Pigeon Key Historic District

When Henry Flagler was building his railroad between Miami [1] and Key West [2] and work was underway on its most notable feature—the Seven Mile Bridge—the tiny island of Pigeon Key made a perfect site for a work camp, as it was located at almost the exact midpoint of the bridge’s span. The five acres of the island are now the Pigeon Key National Historic District (mile marker 45, 305/289-0025, $11, $8.50 children), a sort of trapped-in-amber ghost town.

There are about a dozen buildings on the island, mostly cottages painted in Flagler’s favorite color (yellow), and there’s a visitors center where more information about the island’s unique history can be had.