Key West Garden Club in Key West

On the southern edge of Key West, the Garden Club occupies West Martello Tower, a Civil War-era coastal fortification originally meant to support Fort Zachary Taylor. The fort was never fully completed, and over time its military purpose dissolved into a string of different uses, including troop quartering, storage, signaling, radio operations, and an anti-aircraft battery site. 

By the late 1940s, the structure had deteriorated so badly that there was pressure to demolish it. Instead, local advocates helped save it, and the Key West Garden Club entered into a land-lease agreement with Monroe County. In 1976, the tower was recognized as a historic site and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Visitors can wander through arched brick passageways and former fort spaces now softened by orchids, bromeliads, and all manner of tropical plants. There are also special garden sections for cacti, prehistoric plants, and even butterflies! 

A small hill takes visitors through fields of vibrant native wildflowers and provides a great view of the nearby Higgs Beach. Throughout the floral-filled space, the fort’s vaulted ceilings, gun mounts, and old military fabric remain visible among the greenery.