Children's Animal Park (Petting Zoo)

It may seem a bit odd to have a children's petting zoo in a jail, but Key West is known for doing things a little differently. The detention center (on Stock Island) was made to withstand a category five hurricane, and since the evacuation area was not being used for anything else, the farm was started in 1994 and began taking in homeless animals. One of the more unusual animals is a 100-pound African spurred tortoise named Albert who's joined by three others of the same species. The farm is also home to Snowflake the white alpaca, Wilbur the pig, Mo the sloth, Kelsie the lemur, Angus the bull and more. The farm is open, free of charge, the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. Groups may tour by appointment.