Fort East Martello Museum

We visited the museum back in 2016. Yes, it was a while ago, but we still wanted to leave a review since we actually visited the location twice that year. Although we loved the ghost tour that took us into and around the building at night, there were just too many people on the tour for us to get up close and personal with items (especially Robert the Doll) during the night tour. We decided to go back again the following day and arrived when the museum first opened up for the day. It was a beautiful day out, so most visitors must have been off to the beaches or enjoying the weather, so we were the only ones in the museum. It was a great experience to spend some alone time with Robert. We didn't have to pay to go into the museum since the entrance price was included with our ghost tour pricing the night before. We made sure to spend some time (and money) in the gift shop to help support the museum... oh, and to get our own replica of Robert.

It is an historic place and nice to see. The beach is awesome. Means, at first you can walk through the fort and afterwards to the beach. There is also an guide tour available for free.

I am not going to lie. I was so scared to come here. It was REALLY hot in here. The property was beautiful. While visiting Robert my right knee felt like it was going to give away. It was shaky for the rest of the day. I am not sure if it’s a coincidence or not. I probably won’t go back because I am still leery. Also, the guy who worked the front desk from Pennsylvania was so sweet. He was a pleasure to meet and did help calm me prior to entering.

I’ve been visiting the keys for the last thirty years and accidentally stumbled across this fort last year when I drove around the backside of Key West. I put it on the list of sights for this year. Steve greeted me at the entrance and was very enthusiastic about sharing info on the layout of the fort and presentations. It included lots of Key West history from the indigenous people all the way up to artist Stanley Papio.

Let me start by saying the communication with staff before I booked was amazing via text message. All my questions were answered in a timely manner and very welcoming. Any expectations I had of this experience before coming in went above and beyond. Dan filled us with lots of really cool history along paranormal stories and his experiences, while Eric being there to assist and gave us the tools needed for our experience. Both were super nice and really just easy to talk with and never made me feel silly about my experience in any way. While I didn’t get to tell them everything, they were both ready willing to help and talk in any way. I was very surprised by the outcome. Robert, while his presence and story is no doubt an experience in itself, he is what you make him to be. I’ll leave it at that. The Fort alone is another animal entirely. Worth the trip and money. It is something I will never forget. Thanks for an amazing evening!

Wow, where to begin! We arrived on a Sunday morning, and we were quickly greeted by several roosters. It was around 10 am, and we practically had the place to ourselves. We entered, and a gentleman welcomed us. I want to say his name is Steve. Although I could be mistaken. You could tell immediately that he loved his job. He is the main reason for this review... and we were so grateful to talk with him before and after we completed our trek throughout. Upon our beginning, we stumbled upon an old dugout canoe. It was mesmerizing to think, this was actually used at one point in time. As we proceeded, we turned the corner and saw Robert The Doll. Out of respect, I didn't photograph him... however, we did leave him a handwritten note. Next to Robert is an old Casket carriage. In the reflection of the carriage glass appeared a sinister face, which we can't explain. We also felt a heaviness on our chest when entering the citadel, and as soon as we exited, it dissipated. Think what you will... but we believe. This is a visit you mustn't miss. ✌🏼

Took an Uber here on our cruise stop. We came specially to see Robert the Doll. I wasn’t sure what to expect but received no warnings about the doll and its history. Nowhere did I see we weren’t supposed to take pictures of him. Thankfully I didn’t. We did visit the doll and the room he is encased in. We viewed exhibits and history plaques from the fort itself. The grounds that the museum is on are beautifully kept and maintained. There is a gift shop at the fort as well that sells Robert the Doll merchandise and some other stuff. There is a beautiful view from the top of the fort as well as some fun and quirky sculptures to look at throughout the museum.

Heard that Robert the Doll was here, so I had to visit and see him. I can say it went well. Also saw the Otto family house where the doll is from.