Ghostly Travel Review: Hemingway's House in Key West

I don't live far from the Keys and Key West and have been fortunate to have spent quite some time down there....One of the best times to be in the Conch Republic, (as they like to be called), is during Halloween season...the celebrations of Fun Fest are in full bloom and the decorations can be quite elaborate all over town intermingled with Palm trees, colorful Bougainvillea and other lush tropical foliage, it can be quite a sight!

One thing about Key West that many don't know is that there are quite a few legends of Haunting's in some local places some famous, some not so famous...but the most legendary one of all is also is one of my favorite haunts to visit...
The Hemingway House and Museum.

My fascination with Hemingway goes way back to the days when I first read a few of his most famous books, then, on my first visit to down to Key West, I just had to go see the house where he spent so much of his time and wrote so many of his novels...I also found myself following in his footsteps when I was in Paris and went to a few of the cafes where he spent quite a lot of time and even sat at his favorite table....My husband has also been told he resembled Hemingway, when he had his beard, and it was even suggested he enter the Hemingway Look Alike contest held each year....Maybe that could be the reason I have been such an avid fan of old Ernest.

At any rate I've really enjoyed the time I spent in his house and found the history fascinating...especially the Haunting aspect...but first a few basic facts;

Hemingway was not well known when he made his first visit to Key West after living in Paris for a while...he came with his wife Pauline, who had a great deal to do with the elaborate way the house was decorated, importing furnishings and decorations they collected from all over Europe, especially Spain.... This was the first home he own in the 10 years of married life and they made it their permanent residence....The Keys really did suit him and the residents of this small Island took him in like a family member.

The house, located on a one-acre lot, is built of native coral rock in the style of Spanish Colonial, surrounded by tropical trees and flourishing greenery throughout the entire property, just 100 yds from the sea...the sea he so loved to write about...

But when he first purchased the house in 1931 it was already considered old by some standards, more then 80 years old and I guess the reason he only had to pay $8000 for it though quite run down, the house still exuded charm and was considered one of the nicest homes on the island and of course, quite a buy!

He did quite a lot of repairs and had a quest house built as well as the first swimming pool built on Key West...This pool was built in the late 1930's at a cost of $20,000 and was engineered to be supplied water by two salt water wells he also had put in...One more extravagant and strange feature he had built was a boxing ring....he even toyed with the idea of tackling that sport by working out and asked many of his guests to fight with him the ring.

But his chief accomplishment in this most handsome and unique home was the body of work he was able to produce in the little writing sanctuary he had built beside the pool....books that included "A Farewell To Arms","The Green Hills of Africa" "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Death in the Afternoon and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro..It is rumored that quite a lot of the book "To Have and Have Not" is based on the fictionalized story of his life, his loves and his friends in Key West.

One of most incredible sights of this this house and I would be remiss if I didn't mention them, are the 60 or so cats that live on the property.....even now they are said to be the descendents of the many felines he took care of during his lifetime living there and the strangest thing of all is that these cats all have 6 or 7 toes...even when he left to go to Cuba where he decided to live, he made sure to leave orders that these cats be taken care of...and they are to this day....they in themselves are one of the reasons why the house is such a popular tourist attraction.....(even though there is a conflict today between the city government and the estate keepers about removing the cats), but so far they are still in residence and quite an interesting sight to see as they make themselves at home on the grounds

But wait, didn't mention this house is Haunted?? ..Actually the Hemingway House is considered to be one of the most famous haunted houses in the United States and it is said that Ernest's ghost still lives there. But he is not alone, there is more than one ghost that shares his old homestead

Many people have heard the typing that seems to be coming from the little writing room beside the pool which started right after he committed suicide in 1961, it is said that he appeared wandering throughout the house, then the typing was heard from the both little house and then from the main house...Hemingway was also said to have told others, while he was still alive, that he planned on coming back to haunt the place specifically that little room, even so much as to have had an artist paint his portrait at his desk as if he was ghostly looking.

There is also a female apparition who can be seen at the top of the stairway, they call her the "Grey Lady" and surmise that it is his wife Pauline standing there overlooking the children at play and in the pool.

Many people have sworn to have seen and heard these figures for years so the reputation is solid and makes for quite an interesting Haunted folklore of Key West, and, of course, adds to the mystique of Hemingway's life. The house remains exactly as it looked when he lived there and truly a fascinating place to visit...but be on guard for some sights and sounds you didn't pay for with your admission price....especially around Halloween! You might even see or hear Ernest Hemingway himself!

The house is located at:

907 Whitehead Street
Open daily 9-5