Ernest Hemingway House

This museum and historic site was home to Ernest Hemingway from 1931 to 1939, although he retained title to the home until he died. The house was one of the first on the island to be fitted with indoor plumbing, and also featured the first swimming pool in Key West. More importantly, this is the house where Hemingway wrote some of his most important works such "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," "To Have And Have Not," and "Green Hills of Africa. The museum provides guided tours of the home and the grounds every fifteen minutes between nine to five.

The Hemingway’s home was designed and owned by the rich architect Asa Tift who lived in the house until his death in 1889. Pauline Hemingway’s uncle bought the house for the couple in 1931. The home’s foundation is made up of coral limestone from the area which helps to protect the home from flooding. The home was also the first on the island to have an upstairs bathroom with running water. The infamously expensive pool on the property was a boxing ring before Hemingway began renovations. The cost of the pool initially concerned Hemingway. When he returned to find that his wife was spending thousands of dollars to build the pool, Hemingway reported that he took a penny from his pocket and cast it into the cement remarking "Well, you might as well have my last cent." Visitors can see this penny today, as it remains embedded in the concrete surrounding the pool.

The home contains the original typewriter Hemingway wrote with in his studio. He wrote nearly everyday from 6am to noon, averaging 600 words a day. Seventy percent of his published works were written in this house. He received the Nobel prize for literature in 1954, and a Pulitzer Prize the year before. Hemingway’s writing is remembered for its blunt and multicultural perspective. This came from his experience writing internationally as a journalist and from writing short stories. As well as his experience on the front lines of both world wars and other international conflicts in between. Souvenirs from his many travels are displayed around the house. Including his African safaris, and many fishing trips near the Island. His friend group in Key West was known as “The Mob” and known for taking fishing trips together and being regular customers at the local bars. His favorite restaurants and fishing spots are all positively impacted and pointed out along city tours. He is well remembered and memorialized by the island city of Key West, Florida.

Another favorite among visitors are the six-toed cats that live near the home and museum, that are reportedly descendants of the Hemingway family cats. The property has been home to 57 cats as of 2025. The Hemingway home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/49422239 http://www.tomorrowstarted.com/2011/09/ernest-hemingway-and-jean-patchett-by-clifford-coffin/.html/ernest-hemingway-house-4

The Estate, Hemingway Home and Museum. Accessed July 12th, 2025. https://www.hemingwayhome.com/our-architecture.