Audubon House & Tropical Gardens

Audubon House & Tropical Gardens

Audubon House & Tropical Gardens
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The home of Capt. John H. Geiger, harbor pilot and master wrecker, was built between 1846 and 1849. Slated for destruction in 1958, it was saved by the Mitchell Wolfson Family Foundation, a nonprofit educational institution. This large scale restoration was the first of its kind in Key West, thus sparking the restoration movement in Key West.Antique enthusiasts will appreciate the unique quality of the furnishings displayed in the Audubon House Museum. All furnishings reflect the elegance and comfortable living enjoyed for a wealthy family in Key West during the mid-1800’s. 31 of the original hand colored Antique engravings of the 22 birds J.J. Audubon painted in the Florida Keys during his 6 week visit in 1832 can be seen throughout the House. In addition to informative reading panels, an introduction to the property and its history will be given by your guide, and then you will roam the house and gardens at your leisure. Varieties of orchids and bromeliads emerge from the foliage and trees to surprise you with their vibrant blooms. Native plants and exotics provide an environment that is reminiscent of old Key West. Trees and plants are labeled with their common names, Latin names, and country of origin. This is the finest tropical garden in the Florida Keys. You may even catch a glimpse of some of our local birds! The garden tour also includes a self-guided visit to the Cook House. Houses of the period in the Florida Keys did not have inside kitchens as they were sources of heat and of course, fire hazards. A visit to the Audubon Gallery of Fine Arts will take you through the wonderful world of original Audubon Antique hand painted lithographs. The original Antique prints of some of J.J. Audubon’s contemporaries are also available for sale.The Museum Shop offers a wide selection of unique one-of-a-kind gifts, home décor, Antiques and educational materials.Our lush tropical gardens can be the site of your event:, whether you are planning a wedding or a corporate event. Let us make your event happen.
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  • Dorothy M
    Incline Village, Nevada225 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit.
    Started with an introduction by a docent, highly recommend because it sets out the time period and some misconceptions about “Audubon” House. Excellent period furniture and depictions of life in that time. Of course, the Audubon prints are phenomenal. The gardens are lovely. Gift shop/ gallery with a varying degree of Audubon print originality, which they are very careful to explain, is worth visiting too.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written January 21, 2024
  • LAW64
    Tonbridge, United Kingdom1,781 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely to see Audobon's prints
    We enjoyed our visit to this small garden and house. It was lovely to see some original prints of Audobon's bird pictures and to read a bit more about the history of the house. Nice rocking chairs on the porch for relaxation!
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 11, 2024
  • Britishcats
    Olathe, Kansas149 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful Museum
    Audubon House and Gardens is a really nice museum in the heart of Key West. The house has been well-restored and the interior is quiet and serene. Lovely, authentic interiors and a good guide. The gardens are lovely as well. Worth a stop if you’re in Key West.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written March 6, 2024
  • Tracie N
    28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful place
    Nicely restored home with antique furnishings from the period and several brilliant (genuine) Audubon works of birds. Beautiful. I wish more historic homes were this well taken care of in general.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written April 4, 2024
  • Kristin S
    Verona, New Jersey41 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hidden gem in the middle of it all
    What a beautiful home! The gardens are steps from the mayhem of Duval St and are quiet but serene. A guide will meet you on the first floor and give you a little history and is there to answer questions but the house is self guided. The original Audubon plates are on display as well.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written April 30, 2024
  • Journey56327223202
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Piece of Tranquility in Urbana
    Great piece of history in downtown area, close to shopping and restaurants. Well presented by our guide Barbra with plenty of artifacts to view from era. Attractive gardens and David was very helpful as a greeter.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written July 10, 2024
  • Nam N
    Washington DC, District of Columbia16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hidden Gem!
    We stumbled upon this historic home and garden while walking in old Key West. This was home is beautifully preserved. There was a tour guide on the first floor who gave a brief history of the home before guests were allowed to explore the three stories independently. The tour guide remained available for questions during our visit. The views from the porch were one of the best parts! This home had AC and a great gift-shop!
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written July 23, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles713 reviews
Excellent
359
Very good
248
Average
83
Poor
17
Terrible
6

Kirsten N
3 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Couples
We found out too late that the price was $15 per person. We would have much rather spent the money on a place across the street that explained the history of Key West. The house was pretty! The gardens were beautiful! Learning about the family who lived there? Not super important. Audubon the painter didn’t even for sure go to the house. The gallery had wonderful paintings, so bird enthusiasts and or time period buffs may enjoy it. For travelers just looking to fill an afternoon, spend your money elsewhere.
Written June 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are sorry that the property and experience did not meet your expectations, although I'm a bit confused about your comment "We found out too late that the price was $15"? It is good to hear that you enjoyed the gardens and found the house pretty, but we are unhappy to hear you didn't think the property, including the introduction, didn't give you a glimpse into Key West history that you were looking for in a tour. We hope you had a great vacation and hope to see you back in Key West!
Written June 5, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

shvarz
New York City, NY275 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021
Given that there's hardly any history associated with Audubon, it seems outrageous that they charge 15 bucks for entrance and a 5-minute story about why locals at some point started calling this place the Audubon House. It's just a house. They do have some old-time copies ("original" copies of Audubon drawings made for publication back in 19th century), but that's pretty much the only interesting thing about this place. Not worth the visit IMO.
Written February 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are sorry that you found your experience in the property lacking, as all of our literature about the house online and in print contains the "connection" to Audubon. We do have original Havell, hand painted antique images throughout the property, as well as for sale in the gallery. To see Audubon paintings that were done with his own hands, you would have to visit the New York Historical Society. What we show on property are what is seen famously auctioned at Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonham's and more. We hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip!
Written April 21, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Auburnlisa Z
Richmond Hill, GA16 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021
We very much enjoyed the tour of this home. As others have pointed out, legend has warped the relationship of John Audubon to this exact home, but the story of the home and family that lived here are fascinating in and of itself. And the property has several original Audubon drawings/paintings and how those items were produced was extremely interesting. The host of the home gives an overview then you are free to proceed yourself. His presentation was very good and his knowledge enhanced the tour. There is a lot of reading so this is not recommended for restless kids or teens -- they will be bored silly. Staff at the store was also very friendly and accommodating.
Written February 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate that you took the time to leave a great review for the house and shop! Thank you and we hope to see you again if you come back to Key West!
Written April 21, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CaribMark
Charleston, SC167 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Couples
This beautifully restored home of a ship wrecker from the 19th century is for the most part, beautifully done. The guide before the self tour was informative. However, the only relationship to Audubon is that it was determined that leaves from a tree in the gardens were used in one of his paintings. Two trees are out by the roadside still. There's a few prints hanging and one valuable lithograph. Otherwise, there are 6 reconditioned and recreated rooms from the family who once lived there which was nice, and the gardens are pretty. The weirdest thing is a room on the 3rd floor that's supposed to be a tribute to Audubon but it's bizarre. Tropical wallpaper, smaller prints, artificial vines and images of hummingbirds on the ceiling and two taxidermied birds in cages behind partial, pink, plexiglass walls. There's weird bird noises and a serpentine, modern, green couch in the middle. As cannibus rules are loose in Florida, perhaps it would either be a cool experience or freak you out in there. Bottom line, the owners who beautifully restored this house have used the Audubon name, with minimal connection to him.
Written September 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gator58
New Port Richey, FL734 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
Great collection of Audubon works, displayed in the Geiger Home that has been restored and set up as it would have be in that era. A very knowledgeable docent provides an introduction on the homes history and information on the collection before you walk through. There is also a great Audubon gallery and gift shop
Written September 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Woohoo! Thank you for giving a great review! And we are also very proud of our gallery and gift shop! We hope to see you back for another visit soon!
Written April 21, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bonacker10
Huntington, NY24 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
We always enjoy touring historic homes while traveling and seeing Audubon's beautiful bird prints are an added bonus. The rooms are interpreted for the mid-1800's and highlight the life of the original owner as well as local Key West history. The gift shop is chock full of beautiful things and the adjacent gallery is filled with some original Audubon prints. The tour of the homes and gardens is a lovely way to spend some relaxing down time in Key West.
Written March 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dorothy M
Incline Village, NV225 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Friends
Started with an introduction by a docent, highly recommend because it sets out the time period and some misconceptions about “Audubon” House.
Excellent period furniture and depictions of life in that time.
Of course, the Audubon prints are phenomenal.
The gardens are lovely.
Gift shop/ gallery with a varying degree of Audubon print originality, which they are very careful to explain, is worth visiting too.
Written January 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BobbyMac710
Fernandina Beach, FL74 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
We visited the house twice. We met Joanne at the gift shop who gave us an overall layout of the grounds and Informed us of what the gift shop offered.
The gentleman inside of the house was very knowledgeable and gave us a short presentation of what we were to experience on the self-guided tour. Needless to say the gardens and the house were remarkable.
Three days later we returned and Mark and Dave were able to help us beyond that with a purchase of some beautiful artwork. Mark couldn’t have been more helpful and volunteered to have it shipped our purchase shipped to our home which just made everything so easy.
An A+ experience!!! Don’t miss it!!
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lalo765
San Antonio, FL333 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
A guide gives you an introductory history of the house and grounds. Then you are free to explore the 3-story home and surrounding buildings and garden. We enjoyed our time there. With giving too much away, I'll tell you that Audubon never lived there, but he was definitely tied to the property in an interesting way. There are some of his exquisite works on display and there is also a Museum shop for gifts and lithographs.
Written December 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cathy M
Rockville, MD55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
We came across the Audubon House by accident. It's a peaceful gardens and historical house from the 1800s. Bird drawings and prints by James Audubon based on his time here were impressive to see, and the old house was lovely, restored with period furniture.
Written March 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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AUDUBON HOUSE & TROPICAL GARDENS - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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