Take the Tomb Tour
The Key West Cemetery is full of quirky monuments to departed Conchs
Pay a visit to Key West's singularly eccentric cemetery and you'll discover the island's residents can be as quirky in death as they are when they're still breathing.
The 15-acre site just east of the Old Town district has been receiving remains since 1847 when a hurricane uncovered cadavers interred at an earlier burial ground on the south side. Over the years some 70,000 islanders have been laid to rest here, including a number of people whose names are associated with prominent local landmarks. Ernest Hemingway's erstwhile drinking buddy, saloon-keeper Sloppy Joe Russell, is here. So is Ellen Mallory, mother of Confederate navy secretary Stephen Mallory, namesake of Mallory Square. Also William Curry, a rags-to-riches 19th century millionaire whose ornate mansion on Caroline Street is now a popular inn.
Most of the deceased lie in above-ground vaults, some adorned with poignant statuary or unorthodox inscriptions, such as the whimsical "I'm just resting my eyes" (Gloria M. Russell, 1926-2000), or the oft-cited hypochondriac's lament, "I told you I was sick" (B.P. Roberts, 1929-1979). There's also a large monument dedicated to the U.S. sailors who died when the battleship Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor in 1898, and another to the Cubans who died in the ensuing Spanish American War.
The entrance is at the corner of Margaret and Angela streets, and the cemetery is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Before you go, print out the free self-guided itinerary available online. It's excerpted from local preservationist Sharon Wells' engaging Walking & Biking Guide to Historic Key West. You can also purchase a copy of the Key West Cemetery Guide, which includes a detailed map from publisher Phantom Press.
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