History of Diving Museum

A must-see for any scuba diver visiting the Florida Keys! Even from the parking lot, there are already murals to photograph and things to see. The exhibit is the personal collection of a husband and wife team of scuba divers, who decided to share it with the world. There are collectors' items, books, and impressive educational exhibits regarding the history of scuba diving. My favorite part was a documentary about adaptive scuba diving, featuring a man with muscular dystrophy who chose to defy his limitations and try scuba diving! The exhibits are extremely well-done, and presented in a most aesthetically-pleasing way. The Hall of Helmets from all over the world is fascinating, accompanied by captivating narration by the museum owner. Also, the gift shop feels like part of the museum - it's that good! Staff is absolutely lovely. It's a wonderful addition to any holiday in the Florida Keys, and I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind museum.

This museum features a really large private collection of diving gear with paragraph excerpts dating back to the early divers to modern day diving. One could easily spend 2-4 hours reading all of the info and examining the collection.

This is a fantastic spot to check out and come see all the neat stuff they have in their collection. Lots of different equipment and tons of interesting information. The staff were very friendly as well. Definitely recommend coming here, and your ticket is good for a whole week

The History of Diving Museum was set up wonderfully. It was easy to walk through and very informative. It was very interesting to learn about diving throughout time. The wall of the different diving helmets across the globe was very cool. There is a scavenger hunt available to keep younger children engaged, though my teenager and I also enjoyed participating. The gift shop had a range of options. We loved our visit!

This museum has so much history and interesting exhibits/information! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a friendly smile and pleasant experience buying tickets from the gentleman behind the desk. He explained the walk through process beautifully and let us explore at our own pace. Once we were done, my husband (who is both a history nerd and a free diver)held a very engaging conversation with another kind museum employee. She was very knowledgeable and you can tell she enjoys her job! She even went as far to help him search for a book online that they didn’t currently have in the museum. We enjoyed the museum walk through for almost 2 hours, down to when they were closing for the day but we never felt rushed to leave. Definitely worth a visit, especially on a hot day in the Keys, the air conditioning here works beautifully!!

Great museum! It takes between 1 to 2 hours to walk through exhibits. More if you want to read with detail. Tons of history and great information about diving. They have a scavenger hunt for kids, which is great! We loved it! A must-see in the area!

Fun stop on the way to Key West. Interesting museum that shows the history of diving. Worth the $5 admission fee.

My brothers and I stopped here on our way down the Keys and were surprised by the amount of information and items on display they had. Everywhere you look is something new to look at. I never knew there was that much behind diving! I highly recommend giving this place a look if you have time for it. We were there for around an hour so it was a great midday experience.

A unique, fun, interesting experience for your time in the keys. It was forecasted to be a little gloomy so we were looking for indoor activities and the museum was one that looked promising. Parking lot is very small and was entirely full and hard to navigate when we arrived but when we left it was nearly empty so kind of a roll of the dice there. Desk worker was very nice getting us started in our journey through the museum with a scavenger hunt. This museum is a little small but packed with interesting artifacts. From the earliest days of underwater exploration to the modern tools, including a few sunken treasure items. This was a hidden gem and, with an easily locatable coupon for $2 off each admission, it wasn't too pricy for 2 hours of time exploring. Would definitely recommend for something unique to the keys!

On a rainy day in the Keys, we were looking for something to do inside. The History of Diving Museum looked promising, but I was a little skeptical it would keep my teenagers entertained. The friendly employee offered my kids a scavenger hunt card and the competition was on. Included was a challenge to find as many hidden small scuba divers as you could...think Lego mini figs hidden in normal museum displays. We overheard the 7 year olds ahead leaving say they found 12 so we weren't leaving until we beat that. 2 hours later, we found 18 divers and learned a lot about the history of diving! Great experience!

This place is so cool! Definitely worth a stop whether you are a diver or not. It was so much bigger than we thought and we spend more time than we thought we would reading through all the history and looking at all the exhibits. The gift shop has some cool items and the staff is super friendly! We spent some time talking to them and learning some more about the museum.

On our last day visiting the upper keys, we stopped in at the History of Diving Museum. We'd seen the museum during other trips and finally decided to stop in - IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! First, the entire museum is pet friendly - they welcomed our puppy and made sure she was given extra pets, too. She was able to go through the entire museum, participate in exhibits, and more. Second, whether you're into diving or not, it is so cool to walk through and not only see the largest collection of diving materials, but to learn the history and uses for diving. Plus, you can also see treasure!! So cool, so cool! The gift shop is also lovely and has lots of cool merchandise, local paintings and sculptures. Free parking on a surface lot, great discounted entrance fees for students, veterans, etc.

Without a doubt a great place to visit when in the Naibor hood, the people that run it are great.

This was an awesome visit to learn about the history of diving. The tour guide was funny and entertaining. I enjoyed my visit and learned a lot!

Dive in to this museum feet first and be ready to explore an extensive collection of diving history. When you first arrive, you will go into the library area to view a short film about the museum. There is a small gift shop where you can purchase books, clothing, etc. You then proceed through the doors to a very cool museum. I never knew there was such an amazing collection of diving gear! I have never even been diving myself and found it very interesting. The collection is well organized with audio, lights, and hands on interactive displays to keep you engaged. I would highly recommend this to any visitor wether you are a diver or not.

The History of Diving Museum covers a fascinating, if niche, subject. It's well worth a half day if you are already nearby. Admission is reasonable, with tickets costing $15 for adults and $11 for college students. The museum is well-designed and ordered somewhat chronologically. Allow yourself to be guided through the development, testing, and usage of new and varied diving technology. There are interactive exhibits that are enjoyable for both kids and adults. Don't hesitate, just dive right in (sorry)!

Highly recommend! This was so captivating and unique. You can tell how much dedication they have put into this museum. My husband and I throughly enjoyed it all. The museum had a variety of actual gear and models. It had a variety of interactive portions as well as video and audio parts. Highly recommend!

Amazing experience and well-organized museum! Very impressive collection of diving history. The collection of international masks with a detailed audio narrative was especially impressive.

Worth the visit if you're traveling to the Keys. One of the best small museums I have ever seen. Outstanding collection of diving helmets.

An absolute must if you come to the Florida Keys. Super nice staff. You could spend hours in this place if you were a history buff. The exhibit truly shows the passion that the couple that created this had. Could go back multiple times to be honest. Totally recommend!!

Awesome fun museum. As new diver very interesting to see the evolution of diving over the years. Great gift shop. Small but worth the stop even if you aren't a diver.

Awesome museum! The extensive collection is thoroughly curated. It was fascinating to go through centuries of underwater exploration. My boyfriend enjoyed seeing antique Navy equipment. Great for kids too! Friendly reception and unique gift shop.

By far, the best diving/deep sea museum in the world. Fantastic history, well laid out displays and a truly amazing collection of helmets. Take a few minutes to browse the huge collection of books in the library. Be sure to buy some swag in the shop or join and support this amazing place.

So we had low expectation for coming to the museum. We were pleasantly surprised by the exhibit. A total history of diving from BC to present. Very interactive and informative! Took about an hour to meander through. Great for a rainy day or just to kill some time.

Super neat! Very interesting hard to find items and great gift shop items. Lots of history

What a delightful surprise. We were driving back from Key West and this stop halfway to the mainland is one of the best museums in all of Florida. Although it was founded only a tad more than a decade back, the founders had invested substantial time and money over the last 30 years to assemble what the staff describes as the largest assortment of diving equipment in the world. That in itself makes it a worthwhile visit, but there's so much more. There is a complete working library that historians of the subject can use. There are representations of historical drafts of early diving apparatus which were hundreds of years before their time. The early deep diving rigs, some nearly a ton of sculpted of round metals, are incredibly clunky mechanisms, like something out of a Jules Verne novel. The breadth of the displays, which I guesstimate at nearly 3000sq', means that you can see the evolution of diving knowledge, materials science and mechanization in each of the different types of devices displayed. Finally, the descriptive signs are brief enough that you aren't bogged down with miscellany but still provided all of the important technically details. While I was there a man was Skyping a friend and they discussed each item as he videotaped it. They both had been commercial divers in the offshore drilling racket and had never witnessed such a complete and detailed display before. If you have any interest in diving this is a must see.

This place is absolutely astounding--an enormous and detailed collection of diving paraphernalia interesting to even the most committed landlubbers. Though the descriptive plaques may be too detailed to hold diving newbies, the sheer amount and wackiness of diving artifacts more than makes up for it. And there are plenty of opportunities to interact with the collection, from using old air pumps to peering through old helmets into an aquarium. Perhaps better for kids 7 or older, but an excellent way to spend an hour.

Very interactive and very interesting to learn so much about diving! I loved the around the world room! Reasonably priced and a great way to spend an hour or two of your day.

It's worth the time and money to come here. First off, this is such an eclectic, amazing collection of old diving and freediving gear. If you're a diver at all or interested in the underwater world and how people explore it, this is a must stop anytime you're in the Keys. Even if you're only mildly interested, the museum has so many great stories/quotes from people that it makes it a fun browse to walk through. There's also enough interactive exhibits for non-divers to still become engaged with the exhibits. I loved how informative, and clearly thought out the entire place was. It's very apparent that it's a labor of love. The gift shop alone is worth a visit. It's the best gift shop of any marine conservation spot in the Keys, I'd wager. They have unique ocean-themed stuff any diver would love. The staff are the best around. They're so welcoming and friendly, and truly love the museum. They made me want to volunteer (so I signed up!). They're also pet-friendly, so bring your furried ones here if you want! Finally, they have awesome monthly lectures about everything from corals to shipwrecks to marine sanctuaries. It's free to the public and always a good time. Pro tip: military discount, discount on website, and also in all the keys coupon books.

If you're a scuba diver this place is a must-see! If you're not then it's still pretty interesting, but perhaps not as much. We took the family here and the divers and non-divers alike found it pretty interesting. Follow the history of diving from thousands of years ago, through the most recent developments in sweet recreational dive gear. There are LOTS of really interesting pieces of equipment from early last century, as well as a whole room with examples of commercial diving helmets from every single country that produces one. My personal favorite was "how to spot a fake Mark V diving helmet." If you are at all interested in this stuff, this museum deserves a visit. If I ever move down here I'm TOTALLY going to volunteer here!

Fun little stop off! The museum is not too big but big enough you get your money's worth. We paid $12/adult and $6/children 6-11 Children 5 and under are free. My kids enjoyed the scavenger hunt, especially looking for tiny scuba divers! At the end they get a small prize! A lot of reading and displays, only a few interactive displays. Overall it's something simple to do on like a Saturday or a place to get out of the heat!!

Being a scuba diver for 12 years, was my first time at the museum and I loved it! Very interesting and setup really well. Definitely recommend for even non divers!

Such an awesome place endless amounts of history and even a fun scavenger hunt for the kids ! Loved it just wish my young daughter wasn't pushing me along so quickly! Got an awesome book in the great gift shop they have

This place has an amazing collection! So much information and definitely worthwhile whether you are a diver or not. Went as a family - had something of interest for all of us. Highly recommend!

This is a great place to learn about how diving has evolved. It is not all encompassing but it makes you appreciate what was required prior to our current state. The diving helmets from the different countries is also very cool. I have always wanted to visit and it is a fun way to spend down time in the keys.

Stopped by for no good reason and loved it. My daughter saw sign and was curious so we popped in on way to marathon. It's a very well researched and resourced museum. It was far better than i imagined it would have been. The owners clearly had a lifelong passion and did an amazing job sharing it with the world. Really fascinating and thoughtful place. Gift shop had some awesome treasures too.

We found this place just driving through. It doesn't seem well advertised, but it is so worth the stop! It is a massive and thorough collection. If you have any interest in diving you should check it out.

If your visiting the keys and your a diver, which I would assume at least half of the people who visit the keys are then this is a must stop location. The entrance is pretty cheap and you get the chance to see all kinds of history from the diving world. If you want you can even usually get one of the staff to walk you through and tell you about everything they have here. Absolutely awesome and a must visit for divers! Don't miss it!

Definitely worth the time and money. Not even vaguely interested in diving, but the guys wanted to go. Us ladies were pleased they did. Very interesting and the collection was huge and comprehensive. Very well done!

If you are into diving, then you will love the history here. So many old dive suits, its hard to believe they actually used these. I'd be scared to death.

If you are into diving this is a great museum to visit. The owners collected all the memorabilia to open this place. You watch a 3 min video and then your the museum. We spent an hour there. There was a wall of diving helmets from around the world. The history of diving from the 1800's. Me being a diver I loved it and my boys enjoyed it as well!

Gotta go if you are a diver. This is a personal collection that is just unbelievable. Some is for sale. For example a Mark V copper dive helmet is available for $10,000 and on a smaller scale there are examples of early dive knives with heavy brass sheaths going for $750. The collection covers the entire history of diving from really old air bells to modern SCUBA. There are some of the massive one ton robot looking suits for super deep dives... Just fantastic to see in person. It was $12 to get in and well worth it.

This museum is very well though out and there is so much to enjoy. If you're an avid diver you will be intrigued by all the information and perhaps spend a lot of time here. If you are a beginner diver you will still enjoy this. Definitely worth the admission fee.

A great museum to learn about how diving has changed through the years. There are interactive exhibits and a scavenger hunt for the kids. A great place to stop and visit.

We found this place interesting even though we do not dive. There are so many antique diving masks here and the history of how humans came to dive is fascinating. Plan an hour or so here.

A great place if you like diving and history. Worth the $12 admission. Amazing collection of diving helmets. Every diver should come at least once. Recommended!

Attention all divers this is a great place to come to explore the history of diving. Lots of very interesting equipment. Highly recommended!

STOP. if you get remotely close to this place ITS A MUST GO TO especially if you are a diver or even a wanna be diver this place is one of the best places I've ever been in my life. It's simply incredible all the different dive helmets and history of diving is mind boggling. I can't even stress what a great place this is. If you have time you can literally spend the whole day in there it's so amazing.

Looks like it would be extremely tiny but was surprised to see how much is compacted inside the building. Admission is $12 but if your print the coupon that's on their website then you'll save $2 per admission. Plenty of equipment and artifacts within here and interactive displays to play with. Lots of funny photo opportunities as well for the kiddies and kiddies at heart. Nice attraction for anyone to see but those who are truly fascinated with diving should really make a point to stop in.

If you are at all interested in diving, or at the very least thought 20000 Leagues Under the Sea was a good book/movie - YOU HAVE TO STOP BY! Well worth the $12 admission, I would say by far it is the best value for a museum that I have seen in a long time (if you are remotely interested in diving that is) Absolutely stunning collection of diving helmets and armor (you know the ones that look like the Michelin Man on steroids with "lobster claws") I will be stopping by again

Don't pass this place up. An amazing assortment of diving memorabilia. The kids enjoyed the scavenger hunt. It's a well maintained place. Inexpensive.

I AM NOT A DIVER! I found this place incredibly interesting. It had a lot of historical facts that we, as humans, can all relate to. It's not just for divers. You can get a $2 off coupon online or just say you saw online and they give it to you. Also, this is random, but it's dog-friendly. I learned about the first underwater photograph, how native Americans used diving, the diving helmets from around the world, etc.

This is a wonderful little museum to visit if you want to take a break from the sun or escape the rain. If you are interested or scuba dive, this is the place for you! The staff is very friendly and will answer any questions you may have.

On our way to the keys I spotted this place WOW just take your time and look around it's really interesting. Everybody had a good time museum was well put together.

A really great place to go! Very educational and informative. It's the owners own personal collection and there are a lot of cool stuff in there. For divers it is really great! I'm a diver and I thoroughly enjoyed and it's even for non divers too! My boyfriend isn't a diver, but he still enjoyed himself. A great family place as well!

This place is filled with awesome things and information - you could spend a lot of time here! The girl at the desk was super friendly and informative. I would highly advise stopping at this place and looking around.

We have been recreational diving for thirty years. It was great to have a chance to see the history of diving. This was a real eye opener regarding the changes in commercial diving.