Wheelchair accessible
Live guide: English
Set sail for the 1800s and discover a trove of history at the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum. See real treasures salvaged from vessels that capsized in the treacherous waters of Key West, and meet the wrecking crews who risked their lives to plunder the sinking ships for all they were worth.
Could you hold your breath for five minutes in a sinking ship while lifting large containers of valuable booty towards the stormy surface? That's what the wreckers of the early 1800s did every day, and their efforts flooded the Florida Keys with wealth.
Over 100 vessels passed through the choppy waters of Key West daily during the golden age of shipping. On average, one ship a day ran into trouble and capsized, sending its wares sinking to the ocean floor, sparking one of the most opportunistic industries in history: the wrecking crews.
The Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum immerses you in this age of death-defying salvage operations. See real treasures that were hoisted from the deep, and hear daring tales of 'wrecking' by the salvage master tour guides, who stay in 19th-century character the entire time.
