Garden Key Visitor Center

The Garden Key Visitor Center is inside historic Fort Jefferson, on the island where the ferry and seaplane arrive, about 70 miles west of Key West. It is the park’s only visitor center on the islands, and everything starts here: you will find artifacts, an informational movie, a bookstore and souvenirs, a passport stamp, and rangers who can help you plan the day. The visitor center is also the starting point of the self-guided route through the fort, so many visitors stop here before they walk the walls or head to the beach to snorkel. Most visitors only have a few hours on the island, so it helps to stop in early and ask what to see first.