Shipwreck Museum

Welcome to Key West in 1856 – the era of ship wreckers. From the 1850s to the 1920s, Key West was known for its treacherous reefs and tropical storms which claimed a ship per week out of the 100 ships per day passing the Florida Keys. The brave men known as “wreckers” would watch out for shipwrecks from the 90 foot tall observation tower. Once a wreck was spotted, he would alert shipwrecking crews and send out crews to salvage the goods aboard the ships and rescue any crew members aboard the ship. The goods able to be salvaged would be sold at the Key West auction where profits would be split amongst the wrecking crew. Learn more about the history of the wrecking era, climb the observation tower, hear the stories of the wreckers, and see some of the artifacts salvaged at the Key West Shipwreck Museum.

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