Built as a Depression-era Works Progress Administration project, the Key West Aquarium (1 Whitehead St., 305/296-2051, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily, $12 adults, $5 children) was the island’s first large-scale tourist attraction. Combining indoor and outdoor exhibits, the aquarium features a tank where guests can look at and feed sharks, a small touch tank where kids can pick up and observe starfish and other sea creatures, and several other small exhibits.
Visitors expecting a facility like the Monterey Bay Aquarium [1] (or even the Georgia Aquarium) are likely to be disappointed, as the Key West Aquarium is quite small and in some corners shows its age, but the combination of the building’s architectural charm and the conservation-minded exhibits make for a pleasant half-day visit.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/california/central-coast/monterey/sights/monterey-bay-aquarium