Murder, Money and Margaritas: A Key West Cemetery Tour

The Key West Cemetery is one of the most unique graveyards in the USA, filled with the intriguing characters that shaped the island‘s bohemian past. On this walking tour with Frank Everhart, a Key West resident of almost 30 years, you‘ll hear the stories of legendary figures, millionaires, and entire families. The secrets behind the island‘s most beloved and captivating spots will also be revealed. As you walk through the crumbling graves, you‘ll see the scrappy descendants of Cuban cockfighting roosters, and the hundreds of sun-bleached iguanas that live under tombstones. You‘ll also hear first-hand accounts of the hurricane of 1846, the history of the FreeMasons, the memorial of the USS Maine victims whose death marked the start of the Spanish American War, and the outrageous characters that shaped the island we know today. This 75-minute tour starts at the cemetery‘s main entrance on the corner of Margaret and Angela streets, and near the USS Maine Memorial. As you walk towards the other end where you‘ll find the Jewish B‘Nai Zion Cemetery, you‘ll learn how to decipher the symbols on the gravestones from cherubs to lambs. On this tour, you‘ll have a chance to: • Pay your respects to the family from which the Key West Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square is named after • Get to know Captain Outrageous and his colorful contributions to the pop art style still seen around Key West today • Hear stories about the Mansion on the Sea and it‘s ties to Thomas Edison and Al Capone • Visit the oldest still intact gravestone in the cemetery that‘s almost 200 years old • Become familiar with some of the colorful characters that called Key West home including the larger-than-life (and only 40 inches tall) General Abraham ”Abe” Sawyer and B. P. “Pearl” Roberts, the local hypochondriac • Learn how Rum Runners used to hide their liquor in a place you would never suspect • Say a final farewell to Joe Russell, the infamous friend of Ernest Hemingway and founder of Sloppy Joes on Duval Street • Find out why the graves seem to be sinking into the earth • Be cautioned by the story of Austin and Tina Griffin, a couple who now rest eternally side by side despite Austin‘s intentions So join Frank on this stroll among the dead who brought Key West to life!

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