For over 10 years, famed novelist Ernest Hemingway called the island of Key West home. He wrote some of his most famous works while on the island, including “To Have and Have Not.” During your stay at The Paradise Inn, explore his history in the Key West. You’ll be close to it all, from the building he called home to a bar he was known to frequent. 

A Hemingway History Checklist

As you plan your Key West itinerary, make sure to leave time to explore Hemingway’s old stomping grounds around the island.

  • Visit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum and learn about Hemingway, his family and books. You’ll be taken on a guided tour where you’ll see the gardens the house is known for as well as photos of the author himself.A photo of a cat at the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West.
  • While visiting the Hemingway House, keep an eye out for the Hemingway Cats. There are roughly 60 six-toed cats that call this museum and its grounds home. Some of these cats are descendants of Snow White, the six-toed cat a ship’s captain gave Hemingway.
  • History has it that Hemingway used to frequent the bar now known as Sloppy Joe’s Bar. He is even rumored to have encouraged the owner, Joe Russell, to change its current moniker. 
  • There is some contention about what bar is the original Hemingway bar. Captain Tony’s Saloon sits where Russell’s original bar used to reside in Hemingway’s day. Visit both and decide for yourself. 

Make sure to stop by other Hemingway haunts. Visit Blue Heaven, located in the same building Hemingway used to ref local Friday night boxing matches. Walk by where Hemingway first stayed when he arrived in Key West, Casa Antigua, which was known as the Trev-Mor Hotel.

Escape to Paradise at Our Key West Inn

Get away from it all and unwind by booking your next vacation at The Paradise Inn. During your stay, enjoy spacious accommodations while being close to all the activities and attractions that Key West is known for, including the Ernest Hemingway House. To learn more about availability and special offers, please call 877-819-4622.