The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum

Sort of pricier admission fee at $ 15 per adult given the small museum. There are two stories, but only the first story deals directly with Mel Fisher’s career searching for the lost Spanish treasure ship, the Atocha. You are greeted with some infographics and replicas in the first room and then can sit to watch a very non-​HD introductory video that is about 15-​minutes long on Mel Fisher’s story. The audio sync on the fuzzy resolution video was off, and drove me mad.
The remaining rooms are similarly cramped. It is easy to bump into people. The wall informational boards are interesting, but probably haven’t been updated in a long time. The items on display are not what I would call super impressive save for one or two items. Most of the top-​end finds are for sale in the gift shop. Really, only one emerald cross necklace would I call impressive.
The second story of the museum has nothing really to do with Mel Fisher with one room dedicated to underwater recovery of artifacts in general. To be fair, it did answer some of my questions regarding how certain items were recovered. The other rooms deal with the slave trade and an African cemetery uncovered at Higgs Beach… sort of non-​sequiturs.
The finale is a gift shop, surprise, but this one is under heavy security as Mel Fisher was able to keep all $ 500 million worth of Spanish treasure his team recovered. This treasure is for sale to the public. In the gift shop, you see the «real deal» regarding the gold and silver coins recovered. Some of these coins have price tags at $ 5,000 each. I’d say this part of the museum was the most impressive, but you have some sales people overseeing you the entire time plus two dozen video cameras, so it was a bit unsettling.
Overall, it was very interesting, but deep down inside me, I wish the treasures were the property of the US or Spanish government and could be put on display in world-​class museums for a wider audience to enjoy.

Really interesting museum! Just be sure you have plenty of time to read everything… we came in just an hour before closing time, but I could have easily lingered two hours. As it was, I had to rush through many of the displays :-/
Fascinating treasure exhibits and entertaining history on the life of super-​colorful Mel Fisher and his fabulous wife Deo — what a couple! I really enjoyed reading about their lives.
But the 2^nd floor was maybe even more interesting — pirate lore, buccaneer history, and lots of grimly fascinating information about the slave trade.
At $ 15, it’s kinda pricey… and you may be tempted to spend that $ 15 on a margarita, instead (I certainly was). But after all is said and done, it’s worth it.
Spare your liver a drink and check it out… you’ll be glad you did! So much cool shit in this world… that really happened!!!

Today’s The Day! With that motto, Mel Fisher really dedicated his life to treasure hunting and more… what a story! Very fascinating window into treasure hunting, maritime law, pirates, history, etc. — Mel and his family really changed the course of history with their ocean discoveries. Lots of fascinating information and history. Mel was one of a kind — and glad his family is still committed to continuing his mission. Really worth your time. Visiting inspired us to re-​watch those old NatGeo specials.

I went here before mel fisher died. I took a picture of my friend with him. Sorry i gave it to her. I loved the place and when i got to touch and lift the gold bar wow. I loved all the artifact. Great trip.

I have the book, «Treasure» which I was lucky enough to get Mel to autograph (sadly, he’s gone). We were kinda friends with him and I can say he was a nice, down to earth man. This museum will change how you view the world. Why? Cuz there’s treasure out there! Makes you wanna join the hunt! He spent his whole life as a real life treasure hunter (who chooses that as a career?) and the stories he tells are riveting. For one thing, he had paranormal experiences that haunted him. He talked of a curse and he lost family members tragically during his brave quest to locate these elusive sunken shipwrecks. He was not daunted (can’t get over the story of his son, Dirk).
I uploaded the photos of the original boat Virgalona that was sent into waters off the coast of the Keys in search of the Atocha. These pics were taken in the late seventies before he hit the mother lode. I don’t think most believed Mel would eventually find anything of such enormous significance.
One day it happened! As he would say «This is the DAY!» And it was (July 20, 1985). The «Atocha» a sunken Spanish Galleon, carrying over $ 450 million in treasure of which some is in this museum was finally located by Mel’s crew! Fantastic!
Mel then fought the gov to keep his finds and eventually he won the battle. I believe that took a heavy toll on his life.
This is a fascinating life story and the museum is such a great place to go for something interesting to do in Key West (other than get drunk, lol… but that’s fun too).

So if your like me and imagined finding pirates treasure this is a go to place. My son and I enjoyed the museum. It’s on the small side but what did you expect the Smithsonian. It’s inexpensive and a fun family activitie. Call me a geek but I personally think that it’s pretty cool.

Initially we went in to get out of the heat, then decided to take the tour. Yes, ok, maybe it is a few dollars too high on museum entrance, but I think it is worth it! Take your time, read… yes, read all about the treasure and artifacts they found after 16 years of searching! It was so interesting to me and this is a subject I previously had no knowledge about. Mel Fisher uprooted his family from California to Florida and finally found what he was looking for. Shame on FL for trying to take the whole thing from him… he offered them 35% of the find and they said no. Well greed gets you nothing and Finders Keepers, Mel won in a Supreme Court ruling. The treasure was his to disperse as he wished. I really knew nothing about the lost Spanish ships until I visited this museum and am now a little wiser. Worth checking out I think.

This museum is a little pricey and doesn’t have the «wow factor» that most families are looking for these days. As for my wife and I, we really enjoyed it because Mel Fishers adventures were a part of our childhood (National Geographic). I vividly remember watching this expedition on our small color TV… delivered by our local PBS station. It was a genuine pleasure being that close to the actual artifacts pulled from the ocean. The museum also added more up to date information about the wreck that wasn’t known at the time. If treasure and parties still captivate your dreams, don’t waste this opportunity to see these items up close. BTW… if your military the museum offers a free ticket to you and your spouse… thank you staff for your appreciation of our sacrifice!!!

I was so impressed with this museum and Mel Fisher’s story! We are so glad we tried this. It was a nice break from bar and restaurant hopping and shopping, but we ended up being really surprised at how fascinating it all is, and how well set up the museum is.
The first floor tells his story start to finish, with loads of pictures, and of course the artifacts and the treasures! To envision his relentless drive, moving his whole family to search and research for this wreck, every day starting the day saying «Today is the day!» Near bankruptcy, months finding nothing and then finding some more clues… It’s just an incredible story, filled with tragic loss and thrills and even court cases, all documented here with photos of his team in action. And the history of the ships, fully loaded with an empire’s wealth, hitting not one but 2 hurricanes, making finding them back in the 1600s impossible.
I felt like I sped through it, reading only about ½, and was there about an hour. If you don’t like to read, there is an audio tour for $ 2 extra, which I got but did not think I needed it at all.
Then you also have a 2^nd floor with some amazing information about the slave trade, and about the real world of pirates. We nearly skipped that but glad we did go up stairs, I found it nearly as fascinating.
The price is just not that high, this is the going rate for museums nowadays. Hemingway house was same price. If you want to learn more for free, you can just visit one of the Mel Fisher treasure shops, where they sell you pieces from the wrecks, and the people that work in there are very knowledgeable.

$ 30 for two people when he made all that money from finding the shipwreck??? Tourist trap. I mean it was cool, but definitely not worth it. In their gift shop they had precious metals for sale at a fixed rate, but it can rise and fall due to the economy. All in all, I do not recommend this museum.

Okay, people have given this place really low stars, and I seriously don’t understand why. It’s absolutely incredible!
We got the student rate, which was fine (I guess I’m just accustomed to paying ridiculous admission fees because I lived in New York). The people at the counters were pleasant, and the museum is clean and easy to maneuver.
There IS a lot of reading, but the story is incredible (I can’t keep anything up for 16 DAYS, much less 16 YEARS!), and the artifacts are preserved beautifully. If you’re thorough, give yourself a little under two hours to complete both floors. The slavery exhibit gives a really interesting perspective and I learned a lot about how the African people were brought to Cuba, and how they assimilated (my people have been through so much!).
I definitely recommend this place on a rainy day, it gives you a lot to think about!

Mel Fisher’s story is very cool and of course, the ending is great. He found the treasure! BUT $ 30 for two people to walk around the museum was way too much. The museum is tiny, a lot of reading involved and broken up into two floors… so make sure to go to the second floor as it’s easy to miss. They sell some of the actual coins/​treasure in a separate store in the back and a lot of the atoche coins have been made into gaudy jewelry. Entrance fee is not worth more than $ 8 per person for what you see and kids 12 and under should be free. It’s price gouging from a greedy corporatized family that is already filthy rich.

For 16 years everyday Mel Fisher went out looking for the treasure of the Atocha and each day he would say «Today’s the day». He was broke lost some of his crew but eventually he found the ship and the treasure! The museum was interesting and also included an exhibit about the slavery industry. This was worth seeing for sure.

Quite a bit to see here at the Mel Fish Maritime Museum. Mostly treasures and other artifacts from Key West’s history on the first level, and the exhibit on pirates and slavery was on the second level. There are some little-​known facts on all this history, so it’s definitely worth checking out. Very informative.

I was excited to see this museum, because since I was a kid I have dreamed of being a treasure hunter. This is one of those things you never outgrow.
The museum is informative, and you learn a lot about the hunt for the Atocha. Most of all you get too see a lot of the treasure they pulled from the Atocha. There is also an interesting segment about how the government tried to take all of the treasure.
This museum would be good for a rainy day. While there are a lot of cool pieces of treasure to see, the museum itself is a little thin.

This place was a decent ‘last minute’ stop on the way back to the Celebrity Cruise (while docked at Key West). Warning — there is more reading involved than you might think — so if that isn’t your thing, don’t go. Alas, if you are taking the time to read this review… maybe reading doesn’t bother you so much?
To me, the upstairs exhibit on slavery was interesting and moving — so for that alone I felt like I got my money’s worth. It was also interesting to really learn about the history of Key West — why a town like this even came about in such a remote Southern tip of Florida.
There is a gift shop /​jewelry store towards the back that seemed oddly placed. I get it — this part of the place is what probably makes them the real cash. It just seems weird that you come upon this after reading about an exhibit on slavery and then end up in a room where you can buy a necklace for $ 1,000,000. Yeah, pretty sure it was $ 1,000,000 — not lying.
Because the gift shop holds such expensive jewelry in back, you have to remove your sunglasses and turn your hat backwards or take it off. (They want your face on camera). This is not awesome if you happen to have a sunburn (quite possible in Florida while vacationing), or if you are trying to conceal a black eye from friends as long as possible (my issue of the day).
Imagine it. Everyone is looking like crap. Looking at slavery exhibits. Then million dollar jewelry. Then my nasty black eye. (Everyone) «Oh-​my-​GOD what happened!?!» A hodge-​podge of oddness all around. I think I was over Key West at this point, but maybe that’s my own personal issue? Yeah, it is. I know.

This museum had a lot less than I thought it would and nothing out of the ordinary other than 2 – 3 things. I love museums so I don’t regret going but I would not recommend it. Very small. Also not very much Parkin (I.e. No parking lot) I had a moped so parking wasn’t a problem for me but if you are in an electric car/​car etc good luck finding street parking.

A good place to visit if you are a history or treasure buff. There are some amazing pieces on display. The story of the recovery is very emotional. You can see it all fairly quickly and the entrance fee seems high for what you get.

Took my husband here on his first time to Key West… it’s a must! Mel is very well known by folks who have lived in Florida for many years… He used to sell blocks of coral encrusted with coins for $ 1 a piece (of coral that is). My grandfather still kicks himself for not buying bushels of those from Mel way back when. He also used to frequent the museum when he was still around. if you happened to go on a day he was there, it wasn’t uncommon for him to pull out that huge gold necklace that is in a case… He was also known to put the necklace on people to feel how heavy it was. Oh… and he would pass around gold bars so you could feel how heavy they were…
Unfortunately, the museum just doesn’t have the feel as it used to. It’s certainly not as interactive, and for what they charge I would assume they could replace the burnt out light bulbs…
I agree with what others are saying about the Harry Potter bit, but if you happen to look at the exhibit you might be surprised in regards to what it’s about. Alchemy was a an art back them and some artifacts that were recovered in the wreck are called the same thing and referenced in Harry Potter books…

Good spot to see a quick snapshot of how treasure in the Keys have been found across the years.