Fort East Martello Museum & Gardens, also known as the East Martello Tower, sits at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard. This stout, historic site was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1972, and is celebrated as the best-preserved example of the Martello style of military architecture in the country. Step closer and imagine the layers inside: the museum displays local history and art that tell Key West’s story—early settlement, sponging and fishing, Cuban influence, military involvement, and the writers and colorful characters who shaped the island.
You’ll find the folk art of Mario Sanchez alongside striking pieces made from junk by Stanley Papio, and the curious presence of Robert the Doll, the supposedly haunted toy that belonged to the late artist Robert Eugene Otto. The Key West Art & Historical Society operates this blending of fortress, gallery, and garden, so each room and pathway has been arranged to highlight both history and imagination. Picture the tower, the gardens, and the sweep of South Roosevelt Boulevard, layered with the stone's long past.