Region:
South Florida
Audubon House and Tropical Gardens
Key West , FL
Contact Information:
Audubon House & Tropical Gardens
205 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040
305-294-2116
1-877-281-BIRD (2473)
Directions:
Located on historic Whitehead St. on the corner
of Whitehead and Greene.
Hours of Operation:
9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Christmas and New Year's
Day.
Description and Activities:
The Audubon House & Tropical Gardens offer
a relaxing, educational environment for families and
visitors of all ages. Slated for demolition in 1958,
the house was saved by the Mitchell Wolfson Family
Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit educational
institution. This was the first restoration project
in Key West, and is still considered the gem of the
island's restoration movement.
A visit to the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens is
an exploration into local history and folklore, while
the gardens offer a lush one-acre view of tropical foliage.
You will enjoy viewing the works of John James Audubon,
world renown ornithologist. There are 28 first edition
Audubon works in the house.
Audubon visited the Florida
Keys and Dry Tortugas in 1832. Audubon left Key West
having sighted and drawn 18 new birds for his "Birds
of America" folio. It is believed that many of
those drawings were conceived in the Audubon House garden.
Audubon's painting of the white-crowned pigeon features
the Geiger tree found in the front yard of the house.
The 19th-century home was built
by Captain John H. Geiger, a harbor pilot and master
wrecker, who lived in the house with his wife and nine
children. It was an era when shipwrecks occurred daily
on the off-shore reef. It was a time of pirates and
yellow fever, slave ships and Indian wars.
Antique enthusiasts will appreciate
the unique quality of the furnishings purchased for
the Audubon House at estate sales and auctions in Europe.
Typical of the sort of furnishings to be found in a
prosperous Key West home during the 1800's the furnishings
reflect the elegance and comfortable living enjoyed
in Key West during its prime.
You will continue your tour by
wandering through the gardens along the brick paths
shared with skittering geckos. Varieties of orchids
emerge from the foliage and trees to surprise you with
their vibrant blooms. Bromeliads and other tropical
plants and trees abound. The herb garden and 1840-style
nursery provide an historic look at gardening, while
native plants and exotics provide an environment that
is reminiscent of old Key West. This is the finest tropical
garden in the Florida Keys. Please linger as long as
you like.
Audio tours of the House and Gardens. The recreated
voices of Mr. and Mrs. John Gieger, and some of their
children, take you back to historic life in Key West.
The audio tours are in English and Spanish. Written
tours are available in German, Japanese, French, and
Italian for your convenience.
Click Here for a discount coupon on our House &
Gardens tour.
The House and Gardens can be rented for weddings,
luncheons, dinners, receptions, and other special events,
during or after hours. Call on our staff to make your
event memorable in this tropical Key West setting.
The museum gift shop offers visitors the opportunity
to purchase affordable, original Audubon art, prints,
a selection of books ranging from nature to local history,
ceramic wares, educational toys, and a variety of unique
museum-quality items.
Admission Price:
Adults $9, seniors $8, students $6.50, children (5 -
12) $5, children under 5 free.
Payment Options:
American Express, MasterCard, Travelers Checks, Visa
Website:
www.audubonhouse.com
|