - all the way to the US Supreme Court. A true folk legend right in Key West where it all happened!
See the amazing treasure in the Spanish Treasure Galleons galleries discovered by Mel Fisher and his crew, plus so much more! The thought provoking Slave Ship and Key West African Cemetery exhibits provide a stark look into the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Key West’s unique role in it.
Discover the relics found aboard the Henrietta Marie, an English merchant slave ship dating back to 1699. The wreck as discovered in 1972, but was only partially excavated until years later. Hear about the story behind this important piece of history.
Learn about Spanish Coins in the New World, the Real Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Science of Shipwrecks. You can even take a lab tour and see how history is revealed through conservation every day!
Come celebrate 30 years of treasure with the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum!
What's Included
- Entrance
What's Not Included
- DVD (available to purchase)
Additional Information
- Ticket valid for single use within 60 days of selected date
Location
Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum
200 Greene St,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.2
(110 Ratings)
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Loucious
Aug 1, 2024
Fabulous Museum to visit! Highly recommended! GetSome!! - Fabulous museum aimed to educate the masses about the Caribbean's lost treasures that Mel Fisher spent decades searching for. (To this day his family still undergoes the task!) The Atocha Spanish fleet mother load is the highlighted topic in this museum! Highly recommended! GetSome!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D_mrs_13
Jul 24, 2024
Good experience again at the Mel Fisher Museum. - We always visit this place although my wife now has been so many times she now sits under a tree outside with her book.
As a diver and coin collector sunken treasure is of great interest. What I have found is that personally the coins , jewellery and ingots are great but the large amount of personal items brings the history alive and is poignant as there is more of an attachment to them.
A great place to spend an hour and a remarkable story to be read.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Birthdaygirl2977
Jun 17, 2024
Great experience !!! - Recent vacation to Key West. Husband really wanted to see this but I was indifferent. I am so glad he talked me into it !! It was great. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed it. My husband loved it. The staff were friendly and helpful. Well worth it !!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dvkremk
May 22, 2024
Great museum - My husband and I really liked this museum. The movie that you see right after you enter provides all of the background on how the family found the treasure. Then you get to see lots of what they found.
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Cynthia
Oct 22, 2023
Amazing displays of Treasure - Informative and cool ! More than just treasure. History lessons are important, it’s who we are, soak up all you can before it disappears.
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Robertoisfun
Mar 3, 2024
Worth a visit. - I had knowledge of Mel Fisher before our visit and was looking forward to seeing his discoveries. My Honey was not not familiar with Mel's treasures so was not very interested at first. After viewing the short video and seeing some of the displays my Honey enjoyed our visit. They had many informative displays so you were immersed in the time period, customs and daily life. We learned a lot from our visit. I was a bit disappointed that they did not have as many priceless treasures as I was imagining. I wish we stopped by the nearby shop to see what they were selling and for how much during our short stay. Expect to stay 1 - 2 hours here as there is much to see. Worth a visit but will cost you both $35 for admission.
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581colleenc
Jan 29, 2024
Mel Fisher's findings under the Sea! - This museum is a far cry from the Shipwreck museum across the street. It's clean, well lit and easily to navigated. There is two floors to this museum and there is an elevator. the second floor takes about 20mins. to walk/read through. The first takes about 40mins. The displays were nice and pretty.
I was just set back however on how many of the displays were not from any of the wreckages he found but instead on loan/gifted from other museums. Also the rooms were a little jumbled and not orderly.
if you want an audio guide it's only $2 more on top of admission~ but everything is well described.
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Sammyski
Jan 17, 2024
The most interesting attraction on Key West - Mel's treasure that came at a terrible price to a hurricane - This is my pick for top attraction we visited in Key West. Mel's story is amazing in itself and this museum gives you a chance to see what he brought up from the Atocha. Besides the fabulous jewels and riches, which are mostly saved to the end of your tour, the everyday artifacts tell a lot about the ship and its people that went down in 1622. This is the old history of the Florida Straights. Also the most conveniently located of the major Key West attractions, it sits right at the head of the Duval corridor tourist district.
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Jean
Mar 23, 2024
Interesting- lots of reading - There’s a short five minute film at the beginning of the museum. The first floor showed Mel’s treasure and the history behind it. The second floor had photos showing how they excavated and catalogued treasure. Our teens—13, 15, and 17– had trouble staying interested in the reading g. I would not recommend taking kids under 10. Also there’s a $1 discount for military with id. Discounted tickets can also be purchased from the old trolley company if you purchased a tour from them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulrj4706ib
Nov 20, 2023
Keep the fond old memories and skip this let down. - Having been here back in 2008 with my father I fell in love with the story of the treasure Galleons and Mel Fisher. This trip I decided to shop my daughter it. This museum is nothing like I remember. There was a bunch of interaction and displays of the treasure that was found.
This visit with my daughter left a lack luster feeling. Everything seems to have been removed. There was very little interactions with the story or treasure. We used to be able to feel a gold bar.
I would skip this stop. For a museum based on treasure Galleons there is practically none on display. Artifacts are cool but treasure gets you hyped.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
