GPS City GuideKey WestWest Martello Tower

Stop 22 of 26 · Key West audio walking tour

West Martello Tower

Key West · 1976 · Added to National Register

What you'll hear here: about a minute on West Martello Tower — how it came to be, who it mattered to, and what to look for while you're standing in front of it.

West Martello Tower, also known as the Key West Garden Club, is a historic martello tower at 1100 Atlantic Boulevard in Key West, Florida. Imagine the thick masonry that was finished during the American Civil War, built for a conflict it would never see: the tower saw no battle action, though it was used as a target. That quiet contradiction—built for defense, then used for practice—is part of this place’s character.

In more recent memory, this sturdy relic was recognized on June 24, 1976, when it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Today the name Key West Garden Club hints at a softer layer, where stone and gardens meet; you can feel how history has been repurposed into cultivated green. Stand close, run your eyes along the weathered walls, and think of a structure built for a fight that never came while later hands tended gardens here.

Notice the tower's round silhouette and brickwork raised during the American Civil War, now framed by the Key West Garden Club's gardens.

Where it is

Coordinates
24.54694, -81.78611
Area
Key West
Era
1976 · Added to National Register
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Three stops free. No account needed. The audio plays itself as you walk.