The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum Reviews

Take the tour but then go through again on your own. The tour will give the backstory to different artifacts and stories about the construction but our docent went through each room very quickly and we didn’t get a chance to see everything we were interested in. Lots of six toed cats to play with.

If you love history, than you will love Hemingway’s House. This is our second time going and learned new things. Highly recommend taking the guided tour.

Hemingway's house is worth a visit. The tour is interesting. But it is really worth seeing in connection with the cats, currently 59 in number. About half of them are polydactyl, meaning they have extra toes. That was the trademark of Hemingway's cats.

Beautiful house transformed into a museum with more than 60 cats (61 during our visit). A great way to learn about the tumultuous life of Ernest Hemingway. Between a little expensive ($19 per adult) but worth it (cost)

Visiting the Hemingway estate was amazing. To be greeted by a six toed cat upon arrival was cool. To hear the stories behind Hemingway and his wives. Was amazing as well. Very enjoyable afternoon, and the history of the house and Hemingway was very interesting. To find out why he had a six toe cat was interesting to. it was a very enjoyable experience. Thank you.

Well worth the visit. The house and Ernest Hemingway memorabilia was very interesting. I wished I’d been able to buy some of his books at the well-curated on-site bookshop, however I had no room in my suitcase.

As I got older I felt this was a place I should visit and wasn’t disappointed. It’s like stepping back in time and you can really connect with the author when you visit the guy that showed us round was knowledgeable and very entertaining and we got to see a huge number of the six toed cats. The shop is good and the visit wouldn’t be complete without buying one of these books.

There is no extra cost for the tour.

The decent makes history come alive.
Good stories about Hemmingway and his wives. Background on his experience as a war correspondent and novelist.

Let's not forget the cats. 🐾❤️😺

Third trip to this house! Love it. It is now air conditioned to help preserve the home/artifacts. Take the guided tour that is offered with the entrance fee. Guide has lots of interesting info. The studio, pool and gift shop are behind the house, so be sure to see these. They told us that weddings are now allowed, and a small one was taking place, but it didn't detract from the tour. The six toed cats roam freely, and you are allowed to approach them. A def must for Key West. Tours are walk up only, so arrive early on busy days

This was a most educational tour. The tour guide was a wealth of knowledge. She discussed how the house was built by the original owner and how the house sat empty for forty years. We were able to tour his writing studio and view the pool. African art and Blue Marlins were pictured on the wall. His fishing gear was on display. We received the backstory on his four wives. His war injuries that he suffered as a war correspondent. This is a very popular and busy tour. Arrive early. Consider an Uber or a taxi. Many people used scooters and electric bicycles as parking is very, very expensive!
I highly recommend this tour!

Even if you have never read an Ernest Hemingway book (guilty), the tour of the Ernest Hemingway house is so jam-packed with wild, funny, and tragic stories from his out-of-control life that you'll be glad you came, and you'll leave wanting to check him out. They even have their own editions of his books in their bookshops. And even if you have no interest in literature at all (first of all, shame on you), the house is full of his polydactyl cats, or at least their descendents, making for one of the most unique museum experiences I've ever had. A must-see if you're in Key West.

Great museum with insightful information to his life and career
Come early before long lines form. The cats adds an interesting element to this visit - if you're allergic don't go 🙂

Great place to go if you’re a cat lover or if you just love history. Great staff and good location to downtown. Will be back.

Very cool place, big tip is to take part in a guided tour through the house and grounds, very cool stories to hear.
All in all the house is amazing and the cats super chill.

Cats, great historical stories and interesting architecture - not a bad way to spend an hour. Ernest Hemingway had such an interesting life, there were so many stories we had never heard before. The six toed cats were quite fascinating too. Definitely worth the time and cost of admission.

Our guide, Katrina, was fantastic, and as a Hemingway scholar who's taught Hemingway for 40 years I felt compelled to pull her aside afterwards to tell her so. Out of the entire tour there was only one eyebrow raiser: when she implied that Hemingway and Dali weren't just in Paris at the same time, but that they were part of the same circle. Everything else was informative and entertaining as well. She had the crisp pacing, presence and delivery of the best classroom teachers. At a historical place, that means a lot. As for the museum itself, the house has been well preserved, with many things added since the '90s, when it was looking rather sparse. Everything is well organized thematically and well displayed so that it gives you a pretty good sense of who Hemingway was.

This was a great afternoon visit. While the house, itself, is smaller, there are so many things to see here. Even if you are not a true fan of his writing, there are some very cool things to see. For example, I didn't know that his first wife went ashore, in Normandy, France, on D-Day. I had no clue. Yes, there cats, all over. Yes, many have 6 toes. The grounds, too, are very cool to wander over. Walk around the pool, spot cats hiding in the plantings, look for names of famous kitties. Fan or not, this place is very cool and well worth a visit.

A must see for any literature lovers. Take the time and pet the cats they are so lazy and fluffy. Amazing home

Visiting the Hemingway House was absolutely one of my top favorite activities we did this week! Even my teenage daughters loved it.

We did the free tour and our guide was amazing. OH MY GOODNESS THE DRAMA!!! I had no idea that Ernest Hemingway lived such a colorful and exciting life!! Learning what I did at his beautiful home has made me want to pick up all his books and find biographies to learn more.

But even with as exciting as his life was, the cats living there completely stole my heart. I could have spent hours there just interacting with them.

Please don’t miss this if you are visiting Key West!

there is no respect for the deaf, the cashier was very rude to us, he continues to talk even though we explained that we could not understand what he said. there is no interpretation service here. we will have to pay the same as the hearing people. in Europe in all state and private museums the entrance is free especially for the disabled including us deaf people. maybe in the future you can promote culture for us deaf people. if not, there is discrimination for us disabled people.

What an incredible visit! The tour guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The grounds are absolutely breathtaking. And let’s not forget to mention the cats:)

This was a great tour. I enjoyed learning the positive side of this great writer. The man who took our money was a little insulting when my husband used his student ID. You are never too old to stop learning. Our tour guide had pressured speech and she continually asked for gratuity, but the other tour guides I heard were much better. There are 59 cats on the property and some have 6 or 7 toes. The cats are federally protected. They are living their best life!

The house is very well preserved, featuring Ernest Hemingway's bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, lush garden and pool. Throughout the property there are informative plaques with explanations about Ernest Hemingway's fascinating history.
I really enjoyed the visit and I learned a lot about him. Admission was a bit pricey.
One charming detail is the many adorable cats roaming around the house, so I don't recommend it if you're allergic to cats.
There are also convenient water vending machines available, one bottle cost $2.
Overall, it’s a really cool tour to connect and learn about Ernest Hemingway's history, his home, and his place of work.

We visited on 3/5 and enjoyed the beautiful house and grounds. The six toed cats, the pool, and the writing room were the highlights.

Honestly a disappointing tour. We came here with my friend’s bachelorette on my recommendation having been here before.

The gardens, house and cats are all amazing, but we had a really awkward encounter with our tour guide, Michael. He called out two Asian women, one of whom was translating for her friend, in a really rude manner. They were not being disruptive and it’s a popular site with visitors from all over the world- hopefully they’d make people feel more welcome.

When we raised it to the staff, they said there is a no translation policy but that is not posted anywhere.

My family (2 adults and 2 kids ages 9 and 11) had a wonderful morning here. If you are a cat person, this is a must. I don't care too much about Ernest Hemingway, but this is a gorgeous and interesting historical property that is lovingly maintained. The real star is the large colony of friendly, pampered cats, many with an extra toe. The huge tropical garden is filled with nooks and crannies with tons of benches where you can sit, watch cats, and likely enjoy a visit from one looking for a new lap. If you love cats, this is like heaven. The staff is wonderful and clearly adore their furry friends. I'd describe this as a cat visitation center that happens to be a former home of a famous author.

The Enerst Hemingway Museum is a great experience IF you get the right tour guide. I have been on the tour many times accompanying friends and family. If you get MJ as your tour guide you will not have a good informed experience or get the opportunity to ask questions or have any question answered.

It appears she has a limited knowledge of Hemingway and lacks a basic history or understanding of the man, his life, adventures, books or articles. She seems more focused on rushing through the tour compared to providing a unforgettable informed experience. One guest asked her how old Hemingway was when he moved into the house? She rudely and seriously responded; “he was as old as he was at the time he moved in.” She is awful and could care less.

On the other hand, please ask for Rick to be your guide. Rick is polite, professional and a wealth of Hemingway knowledge. He made the experience great through his interactions and accessibility. He tried to relate to every age group of people on the tour. He acted like he wants to be there and share his trivia and Hemingway facts. Since I had been on the tour several times, I asked my friends to please wait and go on the tour again that day with someone other than MJ, they did, and it was amazing how their attitudes and their opinions of the entire experience had changed for the better.

The grounds are beautiful, it was fun seeing all of the 6 toed cats and Amy have us an amazing tour of the inside of the home.

We understand that everyone stops by here during their visit to Key West. This was a short walk from where we were staying so we joined the crowd. My Honey and I had watched Ken Burns documentary about Ernest before our visit, so when we toured the house with more heightened interest. Unfortunately, a cruise ship had arrived the day we toured so the grounds were so crowded. We self toured since the wait time and size of group convinced us of such. Regardless of the crowd we found the house and grounds worth the admission fee of $36 a couple. The numerous cats that inhabit the grounds were fun and interesting. The guided tour is probably the way to go as we overheard some of the amusing stories that were shared. Well worth a visit.

A near historic abode with excellent artifacts, but oh my LORD, the CAT smell. The six-toed cats are a big draw for a reason. They’re really cool. But you’ve got to square with an overwhelming odor of cats and male cat urine all over the property - inside and out.

The guides were sweet and well-versed; the gift shop was well-stocked and offered a variety of keepsakes. Worth a visit if you can handle the smells.

Very general tour, focusing more on Hemmingway's entire life than on the home and his time at the home. I asked several questions after the tour and the guide answered them all happily, but it was stuff the tour should have focused on.

Too much time spent on individual cats and his wives that were never at the home.

Must see. Don't forget the gift shop and the cats. In the age of internet decay, the power of accurate diction holds as a beacon. Hemingway had a storied history, for better or worse, and the tour reveals deeper layers to the written word of a modern master.

We loved the tour. Greg, our tour guide, was excellent and kept our interest throughout. It was also very exciting to know that you were walking thru the home where Hemingway lived and the study where so many of his books were written. The home itself is beautiful and the rooms inside are filled with many interesting objects such as Hemingway’s typewriters. Very glad we went.

Fascinating history including lore and experience. The museum guides are informative. Ours was quite gregarious and shared interesting historical facts. Don’t miss the named five toed cats.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida, and it was an enchanting experience that exceeded my expectations.alking through the rooms where Hemingway lived and worked transported me back in time, offering a glimpse into the life of a literary giant.The guided tour was a highlight of the visit. Our knowledgeable docent shared captivating stories about Hemingway's life, his time in Key West, and the significance of each room.

Price is probably worth it just to walk the grounds and see the famous 6-toed cats that are the descendants of the original one!

Tour guide Jamie was very informative and added personality to the tour as well. You can view it at your leisure or with a guide which is great.

Frozen in time, this home was an absolute must see when in Key West. Preserved thru time, I felt like I was walking thru a home in 1960. A nice mix of personla and professional exhibits, with typwriters, and all his belongings for review. His writers room in back was beautiful. Easy walk for Southermost Point, and lots of shops on the way. The staff was hospitible but we chose to do a personal walk thru vs the tour.

Our family didn’t know a ton about Ernest Hemingway before visiting but we knew this was a big deal in Key West. We actually really enjoyed the visit and are glad we went. We followed along with the tour group through the main house and then walked on our own once it went outside. His writing studio and the pool were definitely highlights.

We did a guided tour and then went back through the house to stop and read as much as we wanted. Lots of interesting memorabilia and pictures throughout the house and the house is air conditioned as well. I loved the 6 toed cats. There is a small gift shop on the property as well.

There are a variety of experiences you can have across Key West from Key Lime pies, great restaurants, night life and music as well as general exploring. The Hemingway House is a place anyone new to the area a good foundation of knowledge and flavor of the Keys. Even if you are a person who's only read The Old Man and the Sea for a high school English class, or know little about Ernest Hemingway- this tour is a must. The years that Hemingway spent here not only saw him write many of his most popular works, it was also a critical time in the growth of Key West. One does suspect that Hemingway's presence in Key West has added much to the uniqueness and mystique of the Keys in our modern memory. This museum does a great job as well of passing on the story of Hemingway the man to new generations. The house itself was built in the earliest days of Key West and its original owner Asa Tift was a known salvager of the area; across the street is the Light House, which was once where sea met land - now hundreds of feet from the ocean, this tells you much of how Key West has changed. Hemingway's friends in Key West are and in some cases were literal characters in Hemingway classics, and those who have read anything about Hemingway know, wherever he went or lived the people he met seem larger than life in stories told about Hemingway's time here. These characters / people of Key West are represented well throughout the museum house. Last, but not least in the slightest are Hemingway's cats. At one point in time Hemingway showed admiration for a friend Harold Stanley Dexter's (naval officer) cats, who uniquely had 6-toes; Dexter gifted Hemingway and his sons a kitten from a litter, and the descendants of this cat 'litter' the estate's every nook and cranny. The cats themselves are worth the visit themselves, and the docents know almost as much lore about the cats as they do about Hemingway. Our guide was Scotty and he knew every one of the 59 cats names on sight; Scotty was a great tour guide and could elaborate on any object or section of the house and relate it to Hemingway or Key West history.
Although this seems like a very specific or niche kinda of place to visit, it's not and like Hemingway's stories - Key West and its people are the characters, I would put this as a great first stop for anyone visiting Key West. It's also one of those museums that I would visit again because you know you will always get something new from every visit!

This tour did a great job covering the highlights of Ernest Hemingway’s interesting life for both Hemingway readers, such as myself, and their uninitiated spouses. House, grounds, gardens, pool, and cats all wonderfully kept with great tour guides. Highly recommend!

One of my favorite experiences in Key West! I absolutely loved visiting Hemmingway's Key West home and studio and learned so much about his life and work. The home and property are beautiful, a step back in time. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, great book shop and of course the cats! (Very entertaining). Put this one at the top of your list. You won't want to miss it!

Stopped here on vacation with family. Worth a visit. Interesting learning about Hemingway and his life in Key West. Rob was a good guide!

Really cool preservation of an historic home. Love the pool and writing studio. The cats are so sweet! Even has a cat cemetery in the garden.

Joined a guided tour in the first room of the house. The tour was interesting but not outstanding. I believe the price of admission is unfortunately par with comparable attractions in other locations. Seeing the urinal and the cats that we had been told about made it worthwhile. A one time visit is probably all most people would ever do.

I really enjoyed the Hemingway house. The history, the unusual cats, the architecture.
The walking tour was also very good. Need to be able to walk a long distance.
I ate at a restaurant that had live music and chickens walking through that was very good. ON Duval? Cant recall the name
Many many bars ONLY serve alcohol.
Heard later that Judy Blume has a book store there.
Parking is awful expensive or doesn't exist. I parked on Foutz Street (?) Close to hotel and walked every where.
GPS does not work here well at all.

I am quite sure Ernest Hemingway would not be happy. Someone came up with the idea that all the descendants of his original five cats should be allowed to live in his house. It smells so badly that you can hardly breathe. We observed cats on the bed on the sofas And couldn't wait to get back outside. However, it was a hot day and the smell out there was almost as bad as inside the house. We lived in Key West for several years and had been through the Hemingway house quite a bit with our visitors. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe that the trustees of the house would let it get to this condition. Very sad. Auction off those 67 cats or whatever the number really is and use that money for the preservation of Ernest's home. Additionally, the tour guide we had was not very knowledgeable. Give them a script if they can't remember the details and can't talk about what's in the pictures hanging on the walls. Very sad.

Some great history here, but to be honest, we were mostly interested in seeing the descendants of Hemingway's 6-toed cats! LOL. And we sure did! We enjoyed seeing Hemingway's writing studio and hearing the story about the pool. It's definitely worth the stop.

While seeing Ernest Hemingway‘s house and his studio and all the accoutrements of his living style while he was in Key West was interesting, it wasn’t monumental. If you were a literary fan, I would highly recommend you go by and see this well preserved house along with original furniture, photographs, and Cats.

Can’t visit Key West without spending time with Papa. Tour was great, tour guide was funny and interesting. Loved the 59 cat, who knew that not only are there six town cats but seven toes!

This house is a must see when in Key West, its really interesting to learn about Hemingway, what brought him to Key West and his life there - I definitely recommend doing the tour rather than walking it by yourself - our guide Jamie was excellent, so enthusiastic and we learnt a lot about Hemingway's life. My kids enjoyed it (14 and 11 years) and especially meeting all the cats, some with 6 toes!

This is a great stop if you’re in key west, especially if you live cats! We had a great guide through the house who was super friendly and very knowledgeable.

I can’t wait to reread some of Ernest Hemingway’s books now that I know a little more about him!
Informative tour. Tons of cats to pet! Guides were very friendly.

(The books in the gift shop are “Extra” expensive)

Such a delightful place to visit. 57 cats and counting- could not have been more enjoyable! The gardens are glorious the wrap around 2nd floor porch. One can picture Ernest in the writing studio. All the staff are super helpful and informative nd you can just tell they are happy to be there.

The Guide told us that every morning Hemingway would get up early and go to his studio, where he would stay to write until the early afternoon.
But how do you want to work in a place like this, with tropical temperatures and lots of cuddly cats? I would have been lazing around all day.

Everything was kept beautiful! It had so much history on E H. I loved peeping a copy of Great Gatsby in the books! So much great information in the property. Was amazing to see that there was a catwalk from the main house to the studio in the past.
Speaking of cats. They were all over & wonderful! So friendly polydacdyl fur babies.
The cat cemetery was so sweet as well!

This place is fantastic! I loved learning the history and spending time with the amazing unique cats there - they even have a cat memorial garden area. The house is amazing, the tour was great, the guide was so friendly and knowledgable. While walking over there we saw some large iguanas and of course the ever so vibrant colored roosters that call Key West home. Will be back!

Cats galore and a very cool house. We went to this tour when we visited Key West for the afternoon. I would recommend doing a tour through the house.

It was a memorable experience especially with the history and the cats!
It was magical to see his writing room and all the memorabilia of the movies and books!

Soooo interesting

I would suggest taking the tour which is included in the price. The museum only takes about 45 minutes, but it is so fun to see the cats and learn about Hemingway's life.

Honestly I came more for the cats than the history but when in Key West seemed smart to do it. $18 cash. I came around lunch time on a week day and it wasn’t very busy, no line. A guided tour was just starting so I joined (after asking to verify I was not committing myself to 30mins or an hour). I believe the guide’s name was Steve, he injected some humor, kept descriptions informative and brief and it was interesting. Sadly so many of the great “artists” suffer from something, as did Hemingway.

The cats are adorable. Grab a bench out by the pool at the end and just see if any come around. Also, there was a cat cage of kittens when I was there, they were cute to look in on too. 😊 🐈

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Key West! Our 11 year old daughter was loving the grounds and cats but was not looking forward to the guided tour. (She thought it would be boring.) But all changed once our guide, Christina, started the tour. She was so funny, told us interesting stories, and kept our daughter engaged for the entirety of the tour! She, along with all the staff, are truly top notch! It's clear that they love their jobs which creates a really cool experience for us visitors!

I learned a lot of cool facts about this home and about Hemingway’s life. I highly recommend doing a guided tour (free with admission) rather than self guided.

The place was well kept. You do get an option for a guided tour or you may browse around on your own. It’s just a few blocks away from the most southern point marker. In fact you can see it from down the street.

Excellent historic site. Great tour of an historic residence with plenty of little known facts sprinkled in. Very well preserved location.

It was nice to walk the property and see this historic home. However, the 20-30 min is not worth the price you pay to enter.

We made it just in time for a guided tour by Brian (?). We was hilarious and made the tour so fun! The wall of alimony was my personal favorite and the last penny by the pool. Worth visiting

This was a wonderful and interesting experience! The history and stories are so fascinating as you get an in-depth look at one of America’s most famous authors’ home! Beautiful home, decor, and a rich history make this a must-see!

The house is beautiful inside and out, very kind staff, even if the guided tour is only in English they wasted time finding us a detailed brochure in Italian. But the fantastic thing are the polydactyl cats, cute and cuddly.

This was a superb tour of a really interesting old house. I had read a few of Hemingway’s books 30 plus years ago but had not thought about him much since. We heard this was a great place to visit in Key West and were not disappointed. The tour really gives you a feel for his life and family and the house is amazing, a really cool old house but still feels modern. We were pressed for time and did the self guided tour but it was highly detailed and interesting as are the myriad plaques around the house and garden. It was also cool to see the studio where he wrote 70% of his works. My favorite were the Spanish dining room chairs that could hold a sword and the boxing stories in the garden. I would highly recommend this.

Wonderful guided tour and loved the ability to spend as much time as we wanted outside exploring the grounds, gardens and the cats! Tours are very interesting & worth waiting for. We felt watching the Ken Burns documentary on Hemingway was very helpful too. Don’t miss the little cat cemetery.
My husband is allergic to cats so taking Clariton beforehand was helpful

We enjoyed the guided tour of the home! The cats were so fun to see. I'm surprised at how well the cats behave around the grounds.

Wonderful history. The home and grounds are lovely. The famous cats were friendly. They now accept credit cards for payment. Worth seeing.

Was great having guided tour- she made the whole experience much more memorable!!! Her knowledge and character made us all laugh and learn

Good experience. It is one of the visits to do during your stay in Key West. Its peculiarity and attraction are the cats (now used to meeting visitors).

Fun little trip through history by visiting the Hemingway house in Key West! Do the guided tour, our guide was great. You’ll miss a lot of the history of the house if you self-tour. Lots of historical stuff in glass cases, pictures on walls. A lot of character held in one little house. The writing shop upstairs out back is very cool, where most of the writing occurred. The largest private pool in Key West is a sight to see! Nice gift shop out back. And yes, lots of cats, with extra toes, running, sleeping, etc. everywhere! Highly recommend you visit!

Well worth the fee to see the inside of the house & included optional tour. There are original furnishings & photos I’d never seen before - & I’ve read several Hemingway biographies with photos. Tour is brief (20 minutes) but the older male guide told stories in each room. Entering the grounds & garden is free and you can walk up outside annex stairs to peek into his writing study. But you get a much better sense of the man by paying the inside fee. You can walk around inside on your own, but I strongly recommend the tour.

Lots of fun & information facts covered in our quick 30 min tour. I loved seeing the cats throughout the house & grounds & they appear very well cared for. The gift shop was well stocked with books & other items. The tour was well organized & I highly recommend. We timed it just right for the 9:45 tour & only had to wait a few minutes.

Give really fascinating insights into the life of Ernest Hemingway. Also a lovely house. They could treat the kittens a little better. They need their kitty litter changed more often.

Gorgeous home; accessible for a guided tour. Each room has information on Hemingway's stay in Key West, even if you choose to take a self-guided tour. Garden shade is a pleasant way to escape the sun. The six toed cats who were primarily in the garden on the day we arrived captivated my daughter. suitable for both kids and adults. We may have stayed longer—we were here for approximately an hour.

We decided to visit here to see the cats. Hemingway only lived here for a short time. We were given a short tour. The tour guide made it interesting. We were only allowed to see certain rooms. There are cats all around the property, both inside and outside. He certainly lived an interesting life. Glad we stopped by.

Very short wait. Walked right in. Really interesting peek into the author's life. Enjoyed the photos and information. Enjoyed interacting with the cats.

There are over sixty of them - and they are everywhere! All were friendly (enough).

We did also tour the Hemingway house but that experience will be different for each person

It gives a great feel for the life of Hemingway with lots of photos and memorabilia.
The garden & grounds area are a nice tour too.

I had an experience here that felt xenophobic. The tour has a policy of disallowing interpretation for those who do not speak English. While this is questionable in and of itself, it can be politely conveyed. However, our tour guide said to two paying visitors, "I do the talk, you do the listen." It disgusted me to the point that I went to talk to staff who advised me that is their policy and to call the manager. The cats were cute, the house is interesting. I would never come back with that attitude.

School Groups Beware!! Hemmingway House bis NOT school group friendly. We had a large reservation for months, although they never issued us a contract or wrote email.( As Did the Trolley, Shipwreck Museum, Aquarium, Butterfly Conservatory, Half Shell Raw Bar, and Hardrock Cafe ) I called and confirmed several times, and they would not let us prepay but assured me everything was fine. We had a glitch, and I the TourOperator and Head guide could not arrive with first group as intended, but last group.
The Rude workers at the Booth, would not let my groups enter. After serveral phone calls, Group 1 got in. So as the second group came, they did the same thing and did not let them in. Again several phone calls. LOST TIME AND STRESSED TEACHERS!!! Finally, Manager Jacki, finally gets involved. Apparently they do not COMMUNICATE with each other.
Jacki was nasty and Rude, and made condensending remarks to staff and visitors about our kids. When I arrived with 3rd group, Jacki told me everything I HAD DID WRONG. She accused my 4TH, 5TH, AND 6TH graders as being Junior High Students so she could collect the adult rate. She told me that I was making Big Bucks and did not know what I was doing. She said she was very busy setting up a wedding.
The tours were OK although the Guides were already biased against us.
Ms. Jacki, YOU need to RETIRE!! You are too old and Cranky for your Job. NEVER AGAIN with a school group.

Very interesting into the life of Ernest Hemingway.
Our guide (sorry do not remember his name) was great and had a lot of stories to tell about the house and Hemingway.
Highly recommend

This home hides out right in the middle of Key West. Walking on property, a peace takes over the place. Beautiful grounds, kitties hidden in the foliage. A ill fated reference to Ernest H making a catwalk from his bedroom to his writing studio . A Hollywood pool, authentic furniture, just go.

Walking around the house and grounds was enjoyable. If you’re not a cat person be aware there are 60 plus on the property.
You can self tour or wait for frequent guided tours. We actually did the tour twice because the first guide Rob was very subpar. Really skipped lots of commentary on the rooms and Hemingway history in preference for lame jokes and overall irrelevant sarcastic remarks. At one point a Japanese lady tried to join his tour and his sarcasm that she couldn’t join made everyone feel uncomfortable. It was of course a joke but misplaced. This tour was followed by one of Tim’s, which we joined, and who knocked it out of the park with interesting complete information on each room in the house and his knowledge of Hemingway. The tours were like night and day. Rob seems pleasant enough but possibly needs additional coaching on working with the public and maybe keeping more to the script.

We had Liz as our tour guide. We told her one of us would translate for the rest since English wasn’t our first language. She said we couldn’t talk while she was talking and we said we could translate after she was done. She made a big effort to make sure we couldn’t translate at all. Made us feel very unwelcome

Cats and history what’s not to like? Go in the morning before the cruise ships and trolley tours mob the place. Some kitties are more friendly than others they know they are in charge. The house is beautiful and filled with a lot of history. A must for any Hemingway buff

I absolutely loved seeing Hemingway’s house, especially interacting with the cats.
They treat their polydactyl cats exceptionally well and allow you to interact with them as much as the cats engage.
There doesn’t seem to be a limit on how many people come into the house, so make sure to come early or late to maximize your experience.
I suggest taking the tour, as the tour guides are wonderful and offer so much more context to the experience of visiting the house .

All the year's I've been coming to Key West this was my 1st time going inside and checking out the beautiful grounds and fascinating history surrounding this prolific writer, great displayed artifacts and room above the pool was really cool.
Little pricey though at $18 admission

Of course, this above all other attractions in Key West is THE "Must See" and it didn't disappoint. Rusty was the guide during our tour. His knowledge of Hemingway's life, house, possessions, and body of work was impressive. From young to not-so-young, he kept all of us interested & this made for a very enjoyable visit.

It was interesting to explore Hemingway's lovely Key West home and imagine how its surroundings inspired such great works of literature. However, its popularity appears to be due to its resident six-toed cats who lounge at will all over. Cat lovers are reluctant to leave.

Wonderful day. The grounds are absolutely lovely and wheelchair accessible. Finding all of Snow White’s descendants was like a kitty Easter egg hunt. It was by far the best part of the day. The house was fascinating and hearing Hemingway’s life story was great. We loved that the tour was thorough but not incredibly long.

A delightful guided tour of Hemingway House gave us additional insight into the the life and wives of Earnest Hemingway. Definitely recommend the guided tour in addition to a solo walk about. And the cats are amazing.

I really enjoyed this place. Loved all the cats wandering around. Take the guided tour, I learned a lot and the guide was great . Such a lovely house.

Visited in the morning and was able to get right in with no wait. Beautiful home and lots of history to be seen. Friendly and courteous staff. Easy to navigate through.

Overpriced, smaller than expected, not so much informations, lovely cats, if you are around go but do not travel long way to see it.

This was our favorite thing we did in Key West. Our guide was great, and she really made the history of Ernest Hemingway come alive. We both learned a lot obout his life. The 6 toed cats were cute and everywhere. They were definitely at home, and they didn’t seem to mind being petted. The house itself was beautiful. I’m glad I visited.

Every time we visit Key West, the Hemmingway Home is at the top of our list! My mom and I make a point to come back every year and somehow it is like a new experience every time. It is one of those places that always stays with you!

The grounds are gorgeous, the stories are fascinating and of course the adorable cats are everywhere. As cat lovers who miss our own fur babies when we travel, spending time with them is a highlight.

What really makes this place stand out is the people. On our most recent visit we blown away by how thoughtful and accommodating the staff were, especially when it came time to helping my mom, who has some mobility challenges. They didn’t just help us get around, they make sure she felt part of every experience. This meant a lot to both of us.

I also want to give a bit thank you to Jacque, who clearly keeps everything running smoothly. You can tell she has created an environment where people actually love their jobs. Everyone was kind, welcoming and extremely knowledgeable. They answered questions with patience and even added fun facts we had never heard before, despite all the times we have visited.

There is just something about this place that feels less like a tourist stop and more like coming to someone’s home. Make sure to add this to your Key West itinerary. Already looking forward to next year!

This is a famous house, famous for Hemingway,and famous for 6 toed cats. We visit here every trip to Key West. We love playing with the 6 toed cats.

My first time to Key West - today we visited some historic sites. We really got lucky this week with not too many tourists. I love cats and was entertained by the polydactyls here.

This place is popular and gets crowded. I was there around midday. They had guided tours every 15 minutes (or you could wander on your own, or you could do a bit of both). I opted for the guided tours every which was fantastic to hear highlights of stories from his entire life and the stories of how the original owner built the house and how Hemmingway’s second wife made it what it was. Of course there are all the cats, which seemed to be the highlight for many people.

It was very interesting to visit Hemingway’s home. We went on a 30 minute guided tour and learned some interesting facts about Hemingway’s life. I saw some people went on unguided tours but I would highly recommend going with a tour guide to learn more about Hemingway’s life. Price was reasonable and my teen daughter got student discount. It was cool to see all the cats who still live at the house.

Loved the home and grounds. I just wish we had gone when it wasn’t so busy. But, it was a Saturday. It was the day we decided to go since it was cooler. I’m allergic to cats and didn’t feel the itchiness. The house has doors open and airflow. It did stink of cats. Yuck. I wanted more time to look in the gift shop. But, my family and friends kids were ready to leave.

I had high hopes for visiting this museum, but unfortunately, it fell short. The ticket price of $20 per person felt steep, especially considering the lack of guided tours. The experience was further marred by the overwhelming crowd; by allowing everyone in at once, it created a chaotic atmosphere that made it difficult to truly appreciate the exhibits. Additionally, the strong odor of cat urine was quite off-putting. While I enjoy cats, the condition of the space detracted significantly from the visit. It was hard to enjoy the historical aspects of the house with so many distractions, including the unpleasant smell that lingered both inside and outside. Overall, it was a disappointing experience for my family and me, and we found ourselves eager to leave rather than explore further. I would give this place 0 stars if it were possible.

Lew was our tour guide and he was great! The guide shared interesting information about the house, cats, the exploits of Hemingway, ect. Ive never read anything by Hemingway but after Lews tour- I think I will now!

The Hemingway house is centrally located in Old Town Key West. I would highly recommend a guide. The tours are no more than 30-40 minutes long and are highly informative to Hemingway and his second wife's lives in the 1930s. There are not a lot of plaques and we weren't offered audio guides so if we didnt go on the tour there would be very little information as to what we were seeing. The six toed cats add to the charm of the experience and I would argue without them the house loses uniqueness.

When you’re in Q West you must obviously visit Hemingway‘s house. It’s interesting from a historical point of view and also a pleasant place to walk around, see the six toes cats and enjoy the garden.

A must- visit for Hemingway fans!! The house ise charming, full of history, and the cats add a special touch. The guided tour is insightful and brings Hemingway’s legacy to life

A wonderful museum reflecting the life of an American novelist and short-story writer. It was like taking a step back in time. Beautiful grounds with beautiful, federally protected cats. A must see while in Key West.

We all loved doing this! Some of us went for the cats and others for the history. It was a great time for all. We choose the self guided tour and loved reading all the information and petting the kitties

We rented bikes for the day, and started at this Key West standard. I’m not sure any visit would be complete without a visit to the Hemingway home. We got to wander the outdoor grounds while we waited for our tour to start (thankfully, not a long wait) and walk all around the house. Waiting for a tour guide is well worth your time; the tour is not overly long. The best is peeking in his writing studio and the CATS. I had no idea the site was a safe haven for a whole line of felines, but make no mistake, cats are everywhere. Outside, inside, allowed in any room/area on the property. No joke, there was a cat curled right up in the Hemingway bedroom!

Very cool property ahead of its time. Was shocked to learn there was 61 cats! The inside of the house smelled like cats but was otherwise well kept with interesting memorabilia.

I love cats. I named my cat Hemingway after a visit to Key West. The cats are all very well cared for and loved by all. The cats have 5 full time caregivers. I’m amazed at how chill the cats are. Joe Damagio is a brown tabby with lots of toe beans on all 4 paws. If you go to the cat cemetery on the left side of the house, you will find a list of names. Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe are listed.

Pretty neat place. Everyone who works there was very nice and informative. Take your time to enjoy the house and cats. His study area was my favorite spot.

If you are of a certain age and attended public school you were exposed to Hemingway. And this provides an interesting back story about the man writing those stories. A balanced view, not all positive to their credit. Be forewarned however, that this isn't an "at your leisure" museum. You are assigned to a tour group with an excellent guide through the property. And, although you are allowed to explore after your tour, they push so many groups through constantly that I could not get back to read all the exhibits that the tour glossed over. Sadly, that would be ideal. As is true for all of Key West, parking is difficult and, when you find it, expensive.

We were pleasantly surprised by our visit the Hemingway House! Our guide Caroline was fantastic and a breath of fresh air. Each guide gives a different tour and aspect of Hemingway’s life. Although not a cat person the cats definitely add to the experience. I’m ready to head to the library to select some of EH’s books to read! Great tour. Prices are commiserate with other attractions around KW!

The house of Hemingway AND the history of these / her cats, so particular. It's definitely worth it. Superb house in the style of the island. Great visit. the guide was on top. The staff is lovely and super welcoming. Cats are in heaven. They are beautiful and adorable. Also go to the souvenir shop it is cool and good deals and good ideas for gifts to give too.

Everyone needs to stop here while visiting Key West. So historic and informative. Great tour guide beautiful grounds and delightful gift shop, not to mention all of the cats.

Great visit. This was an interesting place to visit. I loved how the charm of the house was preserved. The cats were also so cute.

We came to the Hemingway House on Hemingway's birthday. The town was filled with Hemingway impersonators. The house, Hemingway's writing room, etc was nice to visit and get a sense of what life was like - though its not a particularly fancy home. We also enjoyed seeing all the extra-toed feline descendants of Hemingway's cats, which overrun the home. If you're on Key West, I wouldn't miss it.

We love cats and we were not disappointed, there are many felines on the property. Most are friendly (you are advised not to pick them up) and many are polydactyl. The tour was okay, and some of the stories about Hemingway were interesting. I enjoyed our tour.

It was a wonderful experience to enter the world of an outstanding writer of global dimensions, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature for the novel "The Old Man and the Sea".
The house was two-story, well maintained and with details from the writer's life.
There was a pool outside the house and a very nice garden rich in plants.
You can see the numerous cats of Hemingway everywhere: inside and outside the house.
There was even a souvenir shop where you could buy books by the author or books of those who wrote about him.
Everything was impressive.

The tour provides an abundance of interesting information! The house and grounds are lovely, but those sweet six-toed kitties steal the show!

Great tour and lots of great information. Recommend you go early and do the tour with a guide. Rain or shine it’s something to do in the day time

Well first, it was wonderful to step into an air-conditioned home! But I'm not really sure what was offered at this museum. We walked around and enjoyed the sites and the history/pictures in the home. But there was no guide, so I'm not sure how much we got out of it. Loved the kitties. Nice little gift shop.

Like the Truman little White House, this attraction gives you a chance to learn more about the history of Key West and to see a snapshot of life on the island 60 years ago when the house was last occupied. Personally, I find that as interesting as Hemmingway's history. We opted out of the guided tour to just poke around on our own. There are enough written signs to give you the story. It's really a must-do when you visit Key West. Don't let the line on the sidewalk deter you. It was halfway to the corner when we went and the line only took 15 minutes to get in. I've seen at least one post that said cash only. Not true. I used Amex.

The architecture and decor of the old house is the star of the show, if you ask me. For example, the many windows and screens give you some idea how they tried to stay cool in pre-AC days. Hard to imagine life there in the mid-1800s when the original home was built.

It's not a bad walk from Hemmingway's up to Truman's White House, which we did.

This was my husband's idea - and I am glad he insisted. It was completely worth it. The tour guides were all excellent. The grounds were lovely. I loved learning about his life, his wives, his friends and even his 6-toed cats. Surprisingly, my 16yo also enjoyed the visit! He listed it as one of his favorite activities in Key West.

Really fascinating museum, even if you aren't a Hemingway fan or cat lover it's worth a visit - however if you love either it's deffo the place to go.

Loved the polydactyl cats - they were used to people and often came for a cuddle which made my son very happy.

The fact the building is maintained and hasn't been altered so has all the original features is amazing.

We did the tour & our guide was excellent - informative and light hearted.

...and they're worth it. (They know it, too. Even by cat standards, they're pretty pleased with themselves.) The house is beautiful, there's lots of Hemingway memorabilia, the guides are very knowledgeable about his life and work, but since you're going for the cats, you might as well know that they don't disappoint. They're everywhere, they couldn't care less about you -- if there's one between you and somewhere you want to be, you will wait until it decides to move -- and they're great. Their huge polydactyl paws would seem to give them an unfair advantage over mice, but then, they're clearly so well-fed, they probably couldn't be bothered to kill one if it crossed their path.

Odd little side note for jazz fans, and jazz fans only: It turns out Fats Navarro grew up there. His mother was Hemingway's cook.

A great atmosphere and a must-see, and not just for Hemingway fans. A tour or guided tour is definitely worth it, even if the entrance fee of $18 per person is not exactly cheap. Cat fans also get their money's worth, as the legendary cats with six toes can be found here. However, of the approximately 50 cats living there today, most are normal cats.

The home and grounds are beautiful and cared for impeccably! Go glad we stopped. Our guide was very informative and funny.

Very interesting house - the guided tour was informative and the cats very cute. I also enjoyed the souvenir shop with a good range of books and other souvenirs. Overall worth a couple of hours.

Reasonable parking is available at the Fire Station parking lot a couple of blocks away. It's described on the City of Key West government website but not on Google maps. However you can use the adjacent public toilets for your GPS

We had the most wonderful tour this week!
Steve was our guide and we enjoyed his tour so much… we found out at the end of the tour he was retiring after 19 years! Good luck on your retirement Steve it was our pleasure to meet you.

My niece loves cats. When I told her about the 6 toes cats, we had to visit this place. Christina was our guide. She is a born storyteller. This is my 2nd visit to the Hemingway Museum, and I learned so much more this time. About Hemingway as a man, a writer, a boxer, and the hereditary illness. I had to read "Farewell to Arms" in high school. I found out why the nurse die in the end. This could have helped me when I had to write my essay...

Look for a penny near the pool. One of his ex-wives threw many fancy pool parties, just to tell the story of how she got the last penny out of him. Ask your tour guide to tell the story.

We loved our visit to the Hemingway House.

The tour was informative about Hemingway’s life and the time he spent in Key West.

A quirky and quaint place to visit. It reminds me somewhat of NOLA in terms of culture. It's really hot and difficult to find parking. You have to pay to park anywhere. Not a cheap place for lodging or food. Would I go back? No. One was enough.

Absolutely need to visit when you are in Key Weet. A lot of information not just about the famous author, but also about the island. It was a real treat to go.

The house is nice to see and you learn something about Hemingway again. Lots of cats in and the house and you can smell that on a hot day. I would have seen it all within 30 minutes. You can park opposite the house for $5 an hour, which is relatively cheap. So I ended up parking my car there for 4 hours.

Fantastic story-telling of American History. The guided tour is very well done. Very much enjoy walking the gardens as well. Plenty of Hemingway cats to visit. Great experience for all ages.

Interest and experience with all things Hemingway brought us to Key West. What a privilege to spend time in the Hemingway house and on the grounds, and to view his writing studio (roped off). The tour is worthwhile, and then you have unlimited free time to wander wherever you’d like. The property is serene and creatively inspiring, well maintained. The home is spectacular. Go early, and don’t miss the many signposts with great info throughout the grounds - photograph them to reference later. Photographers and painters will be inspired. 1 to 2.5 hrs easily spent depending on your level of interest.

Cons? Would appreciate time to ask questions during the tour or at an info stand. The cat shtick is unnecessary and overdone well beyond what is authentic to Hemingway. A lot could be added to interest and educate guests on Hemingway’s life and family, if less time was spent talking about cats. Gift shop is nice, but I purchased 6 hardback books from the bookstore in town, because I wasn’t a fan of the large gold foil (Hemingway House) sticker being added to the front cover of the gift shop books - consider including stickers in the bag and let the purchaser affix them where they prefer.

Overall, a great job. I hope they will continue to develop an engaging and interactive Hemingway experience.

Beautiful house and gardens. We took the tour which is well worth it - entertaining, full of fascinating information about Hemingway and his wives! I think our tour guide was called Jamie, she was brilliant. And we loved the cats - our teens spent most of their time finding as many as they could! We arrived quite early in the day which we would recommend to beat the crowds and queues!

We took an Uber from our hotel to visit but left when we saw the line to enter stretched an entire block. We resolved to find a better time to return. Next day, different time, same issue. We decided to wait and were glad as the line moved quickly. Inside, we wandered on our own, checked out the cats and relaxed in the outside gardens. This experience can be completely casual, exploring on your own, or joining a group tour. You can stay as long as you like and make this experience your own. Recommend.

We actually didn't intend to visit this small museum but we walked by it on our way to the Southernmost Point in the U.S. So on our way back, we stopped.

The best thing we did was decide to join a free tour by one of the docents. She gave us a much fuller history of the man using photographs throughout the house to illustrate her commentary. Who would have known the pool was constructed by Hemingway's wife as a means to remove the boxing ring that had formerly been situated there. It was an hour well spent.

The rating would have been higher than a 1, but the guide completely ruined this house for us. He began by tell us we should run over the many chickens in the streets and then seemed to be only interested in Hemingway's misfortunes and the number of his wives. It would have been so much better if we had self-guided through this house. Half the people on the tour left it by the time the tour was halfway through. I recommend going BUT only if you avoid the guided tour.

We took the guided tour and it was great to hear all of the stories about Hemingway. It was fun to pet some of the cats and see the wonderful preservation that the crew has done.

Rob was our tour guide and not only was he knowledgeable about the history but was also very entertaining. It was a very interesting place to visit and the cats on the property were an added bonus! Thank you Rob!

Hemingway bought this residence after the original owner Tift died and left the house abandoned. He lived at this residence for 9 years writing 7 books and enjoyed his 6 toed cats that one was gifted to him (snowball - by a ship captain Stanley Dexter). Snowball gave him offspring which many of the cats that still roam the grounds are descendants of snowball. This house is small and doesn't take long to walk through it's 7 rooms and the writing Room across from his bedroom with his hand dug pool in-between.

There is a free tour with admission every 15 minutes ~ since if you try to go alone and read the info the tour guides will be right on your heels and you will not get the full effect for the info that is to be shared.

As a cat lover, the Hemingway House was a must-see for me! My mom and I took the guided tour and were lucky to have Chris as our guide. I appreciated how Chris shared Hemingway’s story through a lens of empathy as well as admiration. I came away with a new appreciation for Hemingway as a writer and wanting to read or reread his work.

I knew very little about Ernest Hemingway and learned a lot. Definately do the guided tour, which is included with the price of admission and take time to look at everything closer after the tour. We went close to opining time and it was less busy.

Very interesting tour. I learned a lot from the tour, as I didn’t know much about Ernest Hemingway. The tour was short, although very informative. After the tour, I looked around on my own. It was definitely worth the price

Most people say this is a "must see" when going to Key West, and it is - that is, if you like history (and James Bond, since a scene from License to Kill was filmed here). It's in the center of the island, only a block away from the main drag of Duval Street. When we went on a Sunday afternoon in July, there was a short line outside that moved quickly (<10 minutes).

Once inside, you have the option to join a tour or roam around on your own, and we chose the later. Every room is filled with information about the famous writer. The house itself is a quaint preservation of the past, from the charming kitchen to the unique bathroom floor tiles. And yes, there are cats, although the ones we saw were almost unanimously tucked it to various partially concealed spots, sleeping. In addition to the main house, there is a writer's cottage, a pool, and gardens. Definitely worth a look!

Loved the tour of my favorite writers, Key West home. The six towed cats are everywhere. Well worth the admission price.

My spouse and I went for 3 days. Long enough to see the entire place. We drove from Delray Beach FL. Long ride via 1A and too much stop and go. We came back via Florida Turnpike which cut off 2.5 hours of travel. We stayed at the Duval House on Duval Street which we had stayed at on a couple other visits. Duval Street is loaded with restaurants and stores. Mallory Square is at end of Duval and there are many places overlooking ocean. Many places were packed for lunch/dinner so we went to Caroline's and sat at the bar a couple of times. Food was decent and friendly environment. On other end of Duval we went to the Seaside Cafe which has Maine lobster pizza...delicious. I think it was 1400 Duval Street. There is a beautiful pink mansion there which is now a hotel. Too much to say. You must go and experience it!

I didn't really know much about Ernest Hemingway so I am glad to visit because he has done a lot I was aware of, so to be able to piece his life together was very interesting.

I would suggest you take a guided tour just to get more out to the experience, I wasn't aware about his love of cats or his boxing.

The grounds are really beautiful, give yourself a few hours to do the tour.

The history and Americana on display is remarkable. Only to be outdone by the polydactyl cats, they are everywhere. Also, the urinal from the original Sloppy Joes Bar, which now serves as a cat water bowl was humorous.

This was a great tour, especially for a cat-lover. It was interesting to hear about Hemingway ‘s years in the house. Our guide had lots of great stories. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and it seemed everywhere you looked, you could find a cat. Visitors are warned not to touch the cats but a lot of people don’t listen. I saw two different get scratched. Just leave the cats alone.

I absolutely loved this tour. The guides provide so much content and I found it to be intriguing. Favorite spots: the wall that has pictures of all his wives, the maid’s room that had the amazing fireplace and bathroom with cool tile, the outdoor urinal, and anywhere I saw those amazing six-toed cats. The story behind the pool is epic. That wife was my kind of woman encasing his “last penny.”love petty.

My 13 year old was definitely not as enchanted as I was, so don’t expect much from your teens. For her, the cats and the gift shop were the saving grace.

This Key West visit was in March 2023, I was going to enter the Ernest Hemingway House and Museum until I learned there were over 50 polydactyl (6 toed cats). According to one visitor we met leaving the museum, she said the cats were everywhere you looked inside. I’m afraid of cats so this visit was off my itinerary, thereby 3/5 rating. I was disappointed.

However, I did get some great pictures of the house 5/5. The yard is lush with tropical plants and a tall fence surrounds the property. It’s located at an intersection, so you can view all sides of the upper 2 story house. The museum admission entrance allows you access full vantage points.

The side of the property we walked by had a delivery entrance and the cutest free book stand. Key West is definitely a walkable town with great sites to visit and amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean.

We enjoyed our tour which gave us insight into Hemingway, one of the 20th Century's biggest influencers. We enjoyed the cats, which were everywhere. The gardens were a delight. The restrooms were immaculate.

My Dad and I visited the Hemingway Home last week and loved our visit! You cannot buy tickets online and a line often forms outside day of, however the wait was not too long and moved quickly. You can view the house and property on your own, but I would highly recommend joining one of the guided tours included with admission. The guides give so much additional information and really make the experience worth the time and money. Our guide, Scott, was awesome! He was passionate, funny, easy to listen to, and encouraged questions. The cats with 6 toes/thumbs were an added bonus I was unaware of prior to visiting!

Was on our bucket list to see while in the area. After waiting in line for 15 minutes we paid our $18.00 per person to get in. Friendly staff unless you touch one of the cats. We didn’t but was witnessed it twice. Great history here about a man that lived life to the fullest.

A very interesting and insightful lecture and tour on Hemingway. The grounds are well maintained and of course all the cats - 59! Descended from the original.

Neat and pretty house BUT it smells like cat pee. There are 59 cats that are offspring from Hemingway cats. The cats have people who care for them and they are well taken care of, The swimming pool is very pretty and would have been something else to swim in it when Hemingway lived there. The house is so open and beautiful. The walk around balcony is beautiful

Not sure what all the hype is about - thought it was kinda boring. Maybe it’s because we missed the guided tour because it was too busy. Admission price is a rip off in my opinion - somebody in the Hemingway estate is laughing all the way to the bank.

Such a cool preservation of history, a timepiece of art and a work of love. I didn't know how much I didn't know until this visit. Great signs to walk you through a self guided experience where you can read all of the information shared about Hemmingway's life and legacy. I wished we had such an author in today's time, who was able to tie our world into stories in such a captivating way. Visiting here you realize the man had style but also he had goals and achieved what he set out to. Inspiring.

It's taken me quite some time to visit as they had a had only policy until recently, and I finally had cash to learn they now accept all forms of payment, so I swiped the card just to feel some relief to have made it in the doors. Open 9 - 5 no visitors may enter after 4:30, and you really need at least an hour to explore. The garden is as much a part of the house as inside of the walls. His writing room is quite the thing to see :-)

A few interesting things I learned: There are now 61 cats on the property, most have 6 toes on at least 1 paw. These cats are allowed to have one litter of babies and then they are spayed or neutered. This keeps the line going. There is a cat nursery in the side of the garden, and also a cat cemetery. The gift shop had some interesting books and items, I wish I'd been more prepared to spend some time in there.

Prior to stopping here we visited the Lobster Shack to eat and the Butterfly Conservatory. These made for a wonderful afternoon. I have a blog where I gave itinerary ideas and budget friendly traveling tips. My link is in my bio.

We visited this superb house and discovered the world where this writer lived. The house, the garden, the swimming pool, everything is magnificent. The place is curiously populated by cats who lounge around everywhere, both outside and inside. There is an entrance fee but it is definitely worth it.

I am NOT a Hemingway fan. However, stopping by to do the self guided tour for the sole purpose of seeing the Hemingway kitties is a must.

A great piece of history. Definitely do the live walking tour with a guide. There is so much that would've been missed had we not.

Just go there. Its amazing! Do it first thing in the morning when the cats are not hot or tired. Such lush foliage and great atmosphere.

Truly interesting and historical about the man and the times. Highly recommend for a change from just partying in key west

Beautiful house, guided tour available. Even if self tour there is information in each room that includes Hemingway’s time in Key West. Shady gardens nice respite from sun. My daughter was fascinated by the 6 toed cats that were mostly in the garden on the day we visited. Good for adults and children. We spent about one hour here but could spend more. Small gift shop.

To see because we are in Key west , soaks up the place where the writer lived it is interesting . Beautiful place well preserved Very nice time to refer in this mythical place

The star attraction if you are vising Key West.  American writer Ernest Hemingway lived here between 1931 to 1939.  A general admission ticket cost 19 USD (November 2025).  I would highly recommend the free guided tour.  The tour lasts around twenty to thirty minutes.  The guide will show you the highlights.  You are then free to further explore the estate.  A highlight is without a doubt the writing studio (annex built above the detached carriage house) where Ernest Hemingway wrote many of his most famous novels.  I loved the cats who freely roam the estate.  Highly recommend.

I have always wanted to see Hemingway’s home in Key West. Maybe it’s because I am a cat lover and I knew that they have a lot of cats. There are 61 cats there to be exact.
It is a lovely house in the old part of town. There’s a garden with a big pool. A guide brought us around the rooms and then, allowed visitors to roam around the grounds.

I really liked this place!
We didn’t really plan to go in to the house, just passing by and take some photos. But if I remember correctly, the fee was only 5 dollar/pp and the guided tour is included (takes approximately 30 minutes) and i totally recommend taking the tour.

It was so nice to hear the staff telling the story of Hemingway, booth from a historical point of view but also mixed with some funny information about the cats and environment.

If you walk slowly, pet the cats (you are aloud to, just don’t lift them up) and take the guided tour this visit takes approximately 1,5 hours. And it’s totally worth it.

PS. Some of the areas will not be reachable with stroller or wheelchair.

What a great way to experience stepping back in time, with all of the beautiful artwork and decor of the past of the Hemingway’s. Rob was our guide and he was so knowledgeable and thoroughly impressed us. The grounds were beautifully manicured of lush greenery, and loved seeing all of the cats around the home.

I enjoyed this visit more than I expected. Good information around the house (and picked up more listening to the tours around us). The grounds are well-kept and peaceful. And of course visiting all the cats was fun! Good museum!

I have never seen anything like it. While the historical component is interesting the cats stole the show. One was cuter than the next. Would go back again just to see the cats. The preservation of this house has definitely kept the historical integrity at the forefront.

Interesting experience— i was amazed to see all those 6 tow cars at the property. It was interesting to hear the details of Ernest Hemingway’s life and see the things that belonged to a different epoch.

I was very surprised I liked this place. Rob our guide was funny. Learned a lot about Hemingway - and developed an appreciation for his work. I loved trying to find all the cats. They are soooo cute! There is a definite smell of cats so be warned. I had assumed this so it was not an issue for me. After going I bought a few of his books to read. If you are undecided about going - do it.

A great glimpse of Hemingway's life. Enjoyed talking with the tour guides. Lots of information on Hemingway, his work and his four wives is on display. The house itself is charming, as are the gardens. Really enjoyed seeing the 6-toed cats. We were only in Key West for 6 hours (from a cruise ship) and I'm glad we toured this home.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum was on our list of must do's while in Key West. We really enjoyed wandering the home and grounds, reading about some of the history. It was fun to see the cats wandering around...or making themselves at home sleeping on the bed. The landscaping was beautiful.

We took the guided tour. It was only about 20 minutes but very informative. We especially liked all the cats and learning how they started, and how well they are taken care of.

I arrived just after the last tour began (4:30) so was worried I was too late, but they told me I could still join if I wanted. The tour guide was really good. I'm not really a Hemingway fan but I learned lots of interesting things about his life. She also knew all the cats by name and how many toes each had. Since it was the last tour of the day we were told that if we gave her name the next day we could get in a second time to further explore. I found my first visit sufficient but I thought that was a really nice thing they offer since time is limited at the end of the day.

I had been to Key West a few times before and I had never visited this place. I am glad I did this time. Our guide was knowledgeable and fun. The home is beautiful and one can imagine what it was in its splendor. It is worth-visiting if you enjoy his books and films based on his novels and short stories.

If you think you knew Hemingway, you’re learn more! This home is beautiful, complete with an in ground pool which is maintained but never used. See some of the 59 cats on the property and learn about their care! The architecture of the home is stunning. Take time for the self tour, or wait a few minutes to participate in the guided tour.

Of course this place is gorgeous! The tour guide was funny and we were allowed to pet the cats! Do take the tour…it does not cost extra. Then go back through and go at your own pace after. I will def visit again when I’m back.

Very crowded, but loved seeing it. We went late in the day, so we didn't wait on line to get in. However, once inside it was a bit overwhelming. I just know Hemmingway would hate this. Read his books!

Very interesting. Our guide Tim did a great job! The house and grounds are lovely. It was also very easy to get to. You will enjoy meeting some of the cats!

Not to be missed. The house where the writer lived in the 1930s and where he wrote many of his masterpieces. Many memorabilia including the feline colony of the descendants of Snow White, Hemingway's first cat.

This house is located near the Southernmost point buoy. The admission was around $20. It was reasonable. A guide took me to the house. The inside was full of Hemingway memorabilia.

I saw cats. They were the most popular attractions at this house. Everyone knows his name. But a few people have read his books. After the tour, I watched " For Whom the Bell Tolls" which is one of the movies based on his novels. This house made me feel like knowing him more!

Went to visit the polydactyls and there are so many of them. They provide shelter and food/water. The home is well preserved and interesting. The staff is friendly

I am a cat lady. This was the perfect tour for me. I didn't tour the upstairs of the home nor the writing studio this trip. I went later in the morning and it was crowded. Next time, I will arrive earlier in the day. The cats weren't as active either. Just like at my house, 10 am - noon is nap time for all. Beautiful grounds. I loved the pool. The bookstore was amazing as well.

We didn't know much about Hemingway prior to our tour of his home in Key West. It was a great tour and very informative. We paid extra for the tour guide rather than walking around on our own and we learned a great deal about him and where he did the majority of his work. Loved seeing all the cats around the property and they take such great care of them!

If you like Ernest Hemingway and his writings, then you’ll like to view and tour his beautiful home, grounds, and meet all the six toed cats!!

Nice property, lots of trees and plants, and most importantly! CATS! Some were stand offish, but some were very friendly. Definitely recommend if you like cats and Hemingway. Don’t recommend if your are allergic to cats, they are everywhere!

as a local, I’ve been through the Hemingway house a few times over the years but hadn’t been there in a while. Had some friends in town but they got sick and I was already in line so I decided to go in anyway. Was greeted by Scott the manager who was very friendly and knowledgeable. My tour guide was Amy which I found out later it was only her first week, but she did an awesome job. I thought she had been there for at least a year. Amy was very informative. I am a history buff in Key West, but still was able to pick up some new information that I had not known before. You could spend as little or as much time in there as you’d like. The guided tours optional, but I highly recommend it.

It's a very pretty house in the colonial style, In addition, it's Mr Hemmîngwày's. I've read all his books, I lived in a Wést key, for 5 years. It's very pleasant to live and the people are great. Very beautiful island with lots of things to do, i 4ecommànd énernest's cover et everythîning in kéy wést

Very interesting tourist spot. Did not do the guided tour but walked around on our own. FYI-Gift shop onsite is a bit cramp.

We visited the Hemingway House during a cruise stop in Key West, hoping to see as much as possible in a short amount of time. The house is just a short walk from the cruise port, and admission for two adults totaled $39.05.

As someone who enjoys history, I appreciated how much of Key West’s story is connected to Hemingway. Admission includes access to the beautiful botanical gardens on the property, offering a peaceful, shaded place to relax.

We also took advantage of the optional guided tour, which was well worth it—our guide was very knowledgeable and added great context to the visit.

The house is air-conditioned, making it a comfortable way to escape the heat while still enjoying a historic site.

Very good tour. The cats are so cute and friendly. Only $19 per person which is a great value. Easy to tour in an hour or so. Close walk to Duval.

Great guides. They really made the stop and brought Hemingway to life. Six toes cats q nice plus. I learned things the booze can never take away

It’s a very cool place steeped in history. And lots of cats. But at a busy time it is hard to enjoy and hard to connect with a guided tour. It would be better if you could purchase a ticket from a semi limited pool for a certain date and time - thereby limiting the number of people in the house at any given time - like what is done at the Little White House.

Do yourself a favor and experience! Make sure to take tons of pictures and prepare yourself so a unique experience. It’s a relaxing yet informative museum

To get away from parties and parties on Duvall Street, Hemingway's home museum is perfect and shows the writer's life in the 1930s.

Great time touring the Hemmingway home and learning more about Ernest. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the writer and the home. The length was the right amount and everyone was very friendly. The 6 toed cats are all over and make the tour more interesting. You are not allowed to touch the furniture but the cats are crawling all over it - which makes it cool in my book! My 3 boys enjoyed themselves and my middle son (16 years old) even wanted to go back into the home to self-explore after the tour! Seeing the "writing Shack" where Ernest wrote 90% of his books was pretty cool. My kids thought they were going to be telling the story of how Dad fell/jumped into Ernest Hemmingway's pool because it was so hot while we were there - so be sure to get something to drink and dress for the weather!

We really enjoyed our tour of the Ernest Hemingway museum and learnt lots. Loved all the 6 toed cats hanging around the property. My only suggestion for the tour is that it would be good if the guides spoke a bit more slowly as the tour felt rushed at times and it made it harder to take everything in.

Our guide Robbie was interesting, informative and fun. The home and grounds are expertly maintained and the stories are captivating. The cats, although seemingly everywhere, were unaffected by the people crawling around. The guided portion is 30-35 minutes depending on questions but we’re all invited to stay as long as we liked- no rush!

It had some very interesting fact about E Hemingway. The grounds very very well kept and all the cats were fun to see lounging in the sun or hiding in the bushes or just sitting on the bench to get some pets.

Worth the price of entry. Very nice, beautiful, venue and we really enjoyed it. I am not normally a big t-shirt person, but I bought one from here to support the property, the cat effort, and as a little memorabilia to remind me of the moment. Staff was very nice. We visited Joes in Key west and also Hemingways favorite Bar in Havana, Cuba, and we are glad to see his Key West home.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of this historic Key West home. Admission price is reasonable, and guided tour provided an excellent overview of Ernest Hemingway, his family, and history of Key West friends. You can walk the grounds without admission fee, but it's worth the price to see the home's interior! You also will see the historic polydatyl cats who are cared for by the foundation.

I didn’t know much about his life except what I have seen in movies. It was a beautiful place. Lots of cats. They just had another litter of kittens. I am assuming there was something in his Will or stipulation of the trust that made it so they couldn’t neuter the cats. He had lots of them when he was alive and still over 70 cats today!
I didn’t take the guided tour. We did the self guided tour. It was interesting. Then we visited the bars he reportedly owned at one time.
Go, just for the sake of say you now know a little more than you did yesterday.

Truly an iconic place with a lot of history on its shoulders. It was Hemingway's home in Florida and it is a museum of life, photos, souvenir books of all kinds... a house with history with fantastic vegetation and with the weight of the writer's prestige. Truly impressive and unmissable!!

There are tons of good reviews so read them and go! My husband and I loved it! We did the self guided tour at around 11:00 on a Saturday morning. Loved it! The house and the cats are so cool. The book/gift shop was nice too. I highly recommend it! You can visualize what it must’ve been like when Hemingway was living there writing and drinking a daiquiri by that beautiful pool.

Great to learn more about Hemingway and MJ our guide provided useful insights about his life, travels and family. Got to meet over 20 cats too. Would recommend the tour then wander in your own time.

Meh. I don't know what the fuss is about. They have really good marketing, I guess. Hemingway was a lothario and his house is a tourist trap. Tour guide was witty and gave us a lot of information. Asking for tips after a $20 admission fee was pretty obnoxious. Also, I think the cats roaming around were pretty disgusting. I may be in the minority here but this was a Key West experience that I could have done without.

We purchased tickets at the gate and then opted for the free Tour with Rob (Docent). He was very informative about the house and story of Hemingway as well as the 6 toed Cats. House is well preserved and Cats appear to be in very good setting.

The house and gardens were an immersion into the life of Hemingway and his wives. Our guide, Jamie, was a fountain of knowledge and a great communicator. The cats, a playful addition, kept our teens entertained as they tried to spot as many as they could. We suggest arriving early to avoid the crowds and queues, ensuring a more personal experience.

We are not history buffs or museum goers but we really enjoyed our visit here. We parked our scooter at the restaurant we ate at before going which was just a few blocks away.

Very interesting to learn about Hemingway and his time in Key West. Let’s be honest, it’s about the cats. They’re the highlight of the tour.

Touring the house, our guide shared many local facts about Hemingway and the original owner and builder of the house. 6 toed cats were everywhere—I love cats, so I enjoyed this. History of the cats was also shared. Because Hemingway wrote 70% of his books there, I bought a couple from the bookstore (they are stamped to show I purchased there). For those who aren’t able bodied, there are no accommodations, but you could go through the gardens. Parking is challenging, so be sure to research that prior to visiting—wear your walking shoes.

We had a terrific guide who explained many aspects of Hemmingway’s years in Key West as well as general information on Hemmingway’s overall life, writings, etc. 59 cats were there when we visited. Although I thought I knew a fair amount about Hemmingway, I learned many new things about him, his writings and life. Beautiful old house and grounds. Very worthwhile visit.

We visited here early one morning because the prior day we got there around 11am and the line was wrapped around the block. So my advice is to get there early - in the first hour or so it is open to avoid a long line.

So my next comment is that I am extremely allergic to cats - I can't be inside with them and breathe. While there were cats everywhere, I was ok. I REALLY wanted to visit here and was surprised that the cats were literally all over the museum and lying on the bed that is roped off to the public.....very unusual. But if you are allergic to cats, double up on your antihistimines and go if it's something you want to do.

The tour was interesting. It's slow enough that you get to see things and you are allowed to walk back through the home afterward to see anything you missed. VERY nice! The grounds were very interesting and I spent a long time outside just enjoying watching cats from afar and enjoying the day.

I highly recommend a visit here if you have any interest in Hemingway.

What a nice visit!
The house is very cozy with all the history of E. Hemingway that she carries, the garden is also very beautiful with its pool.
Everything is still inhabited by many polydactile cats, very surprising!!
We advise, 18 dollars the entrance.

The tour was the perfect length and I learned a lot about Hemingway and his history on Key West. The cats are everywhere and super sweet.

Classic (living room, dinning, bedroom, bathroom, back yard and pool) guided tour of a historic home with a little bit of trivia you don’t find in any history written about the man, writer and great adventurer we thought we knew …. It’s glimpse into something kinda sad … Hemingway had a wild incredible life but yet he tried to be a somewhat normal home life (wife, kids and upscale home) that just never mixed or he was never satisfied! The pets were even different from everyone else’s. Everywhere in the house is stories of disagreements drunken and otherwise …. Even building the swimming pool had its inevitable remnant of drama in a concreted penny.

Our family had a great time going to this museum about Hemmingway’s life. The tour guide was amazing and a Hemmingway aficionado herself. The money was worth it.
There is a lot of seating around the outside of the home in the gardens. It is quite beautiful. There are tours given for free during the day.

We went during December and the first time we tried to go in there was a long line of people that spanned to sound the corner. Next day we made sure to make it slightly before 9am when it opens. The more people the less you can appreciate the items inside.

The weather was beautiful and cool. Caution if you’re going in the summer there is no A/C in the home.

Caution if your allergic to cats. There were currently 61 of them roaming around. They stay outside most of the time but just “heads up”. It should take 2 hours to fully appreciate everything and visit the cute bookstore. You could see everything in an hour if needed to.

I believe there is a sign that states not to pet the cats. We never refuse any cat that wants us to pet them!!!! 🥰

Cats! Cats and more cats! This was the highlight of our trip to Key West and a total surprise. Great history and fun couple hours.

Wonderful tour. Well presented historical information by our guide. Some Hemingway memorabilia and furnishings. Overall a good and memorable tour.

If you love Hemingway -- or if you barely know anything about him -- this is worth the visit. Beautiful property. Adorable cats. Great history of the home and the area. A bit too commercialized, but it's still worth the time to see and appreciate.

If there's one must-see in Key West, it's Mr. Hemingway's "famous yellow house."

Note that it is not so much for the beauty of the residence (even if it stands out) as for the juicy little stories of the place... not to say, Ernest's anecdotes!

In short... The visit revealed other facets of the hectic life of this writer!

$18 per adult for the guided tour. Interesting if you know who Hemingway is. Unique in that lots of cats (40? 50?) live on the property and in the house. About 45 minutes for the tour.

See other reviews from this trip:
Sarasota, FL: The John and Mabel Ringling Mansion ("Ca'd'Zan”), The Ringling Circus Museum, The Marie Selby Botanical Garden.
Venice, FL: The Crow’s Nest, Sharky’s on the Pier.
Key West, FL: The Hogfish Grill (on next-door Stock Island), Harry Truman’s Little White House, Trolley Tour, Key West First Legal Rum Distillery, The Lobster Shack, Hot Tin Roof, Santa Maria Suites.
Key Largo, FL: Holiday Inn, Skipper’s Dockside Restaurant, Key Largo Princess II Glass Bottom Boat Tour.
Ft. Myers, FL: Edison/Ford Winter Estates.
Punta Gorda: Laishley’s Crab House.

The cats were very fun to look at. It is a beautiful home in key west. It is well maintained with friendly staff.

The guided tour was good but there was also a self-guided tour going on at the same time. So it was a bit distracting trying to listen when there are non-tour people around you.

It was also a hot summer day and the museum had little to no A/C.

Warning: don't go here if allergic to cats. The house smells like cats and they have over 50 cats roaming around the property.
Hemingway was a very interesting person. From all the car wrecks, plane crashes, and other injuries he sustained over the years, it is suspected that the had a similar brain injury to what modern football players have. Though some of his best writing came while being injured. I enjoyed learning about the life of this larger than life writer that has had a major impact on our world. Well worth the stop.

Highlight of our trip. The Hemingway cats make the historical home feel like a living home. Wonderful tour with a super informative tour guide.

I loved this. Beautiful house, well-preserved with lots of informative signage and memorabilia to see. Our ticket included a tour, which was a great way to get a lay of the land and decide what to go back and spend more time on. Fun to see all the cats wandering around the property. Beautiful gardens and solid book/gift shop.

The Hemingway House & Museum was very interesting. They had some artifacts and pictures and the tour guide did a great job telling the story. The home and grounds are nicely decorated and well maintained. Be sure and see the cats while you are there!

The Hemingway House and Museum was a nice break from the busyness of Key West. Seeing the cats made it a unique museum but they are so accustomed to people that they really just ignore you. You can walk through on a guided tour and then go back through on your own. The grounds are quite lovely, too. Look for the signs on the brick wall around it. Between the trees and the brick wall, you hardly see the house until you step inside the gateway. Hemingway had his ups and downs but Key West was the place for him. Be sure to see his writing room, too. His routine was to write 700 words a day and then have time for other activities he enjoyed. Nice place to visit!

I went there for the cats since I have cats and I am a cat lover. A nice and clean environment for the cats. The staff know the cats names and they are care for well

Definitely recommend for Hemingway readers and fans. This place brings Papa's legacy to life in very real ways. The cats are also adorable. Fortunately it is pretty shady on the grounds. Also somewhat tiny so no need to budget lots of time. Note it is not accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have other accessibility needs. The audio tour is superb!

Cats and tour guides were all Nice. Tours got a little crowded in the rooms but it’s easy to deal with. Fun time, and I plan on going back again when I return.

Wonderful House that was even featured in a James Bond Movie. The great writer has been enjoyed by fans across the years. What was a total surprise was the 6 toed cats. We love Cats so this was a huge bonus.

Visiting Ernest Hemingway’s House is an important part of the Key West tour. We had an excellent guide, who was a retired excursion boat captain.

Really, enjoyed learning the history of Hemingway’s home, his writing studio, and about the 60 cats with a few having polydactyly paws.

Things to keep in mind: afternoon showers, cat dander, and few stairs to climb.

Bookshop is great! All of Hemingway’s books in one spot.

We enjoyed our tour. With that said, our guide seemed more focused on the seedier side of Hemingway rather than his accomplishments - to the point that one our kids asked us after the tour, “So why was this guy famous?” It’s worth visiting if you’re in Key West and want something to do, but I wouldn’t call it a must-do attraction.

My first place I went to when I arrived in Key West, spent my last 15$ here and saw Hemingway's last cent, before I called it my hometown. I love the connection between literature and cats. Taylor and Travis should really get married here. Like, where else?

We enjoyed our visit to this interesting home. We did the 30 minute tour - these ran continuously so you just book into the next one on arrival. There was a queue to get into the museum. There are restrooms and a book shop but no cafe. The tour was helpful to give you a better understanding of the history of the house and about Hemingway and the cats.

The tour was so interesting! Hemingway was a complicated, talented man, and the tour guide explained him, warts and all. I came away with a better understanding of him and how his experiences shaped his writing. The Hemingway cats are all over the property and added an element of whimsy to the tour.

Everyone that worked at the home was so very nice and helpful. The home and gardens are beautiful and well maintained. The history of the house and of Hemingway was real interesting. The cats are a bonus!

This is just a great "to do" while you're in Key West. Park your car or golf cart somewhere and walk on over as you bop around all day long. Take the guided tour as that's the best way to learn it all. I enjoyed hearing all the stories about each chapter of his life. Plus you can keep looking for cats in every part of the house and the gardens. It's a fascinating place and now I want to read all those books or watch a bunch of the movies from those books during the cold winter months now that I'm back in Chicago.

The house and grounds are beautiful. Seeing all the cats is so fun and unique. I am sure the history and stories about the house and Ernest Hemingway himself are fascinating but we only got to hear parts. Our tour guide was rushing to get through the tour- she didn’t wait for people to get into the rooms before speaking, she was obviously just giving a scripted speech and she spoke really fast. I have visited on another occasion and the tour was much better. So try to ensure you get a good tour guide to maximize your experience.

Our visit to the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West was very disappointing. The property was extremely crowded, to the point where it felt unsafe and probably a fire hazard. The staff member on the porch podium, an older woman with dark hair, was rude and unwelcoming, which set a negative tone right from the start. To make matters worse, only four rooms were actually open to the public, leaving us feeling shortchanged given the admission price. The one redeeming aspect of the visit was the cats, which were charming and fun to see. Overall, aside from the cats, the experience was not worth it and left us quite dissatisfied.

My husband and I really enjoyed this tour. Entrance fees were reasonable. The house is gorgeous with yellow paint and wrought iron fencing. We didnt get to see the kitchen but the rest of the house and his studio office were neat. Lots of history, photos, paintings, furniture. Then we saw the cats!! Beautiful, healthy abd very pampered! Grounds were lovely.

Any fan of Hemingway or American history needs this tour on your bucket list... Any fan of classic architecture, lush gardens and old fashioned decor will also love this place. Cat lovers? You'll be in heaven. Allergies for cats? Try the Butterfly observatory instead 😉 You will see it all, where he slept, ate, relaxed and most importantly, his writing studio with typewriters in place... 10 outa 10!!

Learned so much about Hemingway and his life when we took the guided tour (included in the price of your ticket). Came away with a list of movies to watch and books to read.

If you are a cat lover, you will love this place. Over 50 kitties can be found lounging pretty much any where they want to.

If you take the tour, you will have to go up and down stairs so keep that in mind if you have mobility issues.

We visited when the temps felt like 106 degrees, but the inside of the building was air conditioned, there were fans outside near the benches, and a good chunk of the grounds were shady with a nice breeze.

Tour guides have a lot of good information. Gorgeous property. The cats are an added treat. Some stairs needed to navigate. Cute gift shop.

This was actually one of the surprising highlights of my Key West vacation. If you have read any of Hemmingway’s books you will appreciate the history here since he wrote ~70% of his novels while living here; and even if you haven’t read his work you will enjoy learning the history of both the house and Hemmingway himself. This is definitely something anyone visiting Key West should do if they have time!!!

Excellent... I was fascinated by exploring it in its entirety. Seeing and pampering six-toed cats is beautiful. 100% worth it

You tour the Hemingway house. It's a historic location. There are many displays on Hemingway's life and related history to Key West. There are over 50 polydactyly cats. Admission includes a guided tour. Can get crowed during peak times of day (late morning-early afternoon). I'd budget 90 minutes.

A must do while in Key West, especially if you are here for the first time or have been here previously and forgot to stop by some of the historic places around town! See all the kitties that live at this home, walk through and learn about the history of Hemingway, and fall in love with this awesome place. It is well worth the money - and if you are a local make sure to check the dates on when you can get a discount (must bring your local ID)! We learned alot and enjoyed the sweet cats!

I’m not a fan of Hemingway’s work and always imagined him being pompous, so I had low expectations about seeing Hemingway’s house. I was so pleasantly surprised! The house has a great backstory, the gardens are beautiful, and little did I know—there are cats! Of course tour guides make or break a tour, and our tour guide was a good storyteller. I liked hearing the stories of his wives, especially the story of the wife who got rid of Hemingway’s boxing ring and built a swimming pool. I also enjoyed the history around the cats, and had a good chuckle when there was a cat sleeping in Hemingway’s bed. This is a worthwhile tour when visiting Key West!

What a historic place! The tour is not too long and was informative. So many beautiful cats, and most are friendly. If you have kids, prepare them in advance to be careful as you should be with any animal. The cats all have their claws, so approach them respectfully. If you have time, bring something to read (maybe a Hemingway book!) and make yourself comfortable on one of the benches. The area where Hemingway wrote is not really accessible. You go up the stairs,
And there’s a small space to look into the room. But there’s a metal gate that prevents further entry. If it’s crowded, this can be a choke point. Overall, an inspiring place!

Tour was so cool and our tour guide Katrina was awesome and went straight to the point when telling the stories of Ernest. Majority of the cats were very friendly and there were many cats on the property to pet. Lots of them were six-toed cats and it was an interesting and fun activity. They had fans in most of the rooms because it’s very hot outside. Great tour for family🥰

Such a fun, educational experience. Some of the cats loves to be pet and are so sweet. There's a free tour that tells you all about Ernest Hemingway's life and also the cats. It's so interesting!

This home has been on my wish list for years and did not disappoint. Easy to buy tix and walk in. Loved that one can either take your or wander on one's own. Seeing the writing studio was really moving. One can feel what a magical place this must have been when Hemingway lived here.

Full of history and cats what could be better? A must go see - beautiful outdoor gardens. I would highly recommend this well worth the money.

I missed this tour on my last visit to KW so was determined to see this home during this visit. There are no advanced tickets and you just go to the main entrance and buy a ticket and wait for some other people to join you, then a guide takes your group on a tour. There was a decent crowd the day we were there but the tours are run perfectly so you always feel like your small group is the only tour going on. The property is historic and a must-see in KW. The house is maintained very well and you will see a few cats sleeping on a bed or couch during your tour. The tour went pretty quickly and then you were on your own to walk the grounds.

This was on our bucket list of things to see in Key West and it didn’t disappoint. It was very interesting to see where he wrote some of his greatest works and it was really cool that the furnishings were original from the time he spent there. The history of his time in Key West amazing. And then there were the cats…..lots of them everywhere!

A nice visit and throw back in time. The house is carefully preserved and the guides are excellent! The writing loft is as it was back in the late 1930's.

A beautiful house, in which a good picture is given about the life of Ernest Hemingway. We followed a tour by an excellent guide.

This house is worth visiting because you will learn much about the personal life of Earnest Hemingway, in particular about his multiple wives and his philandering!

The house was amazing, the staff incredible, and the cats divine.
I had a minor health event while I was there that required I recover a bit in the shade and the manager, Jacquie, was an absolute godsend. I cannot thank her (and her staff) enough for their courtesy and care. As a chronically ill person, these events (while not rare) are still uncommon enough to be unsettling and they were incredible at graciously providing assistance while not crowding me. I truly cannot thank them enough.

A must visit if you are in Key West. The house is very large and all intact. There are many photos hanging of the writer, his typewriters and all. Some rooms can be seen but off limits. His study….:: very very exciting. All this seasoned with a myriad of super good cats to pet at least 1000 times. Good experience. Too bad there are no audio guides.

Not much to see of Hemingway’s home from the street as it is fenced with a lot foliage hiding the exterior. I guess it’s another tour of a historic home in Key West with southern country style. Good for kids or families.

I'm an avid reader, so of course I had to visit the home of one of the most famous authors in the world! The property is currently the home of numerous cats! You will take a guided tour through the home and see how the author lived in luxury for his time. Walk his halls, see where he would sit and write. Visit the descendants of his cats. Admire the African Tulip Tree, and purchase a book or a few from the shop.

How can you not love this place! Gardens surround the house with 61 cats, some with 6 toes, on the grounds. Many are very domesticated and will approach you or welcome a pet whilst napping. Each cat is named after a famous movie star and so on. It's a charming place and a great place to spend and afternoon.

We took the tour of the house and the pool area, which I highly recommend. You get a really good sense of life in the house and an explanation for lots of different things such as Ernest Hemingway's behaviour, lived experience and travels. Marriage/partnership to Hemingway was also illuminating.

Tips: Take your time and take the free tour.

Katrina was our tour guide. Definitely wait for a tour as , at least , Katrina told us some great stories. So fun to be in the home of the Papa.

Great tour of the house and grounds. I wish I could remember our guides name, she was great. Alot of history shared on Hemingway and his ties to Key West. Cats! Lots of felines!

We did not take a tour guide and maybe should have. There is however lots to pictures in the house with a lot information in each room attached the pictures, so still a fun experience. He had an interesting life in Key West.

The man was a proper larger than life character who lived life to the full. He is Key West and hugely important to the Key, so visiting his home is a must. Not just for Hemingway but all of its residents over the years. Without giving anything away it has so many stories to tell and it’s also a great museum. A must see in Key West if you love the old movies and that era

If you find yourself in Key West, carve out an hour or two to stop by the museum and take the tour (probably 30 minutes). We enjoyed our time with Rob our tour guide as he shared with us the history of the property, the house, and some fantastic stories about Ernest Hemingway. I have three teenage girls who went to see cats and enjoyed learning the history just as much.

This was the first place we visited on our day trip to Key West. We had a short guided tour, which was included in the ticket price. Our guide was Rob. His tour was very interesting and humorous. I can definitely recommend this, even if you have not read any of Hemingway's novels. If you have time, you can go back around the house by yourself after the guided tour. My only problem was that I was unable to take an exterior photo of the house without other tourists in the way!

It was interesting to see where Hemingway lived and worked, as well as to read the articles and picture captions……………..

Spent a relaxing visit to the Hemingway House, taking in all the lovely grounds and learning about the history of the house and much more about Hemingway and his family. Rusty, our guide, did a great job; he made our visit enjoyable. Susan, a new employee, accompanied us also, and she added to our experience. Of course, the cats are a highlight, and learning their names and something about their personalities was a bonus. After the tour, we were encouraged to wander the house and grounds at our leisure, so nothing felt rushed. Thankfully, it wasn't crowded the day we went (we chose a day without cruise ships in port). Definitely a worthwhile stop while visiting Key West.

Our tour guide was entertaining and knowledgeable. It was fun to hear the stories, especially the ones about his wife (wives). And yes, the six-toed cats do roam free here and enjoy a nice petting. The grounds are very lush with seating and a great place to rest your feet and people (cat) watch.

This was a wonderful tour. Christina Garcia was our guide and host. Her knowledge of Ernest Hemingway, along with knowledge of his wives, was amazing. I felt like I was watching history taking place in front of me. She was engaging and made us laugh at the same time. The house and grounds are beautifully kept and well preserved. My overall thoughts are that this was one great tour!

If you're interested at all in Hemmingway, you'll find this tour fabulous. Even if you aren't, the CATS are worth the visit. If you hate Hemingway and cats, then skip it. Otherwise, this is a must see in Key West. We chose to do a guided tour. There's no extra fee for that. You can also explore on your own if you wish. Or do both! Our tour guide had fun facts for us.

An incredibly well-maintained treasure staffed by engaging, animated walking encyclopedias, eager to tell and teach. Loved every square inch of the place.
Be forewarned, there is no dedicated parking—however, due to its proximity to Duval and other public lots plus street parking, car drivers shouldn’t have too much trouble finding spots close-by. The experience requires non-timed tickets both available online or at the gate in front. While guests are free to roam the beautifully organized shaded grounds, a literal pet sanctuary to the famous Hemmingway six toed cats, as well as the house itself, guided tours are available. The guides are amazing and extremely patient, entertaining each and every question. The house is full of original furnishings and memorabilia, tons to gawk at especially for the literature lovers.
Don’t forget to visit the gift shop in back, small but mighty. No pressure, stay as long as you like.

We took the tour and learned a bit about Hemingway and all his wives/cats. With 64 cats on the property it smells quite a bit like cat and they seemed to be the stars of the show.

All 4 adults in our party really enjoyed this visit! We did a self guided tour, and learned a lot! Great way to spend a little time!

A great museum. A guided tour is provided with admission. Would suggest you walk around outside first, then take the tour. Also don't forget to see the writing studio above the gift shop.

Had a great time visiting the Hemingway museum. Guide Sarah was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Learned a lot. Love, love, loves seeing all the cats and getting to pet them.

Come for the cats, there is info about Hemingway too. I’m not into Hemingway, but enjoyed the visit. A little weird it is cash only.

It was very interesting peak inside Papa's life. I recommend the guided tour. Katrina brought many aspects of the home and Hemingway to life. The tour is optional and included with the admission.

Ticket booth man appeared to be significantly impaired and the unhinged. Came with handicapped child and student- immediately yelled at student putting away wheelchair at entrance for “not paying”, charged full price when student ID didn’t load fast on phone, constantly berating family w threatening hand gestures and facial expressions. Refused to give refund for difference once ID loaded. Manager quickly apologized and quickly removed him from area but experience ruined on our vacation day. 0 stars.

The Hemingway House is THE landmark in Key West and accordingly well attended. We were there immediately after the opening hours and it was still pleasantly empty. The house can be visited on your own or on a guided tour included in the entrance fee. The tour was absolutely worth it as our guide told a lot about the life of Hemingway and the history of the house. Afterwards we enjoyed a little more the beautiful garden of the house. And of course the many cats are a highlight!
Little tip: opposite the cash desk there is a bicycle rack on the premises. So you don't have to chain your rental bike on the street but can park safely on the museum grounds.