The Custom House (Key West Museum of Art and History)

This Richardsonian Romanesque Custom House was built in the 1820s when Key West was designated an official point of entry into the United States. Various exhibits track Key West's ascendancy from port town to richest city in the country. The exterior of the building is made from beautifully-preserved brick, the first floor displays paintings from local artists and the second is reserved for historical artifacts. Visitors can see Ernest Hemingway's bloody World War II uniform and they can stand in the room where the U. S. decided to go to war with Spain after the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine, or watch a film on the construction of the Flagler railroad.