Top 17 things to do in the Florida Keys for families

Planning a family vacation to the Florida Keys? We’ve got you covered! Here are the top things to do in the Florida Keys for families.

Note: We travel with younger kids so we have made notes about general age ranges that would be appropriate for each of these experiences. Some of these will be more appropriate for families with older kids!

Florida Keys for Kids : Top Experiences

*The majority of these experience include animals in some way. However, there are a few state park/beach experiences if you are looking for an experience that does not involve animals.

The Turtle Hospital

The Turtle Hospital was one of the coolest things we experienced while in the keys. This is an actual working hospital dedicated to taking care of turtles that have been injured either in the ocean or as hatchlings in their nest.

Because it is an actual hospital, visitors must be a part of a tour group in order to view the grounds. The tour lasts a little over an hour (70-90 minutes) and includes a presentation on sea turtles, a tour of the hospital rooms, and a chance to feed the “residents” at the end.

Guided programs begin at 9AM and run every 30 minutes until 4PM. They highly recommend that visitors make reservations in advance before visiting the facility, especially during peak season months.

This is one of the more informational experiences in the Florida keys for kids and we LOVED learning so much about these amazing animals!

Check out their website for more information!

Dolphin Research Center

The Dolphin Research Center in Key West has some amazing experiences in house! We have only purchased general admission because our kids were too young to appreciate the animal encounters. However, general admission includes a ton of fun activities!

With general admission to the Dolphin Research Center you get: observation of animal learning sessions (you can see the trainers working with the animals and doing research in live time!), talk to the trainers and ask questions (our 6 year old loved this part!), meet the animals up close (different from an encounter because you are not in the water), see live presentations where the animals show off their skills, and access to the “Sprayground”(a fun misting area for kids complete with dolphin sounds).

Needless to say, you definitely get your money’s worth just with general admission! Of all of the animal related things to do in the Florida Keys for kids, this is definitely top on our list. We could have spent a whole day here.

If you have older kids or are looking to spend more on an amazing experience, they also offer sea lion and dolphin encounters. Check out their website for more information!

You can find the Dolphin Research Center at 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL 33050-6019.

Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum

The Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum is a family-friendly experience that allows visitors to explore real artifacts from real ship wrecks! Some of these date back to the 16th century when the keys were being traveled to by Spanish explorers.

Artifacts include pieces of ships, a silver bar (which you can try to lift!), and other authentic pieces of history.

Paid admission includes access to the museum and all presentations. The Historeum offers museum employees dressed in era specific clothing and informational videos to watch.

The museum also has a tower with a panoramic view. Climb the 65-foot lookout tower to see the entire island!

You can visit the museum at 1 Whitehead Street, Mallory Square, Key West, FL 33040. You will find parking at Mallory Square or The Westin Parking garage.

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park

A Florida keys family vacation is not complete without some American history! If you have older kids that are interested in history or even younger kids that just like forts, then this should definitely be on your list!

The fort is one of the more low-key things to do in the Florida Keys for families because they allow you to walk around and experience the fort at your leisure. So what can you expect at Fort Zachary?

They offer a daily tour of the Civil War Era fort every day around 11 AM. However, you are also able to explore on your own with a self-guided tour. The exhibits at Fort Zachary also offer interactive panels that provide information about what you are seeing (think audio and video information).

Since this fort is within a Florida State Park, you will also find a variety of state park amenities like fishing, kayaking, walking trails, bike rentals, gardens, and the beach.

There is a small entrance fee per vehicle ($6). You can find the entrance to the fort at 601 Howard England Way, Key West, FL 33040.

Southernmost Point

Although not terribly exciting as an experience, the southernmost point in the continental United States makes for a great photo opportunity!

This anchored concrete buoy is a must see on any trip to the keys! To visit, head towards Key West (the southern tip of the Florida Keys). No Florida keys family vacation is complete without a nice tourist picture!

The concrete body is located at 1400 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040. It is free to visit and open 24/7.

Sombrero Beach

Sombrero Beach was one of our favorite unplanned activities. The beach is so clean and beautiful but there also is not a ton of people there when we visited.

Sombrero Beach is a loggerhead turtle nesting site so there are parts of the beach that are closed to visitors during nesting season (April-October). The parts that are off limits make up a very small portion of the beach though!

Sombrero Beach is open seven days a week from 7am until dusk. It also has picnic tables (covered), showers, restrooms, and even volleyball courts.

You can find Sombrero Beach at Sombrero Beach Rd, Marathon, FL 33050.

Florida Keys Wild Bird Center (Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary)

The Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary works to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured birds in the Florida Keys. They have a bird hospital for those birds needing medical attention and private rehabilitation that is not open to the public.

However, for their non-releasable birds, they offer a Wild Bird Center that allows visitors to see some birds up close that would otherwise be hiding in the wild.

While visiting the center you can expect to see more than 60 different birds that have been deemed non-releasable. The center is built around a boardwalk that winds through the various bird enclosures. At the end of the boardwalk is a perfect photo opportunity at the bay.

You can find the Wild Bird Sanctuary at 93600 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070. Admission free but donations are highly encouraged!

Check out their website for more information!

Crane Point Museum and Nature Center

This was such an unexpected delight for our family! We thought we were going to look at some historical homes and maybe see some fish but we ended up seeing so much more!

The Crane Point Museum and Nature Center features Hammock Trail (a shaded walking trail), the actual museum (that has an underwater experience that is so cool), the lagoon (which includes a pond filled with tropical fish and a children’s pirate ship playground), the Adderly House (pictured below and built in 1904), and 4 butterfly gardens (we did not expect this!).

There were also other activities that we did not have time for like a Fish Pedicure, snorkeling, kayaking, and the bird center.

Our kids loved the lagoon and the butterfly gardens the most out of all of the exhibits. The adults learned some really neat facts in the museum and had a great time walking the trails. There is truly something for every age here!

You can find the Crane Point Museum and Nature Center at 5550 Overseas Highway, Marathon FL, 33050.

Check out their website for more information!

Key West Aquarium

We absolutely love getting to see unique/native species while we are on vacation. We prefer to see them in their natural habitat, but we also love visiting places like the Key West Aquarium that work hard to save marine life that have been injured. The unreleasable animals become permanent residents!

The Key West Aquarium general admission includes interactive feeds with some of their tropical fish, a touch tank (visitors can pet some of the residents!), stingray feedings, and a ton of marine life to view.

To book your tickets, click the link below and choose your date! This is definitely one of the more affordable aquariums in the southeast.

You can find the Key West Aquarium at 1 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL, 33040. Also check out their website!

History of Diving Center

As a mom of littles, the History of Diving Center looked like something our family could skip over. Honestly I was afraid my kids would be bored. Don’t sleep on this museum! It is so neat!

This museum is dedicated to all things diving (artifacts, picture, books, audio explanations, etc.). They aim to educate visitors on the history of humans exploring the under water world.

The museum is small but the collection is expansive. Kids that have any interest in underwater exploration and/or scuba divers will love this museum. It takes about an 45 minutes-1 hour to see everything, but could take longer if you have time to stop and read the information available.

You can find the History fo Diving Museum at 82990 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036. Also check out their website for a list of educational programs offered!

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory (One of our top recommendations for things to do in the Florida Keys for families!)

When I think of the beach I do not think of butterflies but there are so many ways to see butterflies in the Florida Keys!

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is a huge, enclosed glass dome that features hundreds of butterflies, a couple of flamingoes, and a few exotic birds. This is definitely one of the more unique things to do in the Florida Keys for families!

General admission is less than $20 for adults and around $12 for kids ages 4-12. Kids 3 and under are free! You can find the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory at 1316 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040.

Check out their website for more information before you visit.

Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden

This is #1 on our list of most unique things to do in the Florida Keys for families. Ms. Nancy, a local teacher and conservationist, has a secret garden filled with parrots, macaws, and cockatoos.

Ms. Nancy became a local legend and word of mouth spread about her ability to take in these birds that needed a new home. She just so happened to have her own rainforest that was ready for some new friends!

Visitors can hear stories told by Nancy (or other volunteers) during storytelling hour from 10-11, receive guided tours by knowledgable volunteers, and meet the birds! The garden features mainly Macaws, but other types of parrots too.

There is a small admission fee for adults ($10) and children ages 5-11 ($5).

You can find Nancy’s Secret Garden at 518 Elizabeth Street, Key West, Florida 33040. Check out her website here.

Marathon Air Museum (EAA Air Museum at Florida Keys)

The Marathon Air Museum is a great place to stop for anyone interested in aviation (or just history). Visitors can explore the small aircraft carriers they have on site as well as the museum itself. When we were there, they had three planes available to look at.

Our kids LOVE planes so this was a really cool experience that gave us a break from the typical “beach” encounters. The volunteer, Ed, was amazing with kids and so knowledgable about everything in the museum. He even showed us how to operate the flight simulation game.

The museum is run by volunteers and is free to enter, though donations are graciously accepted.

You can find the Marathon Air Museum at 9850 Overseas Highway, Marathon FL 33050.

Key West Wildlife Center

This is another one of Key West’s wildlife rehabilitation centers that allows visitors to catch a glimpse of some native species that are being cared for due to injury or illness.

The Key West Wildlife Center is open year round so that visitors can explore their nature trail that is woven throughout their seven acre park. The center has a small number of “ambassadors” that visitors are able to see while at the park. The birds that are receiving medical attention are kept in the clinic.

Admission is free, though donations are always welcome!

You can find the Key West Wildlife Center at 1801 White Street in Key West Florida.

Key Deer Safari in the National Key Deer Refuge

This is not an official tour/experience. However, The Florida Keys are home to a population of wild deer that are the smallest species in North America. They only stand about 2 feet tall!

Because they are wild, you can often see them on the side of the road while driving through the Keys.

We decided to drive through the National Key Deer Refuge and see how many deer we could find. There were SO many! Our kids call them “baby deer” because they really are so small.

The visitors center is located at 30587 Overseas Hwy Big Pine Key, FL 33043. You can get a map of the refuge as well as some information about the other types of animals you might see while you drive through.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour and John Pennekamp State Park

John Pennekamp State Park is one of the most beautiful Florida State Parks located in the Florida Keys. The park offers a variety of tours (snorkeling, scuba, glass bottom boat, kayaking, etc.) but we only experienced the parts of the park that we could view ourselves.

There is a visitor’s center that house a huge tank with a variety of native marine life. Our kids loved this! It was also a nice place to get out of the sun for a minute. Within the park there are two beaches: Far beach and Canon beach.

There are also designated areas for swimming and fishing. Check out their map for more information!

For families traveling with older kids, we would highly recommend their glass bottom boat tour! The tour is 2.5 hours long and takes you through the shallow coral reef. Visitors stand on the inside of the boat and look down towards the glass bottom to view the wildlife swimming beneath the boat.

The boat holds up to 130 passengers and the tour is lengthy. For these reasons, we recommend this tour for families with older children.

You can find more information and book tickets on their website.

Sherrif’s Office Animal Farm

This is one of the most unexpectedly fun Florida Keys kids activities!! Our kids loved getting to see police officers AND farm animals.

The farm features a wide variety of traditional and exotic animals, all of which were abandoned or injured. The farm has everything from foxes and chickens to kinkajous and capybaras. The inmates build the pens and care for the animals, but are not present for the public tours.

The farm is open the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 1-3PM four public tours. They do not offer private tours.

You can find the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Children’s Animal Farm at 5501 College Road in Key West. Please note: the farm is on the same campus as the Sherriff’s office and detention center. Follow the signs!

You can find more information about the farm on their website!

FAQS

These are some of the most frequently asked questions we get about our trip to the Florida Keys.

What Florida key is best for families?

Which Florida key is best for families truly depends on the family. The Florida key with the most activities for kids is probably Key West. The Florida key with a wonderful laid back atmosphere and quiet beaches is probably Islamorada. So, for us, the best Florida key for families is

Which Florida key is the most fun?

Family vacations in Florida keys look different for everyone. Some come to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches and some come for the amazing excursions. So, it depends on what is fun for you. The most “exciting” key with the widest variety of entertainment is definitely Key West.

Should you bring kids to Key West?

You can absolutely bring kids to Key West (and we did!). We would not recommend bringing them to the downtown area after dark, but there is a lot to do during the day in Key West for families with kids. There are so many things to do in the Florida keys with families but Key West really was the most fun for our kids!