Mel Fisher Maritime Museum

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West is a must-visit for anyone interested in history, treasure hunting, or maritime exploration. The exhibits tell the fascinating story of Mel Fisher and his discovery of the Spanish galleons, showcasing authentic artifacts like gold, silver, and jewelry recovered from shipwrecks. The museum does a great job blending history with adventure, making the experience both educational and exciting. The staff is knowledgeable, and the displays are well organized, giving visitors a real sense of the magnitude of these discoveries. A unique Key West attraction that combines history, treasure, and legend all in one place.

For those who enjoy history, this is an excellent museum. The info boards are well done, though some are repetitive. The items recovered are displayed well and have good labels with info. If you’re looking for a Disney story of a shipwreck, or a kid’s discovery center, this is not for you. However, everything is easy to read and understand. We truly enjoyed this museum, and subsequently went to the Mel Fisher’s Treasures store afterwards. The upstairs slave trade floor was also worth the visit. It had less items but plenty of info.

Worth the visit! Very interesting. I was expecting a bit more focus on the ships and where each piece came from. A lot of items not related to his finds. African slave trade museum is upstairs. Mostly silver from the ships, coins, some cool jewelry. You can’t buy authentic coins there, just reproductions. Would have been nice to focus more on the ships than a general American history.

Mel Fisher's Maritime Museum is a place where it's fun to learn all about pirates and treasures. The artifacts that are on display are so cool. The museum is also a place where you can learn about Mel Fisher's dream and how he wouldn't give up on it. It's a great story. It's absolutely worth a visit, and you'll have a great time.

I almost didn't go because of the repeated reviews about the rude staff and the museum not being worth it. Im glad we ignored these. The guy working the front was super friendly, the museum on both floors is quite large, while there's not many interactive things, there are a ton(thousands) of relics they've found off shipwrecks, mostly the atocha. My guess is the people who disliked this were expecting a theme park type setting. If you have gone to a history museum and enjoyed it, then you'll really be impressed with all the exhibits in here.

This was an interesting visit in Key West. The price was reasonable and it wasn't huge. I recommend a visit while you are there.

Outstanding museum telling not only the story of treasure hunter Mel Fisher, but the history of the colonization of America. The second floor is dedicated to the history of slave trade and is not light-hearted. They tell it like it was, and it's hard to believe how they shipped people across the ocean in conditions that were totally inhumane. On the lighter side, they have many artifacts from the Jamestown settlement that have been added to the Fisher collection. Allow a few hours to see everything.

It is 4:18 PM, and the staff member at the entrance let us see her worst side. With a bad attitude, she said, "We are almost closed," and sent us back. After traveling over 400 miles to amaze our kids, we only had the opportunity to pep talk about manners and a positive attitude.

WOW!!!! You MUST come here, get the tour, watch the movie, and spend a couple of hours reading the exhibits. What you will see and learn is historic, tragic, memorable, and pretty damn cool! (3 days later I was in Cartagena at the Gold Museum and it pales to what you will see here.) I knew of Mel Fisher as a preteen and was always amazed by reports of his adventures. 50 years later, here I am. Serious New World history lesson taught here. Absolutely worth every penny spent. Getting to visit the lab was well worth it as well. Shannon Burgess was an excellent guide!

We were there about 4 years ago. Spent the afternoon enjoying the tour. It is a true treasure chest of amazing sunken treasures that Mel spent years searching for. Beautifully displayed & what a great story to go with those treasures. If you have the chance, visit when you are ready n Key West

This museum is VERY well done- so clean and freshly painted. I would say it is almost more of a Spanish history museum detailing the Spanish ship the Atocha, the artifacts are expertly catalogued and displayed for reading... cannot say enough good things. I will say, this is not the museum for kids, it is a read and learn museum not with many interactive exhibits that would keep littles interested.

It's interesting to hear the life story about Mel Fisher and his quest for the salvage from the Atocha. But, it wasn't worth the amount that the museum charged. A lot of the general information about salvage / ship wrecks was shared at another museum. The first floor is all about Mel Fisher - his quest and finding it he ship wreck. "today is the Day". The second floor has a variety of historical information in addition to other information about ship wrecks / educational aspects / and relationship with Cuba.

Something like a three or four. Of course, the treasure and Mel Fisher's story's the highlight and worth five stars all day long but I don't know, the whole experience wasn't as impressive as I thought it'd be. Blew through it in about an hour. Of course, didn't read everything or rent the extra headphones, but maybe should have. I don't know. Seemed like so many of the artifacts were mock ups and I wasn't too interested in the other exhibits because I really just came for the treasure. Dollar water bottles in the lobby, is nice. And the building itself is really rather impressive, beautiful banyon trees and all.

It seems a little overpriced, but what isn't these days? Probably the biggest problem is that no one ever answers the phone.

Well presented story of the finding of a shipwreck broken into two parts: the finding of the shipwreck and salvage, then a history of the era that the shipwreck occured with plenty of artifacts. Easy to go through and good selection in gift shop.

Next to finding The Titanic, this is the best real life story about treasure hunting in our lifetime! The museum is designed well and the displays of actual artifacts and treasure are second to none. There is a short video recap of Mel Fisher's endeavor and how his perseverance came to reality. We had the pleasure of meeting Mel Fisher in the late 80's and he was a delightful man!

Mel Fisher's perseverance and determination in the face of staggering setbacks and losses should inspire all of us; I know his life inspires me. This museum has more than sunken treasure; it is loaded with the colorful stories of our history! It is a must-visit on any Key West trip, and it should be a pilgrimage for any wayfairing adventurer! The stories bring history to life. In this case the colorful real life "story book illustrations" happen to be buried treasure from several famous - and a few lesser-known shipwrecks. We were SO glad we visited!

Very informative and interesting. Lots of reading, so if you don't like reading, it may not be for you. You walk through unguided.

Skip this museum. This use to be our "go to place" when we would visit Key West. They changed the whole tour and gone is the real story of the Atoche and all her artifacts. Its now just a hodge podge of artifacts from who knows where. They lost the experience of you "being there". We were very disappointed. Nothing like it use to be and they think it is better!

If you don't know who Mel Fisher is here is a link from wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Fisher . Not everyone can do what Mel Fisher and his sons did. Spending all your time and money looking for sunken treasure with the theme "today will be the day" for 23 years can be slightly discouraging. He had minor finds that funded his operation. When they found the Atocha he knew he hit the motherload. Finding and recovering the treasure was somewhat secondary when the US government wanted the whole treasure. Mel offered them 30% they refused. It went all the way to the Supreme Court and the $500 million treasure was awarded with the statement finders keepers. Before my retirement I would not have hesitated to purchase some piece from the Atocha. But the price was just a wee bit out of my price range. I also worked with a man who was a diver for Mel Fisher so the place had somewhat of a personal connection. Used to listen to his stories about Mel Fisher. Arrrg

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum was more interesting than I thought it would be. Though there was a lot of reading to see the history and timeline of events, it was fascinating to learn the history behind the Fisher family's search for the Atocha- a true testament to their perseverance. I also enjoyed the additional information about piracy in the area from early history. Overall, a decent way to spend a rainy afternoon, though I don't think it would keep small kids engaged.

Wow! We had no idea this museum was in KW! When we visited, the museum was updating certain displays & exhibits so it will be exciting to see what they add. Amazing artifacts & facts of the maritime life in history, as well as Mel's family history of various treasures found. We enjoyed the visit!

Update/reply to management- please review Your statement- almost any/all artifact(s) " had a sign posted " a resin" replica of the original item found, so I'm I to understand that Mr. Fisher found resin gold bars, resin silver bars, resin gold chains, resin musket balls, and other resin items. I beg you to challenge my statement. Walk around YOUR display and read the signs... Your ripping people off OR someone has ripped you off and replaced all your items with replicas.

I think this museum admission is overpriced, but it is really neat to see their artifacts and the story behind the finding of the Atocha and Santa Margarita as well as the slave trade, and some other exhibits. The people that work at the museum are incredibly nice.

As a sailor and scuba diver, this place is firmly in my wheelhouse and my honey, a real no-brainer :-) We were already proud owners of some nice pieces from the Atocha, so yep no brainer :-) The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, closed on Mondays They open at 10 am and the last ticket sold each day at 4 pm and cost $17. I recommend getting the audio guide that has some interesting stories of pirates and treasure with background and history and it assures that you don't miss anything. I mean it's not a big museum but there's a lot of interesting things to see and learn. There's lots of gold and silver, jewelry, tools, cooking implements, navigation instruments and a lot more. On the main floor, there's a lot of info about the Atocha, pirates and the slave trade and the impact on Key West. First of all Mel Fisher was a remarkable treasure hunter who became world-famous in 1985 when he located the Nuestra Señora de Atocha (Spanish for Our Lady of Atocha). it was a Spanish treasure galleon, wrecked 31 miles off the coast of Key West, and the most widely known vessel of a fleet of ships that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622. She was a hefty vessel at 550 tons, with a length of 112 feet, a beam of 34 feet, and a draft of 14 feet, very impressive for the day. Among many, many artifacts they salvaged coins, both gold and silver, were minted primarily between 1598 and 1621, although many earlier dates were represented as well, some of the dates extending well back into the 16th century. The value of the treasure from the Atocha is estimated at more than 400 million doors. Just one single artifact was discovered by one of Mel's divers, in 2011, an antique emerald ring worth over a half-million dollars, quite the days work! I have read quite a lot about history at sea, shipwrecks and sailors and I got pretty fixated on Mel Fisher for a while, and I could ramble on here but there are two resources that tell a lot about the background of the man, the Atocha and more. Check out: Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story was a 1995 TV movie (available on Amazon prime) and an excellent read Fatal Treasure: Greed and Death, Emeralds and Gold, and the Obsessive Search for the Legendary Ghost Galleon Atocha by Jedwin Smith. Bottom line: I really dig this place because it embodies so much of some of my special interests but it's interesting for you and old even if you're not a history buff, sailor, scuba diver and sea junky LOL Highly recommended! For a quick overview of the museum itself check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hIe8xDnveK4 Note: Covid protocols are observed and strictly enforced, you must wear your mask at all times while inside the museum.

The story of Mel Fisher and his discovery of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha along with its treasures are near what fantasy dreams are made of and what epitomizes the cultural attitudes behind the Conch Republic. In a way it includes it all. When reading the story and viewing the artifacts, the looting, the scheming, the treachery, the deaths and tragedies can all come to light. However, this may be easier, actually nostalgic for me, as I knew Ricky Gage, the diver who was killed along with Mel's son and daughter in law when a boat overturned prior to the discovery and had met Mel on several occasions prior to his discovery of the Atocha. So, trying to view things objectively I would have to say as museums go, The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum really doesn't amount to all that much (like, where are those emeralds?) and as a museum rather fails to capture the dreams and history it's meant to represent. Considering what was actually found, there isn't all that much in the museum. It's rather small, everything has to be read or listened to through rental headphones ($2.00), the displays aren't that much and what is meant to be displayed isn't all that well presented. And, on those points I have to agree with several other Yelpers, overpriced at $15/entry ticket. I might add that I was one of the first to visit this museum at its opening, and on this visit which is years, didn't strike me as being as good as it once was and now somewhat showing its age. So though the story and history behind The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum are fascinating, really Five Star on those points, when it comes to museums, I have to say I've seen better.

we went as a group and the workers were strict and pushy. They got mad at us for looking at the exhibit we weren't touching the glass or touching things. This place was very disappointing for 17 dollars. 1/10 don't recommend.

I have to be honest, I would have never stopped to tour this however my husband has been obsessed with the movie called Fool's Gold with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson since 2008 so while vacationing in Miami recently, we decided to rent a car and drive to Key West and OMG I'm so glad we went. I was thoroughly fascinated with everything! I had no idea and never knew about Mel Fisher and his story. After we took our time and walked through this museum, I left with the thought of 'I'M SO GLAD WE CAME HERE' then felt sad for the two that died while scuba diving for the treasures. I believe it was a couple that endured the death while underwater. I loved the rock when you entered the building that had a message that said "Welcome, "Today's the Day"" - if you don't know Mr. Fisher's story, stop at the video with chairs and listen to the 10 min clip; it's very interesting and I now love this quote. I was blown away with the artifacts; from the Conquistador Sherd to the jewelry to the Footed Salver to the Silver Coins to the Anchors to the "Women & Piracy" stories....I could go on and on..... We only paid $30.10 to get in i.e. that was the admission for two and it was totally worth it. We did purchase some souvenirs and I regret not buying more. I found it pretty cool that my maiden name, Guerrero was a Pirate Ship name aka "Slave Runner" however it wrecked in 1827. I found it so bizarre that back in the day, it only took 35-50 pounds of beads to buy a person. Buy a person! What?!!? You could buy a person for 35 pounds of beads. Whoa nelly!!!!!!!! If you want to experience and learn more about this, GO TO THE Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. I'm about to upload all of the photos I took. If you have time to go through them, I would highly recommend. I took great pride in each of them.

There were three of us that went and we enjoyed the museum immensely. The history and the artifacts were amazing to see and to learn all the history. Even the upstairs area showing items before being cleaned and after was very interesting. I feel this would be a good experience for children. It definitely proved at least for Mill Fisher that reading books consider a child of mine on a positive path.

I have heard about Mel's search for the treasure fleet of the Spanish for most of my life. I loved visiting the museum with my children and seeing all the artifacts. Tougher conversations with my children (like when they asked why there was so much religious stuff given that the Spanish stole the treasure from the natives and even tougher above with the artifacts from the English slave ship). But great stuff that was tastefully presented.

Misleading Groupon acceptance. Overpriced and layout could improve. Storytelling could improve and they pander to a non-existent paying audience and politicians by spending too much time on slave ships which never held treasure. Intro movie needs updating.

The worst experience of my life! My children and I were the only people in the museum. The staff followed and harassed us because they didn't like how my mask was not tightly fitting my face. A manager came out and his mask was not tightly fitting his face either, which was so ironic. He asked us to leave, so we happily did. Honestly, this museum is not great. Overpriced. I doubt it will make it, especially with this type of costumer service. I do not recommend it.

The museum holds so much history and cool education about shipwrecks. And Mel was ahead of his time to be sure. But seriously the mask police are over the top here. With only the two of us in this museum, and both COVID negative, when pulling down our masks to get a breath of air - these 3 staff people were ON IT. Bravo museum staff, you got me. They watch you on camera and follow you around the place and ORDER you to pull your mask up. Very police state-like. I get it people. The fear of herd immunity. The fear that COVID particles are just rolling in the air waiting to get you.

I remember when Mel Fisher was in the news and grew to love his search for the Atocha and followed the story of his search, finding and the tragedy of the loss of his son and daughter in law. Visiting this museum fulfilled a part of my bucket list. Mel Fisher brought me to Key West even though I enjoyed many other things there.

Great museum and gift shop. Lots to see and read excellent artifacts. Well kept and information is precisely correct. Enjoyed learning more about Mel Fisher

Hello fellow Yelpers and Yelpettes! I watched Mel Fishers' adventures on PBS many years ago. The team work and volunteers involved was and is impressive. If you can, watch the movie before you go to the museum. Excellent documentation to escort you through what happened with the Atocha. Definitely worth your time. Only thing not worth your time, the parents who don't control their kids running around. Not only annoying but disrespectful. I didn't pay money to hear your kids throw tantrums. As always, your mileage may vary.

Wonderful and very interesting museum ! Enjoyed seeing all the treasures that were found! You can even own a piece of history !

We left my mom here for the afternoon. She couldn't stop talking about how nice the museum was and that it was "well done". Highlight was coin displays.

Don't let your trip end without a stop at this museum! This is more than just gold bars. This is world history and a glimpse of the last 400 years that had a hand in forming our country. Awe inspiring exhibits, historical pieces that will give you goosebumps. A truly amazing and humbling display of wealth and history that boggles the mind.

My guy had one request while we were in Key West, Mel Fisher Museum. I gave an obligatory eye roll but went with it. I am so glad I did. It was a good stop. The website is a bit of a pain on a mobile I found, and no one answers the phone during museum open hours. The website showed no tickets were available so we stopped here first thing in the AM to see if there were any last minute tickets. They weren't sold out at all and we walked right in. I felt like the value for the tour would should have been in more of the $8-10/pp price instead of the $15 + $2 audio. The museum was laid out every well with an intriguing story to tell with plenty of audio and visuals to help. I knew nothing about the man or his journey, but who doesn't like a treasure hunt. It started at the beginning and gave you enough of a complete picture to go on for an overview or enough to pique your interest in doing further research. I thought they had plenty enough of the treasures out on display or provided descriptions for. Some of the jewelry was absolutely stunning. Don't forget to also go upstairs and walk through the pirate exhibit. I definitely learned a thing or two including lots of info on the lady pirates. They certainly earned those reputations. I believe there is a lab tour and more expensive gift store at the back you can shop at. It was a nice friendly experience. I'm glad we made time for it.

The admission fee was about double of what it should be for a museum of this quality. It was nice but not worth the price.

I have the book, "Treasure" which I was lucky enough to get Mel to autograph (sadly, he's gone). We were kinda friends with him and I can say he was a nice, down to earth man. This museum will change how you view the world. Why? Cuz there's treasure out there! Makes you wanna join the hunt! He spent his whole life as a real life treasure hunter (who chooses that as a career?) and the stories he tells are riveting. For one thing, he had paranormal experiences that haunted him. He talked of a curse and he lost family members tragically during his brave quest to locate these elusive sunken shipwrecks. He was not daunted (can't get over the story of his son, Dirk). I uploaded the photos of the original boat Virgalona that was sent into waters off the coast of the Keys in search of the Atocha. These pics were taken in the late seventies before he hit the mother lode. I don't think most believed Mel would eventually find anything of such enormous significance. One day it happened! As he would say "This is the DAY!" And it was (July 20, 1985). The "Atocha" a sunken Spanish Galleon, carrying over $450 million in treasure of which some is in this museum was finally located by Mel's crew! Fantastic! Mel then fought the gov to keep his finds and eventually he won the battle. I believe that took a heavy toll on his life. This is a fascinating life story and the museum is such a great place to go for something interesting to do in Key West (other than get drunk, lol... but that's fun too).

What a wonderful place to visit. The history and artifacts are well displayed and catalogued with great detail. We spent a lot of time there but could have been there longer. We were there on a cruise so our time was limited although my wife found enough time to purchase an Atocha coin and emerald. When we return to Key West again we will spend time there again. If you feet the romantic pull of treasures and seemingly lost history this place for you and is well worth a visit. Enjoy

My husband and I really enjoyed this museum. It has a lot of treasure from shipwrecks and includes several different galleries. I was very moved by the gallery dedicated to the slave ship. I also want to commend the employees for being very accommodating to someone with mobility issues. I use a walker to get around and the other shipwreck museum in Key West could not accommodate me. (The said their lift was only for wheelchair users) The staff at Mel Fisher Maritime Museum were wonderful helping me access different levels and getting me inside the building with their lift. Everyone was very friendly and didn't make me feel like I was putting them out at all. That something that is always appreciated by people with disabilities.

Stopped by on the recommendation of a friend who lives in the area and it was amazing to learn the history of a man who would not give up on his dream...some neat artifacts and a great history lesson of a treasure hunter!

It was really cool being able to experience the story of Mel Fisher and to be able to see the story of Mel Fisher. The artifacts were really cool to see as they are a part of history.

I can usually smell out a tourist trap, but this place seemed classy and genuine. Setting politics aside, the artifacts featured from the Atocha and the Santa Margarita--not to mention the story of the hunt and salvage by Fisher's team--were fascinating. Weapons, tools, cannons, ship fixtures, everyday items, and of course coins, ingots, and other treasure aplenty were all on display. Mel Fisher's eighteen-year search for the Atocha armada claimed four lives, including his son's and daughter-in-law's. However, Mel's irrepressible optimism, and his catchphrase--"Today's the day!"--really struck a chord with me.

This place was a decent 'last minute' stop on the way back to the Celebrity Cruise (while docked at Key West). Warning - there is more reading involved than you might think - so if that isn't your thing, don't go. Alas, if you are taking the time to read this review...maybe reading doesn't bother you so much? To me, the upstairs exhibit on slavery was interesting and moving - so for that alone I felt like I got my money's worth. It was also interesting to really learn about the history of Key West - why a town like this even came about in such a remote Southern tip of Florida. There is a gift shop / jewelry store towards the back that seemed oddly placed. I get it - this part of the place is what probably makes them the real cash. It just seems weird that you come upon this after reading about an exhibit on slavery and then end up in a room where you can buy a necklace for $1,000,000. Yeah, pretty sure it was $1,000,000 - not lying. Because the gift shop holds such expensive jewelry in back, you have to remove your sunglasses and turn your hat backwards or take it off. (They want your face on camera). This is not awesome if you happen to have a sunburn (quite possible in Florida while vacationing), or if you are trying to conceal a black eye from friends as long as possible (my issue of the day). Imagine it. Everyone is looking like crap. Looking at slavery exhibits. Then million dollar jewelry. Then my nasty black eye. (Everyone) "Oh-my-GOD what happened!?!" A hodge-podge of oddness all around. I think I was over Key West at this point, but maybe that's my own personal issue? Yeah, it is. I know.

The museum itself was informative and interesting. In the gift shop they had items on top of the treasure boxes that made it seem like it was attached to the lid. I opened a lid to look inside and the item fell off and broke on the floor. The guy behind the counter charged me for the item. I looked around and saw this done with many boxes that open. CRAPPY WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY YOUR ITEMS.

Really interesting museum!! Just be sure you have plenty of time to read everything...we came in just an hour before closing time, but I could have easily lingered two hours. As it was, I had to rush through many of the displays :-/ Fascinating treasure exhibits and entertaining history on the life of super-colorful Mel Fisher and his fabulous wife Deo -- what a couple! I really enjoyed reading about their lives. But the 2nd floor was maybe even more interesting -- pirate lore, buccaneer history, and lots of grimly fascinating information about the slave trade. At $15, it's kinda pricey....and you may be tempted to spend that $15 on a margarita, instead (I certainly was). But after all is said and done, it's worth it. Spare your liver a drink and check it out.........you'll be glad you did! So much cool shit in this world......that really happened!!!

The only thing that made this a 5 star rather than a 4 star review was the behind the scenes tour with an archeologist. Wish I remembered his name . That was fascinating and informative. The one thing I think all visitors should do while in Key West. The museum itself has some artifacts yet not a lot from the shipwreck that Mel Fisher spent 16 years looking for with his crew. Those displays are on the 1st floor and the 2nd floor has information on a ship that carried slaves, pirates, and a temporary exhibit on the Bay of Pigs. For me, I would have appreciated more about the ship that Mel Fisher discovered. Yet the tour was so fabulous that I would love to do that part again. The people who work here are incredibly kind and I appreciated their welcome and thoughtfulness, especially the man helping people outside at the front door. Thanks for a fantastic experience.

Sort of pricier admission fee at $15 per adult given the small museum. There are two stories, but only the first story deals directly with Mel Fisher's career searching for the lost Spanish treasure ship, the Atocha. You are greeted with some infographics and replicas in the first room and then can sit to watch a very non-HD introductory video that is about 15-minutes long on Mel Fisher's story. The audio sync on the fuzzy resolution video was off, and drove me mad. The remaining rooms are similarly cramped. It is easy to bump into people. The wall informational boards are interesting, but probably haven't been updated in a long time. The items on display are not what I would call super impressive save for one or two items. Most of the top-end finds are for sale in the gift shop. Really, only one emerald cross necklace would I call impressive. The second story of the museum has nothing really to do with Mel Fisher with one room dedicated to underwater recovery of artifacts in general. To be fair, it did answer some of my questions regarding how certain items were recovered. The other rooms deal with the slave trade and an African cemetery uncovered at Higgs Beach.....sort of non-sequiturs. The finale is a gift shop, surprise, but this one is under heavy security as Mel Fisher was able to keep all $500 million worth of Spanish treasure his team recovered. This treasure is for sale to the public. In the gift shop, you see the "real deal" regarding the gold and silver coins recovered. Some of these coins have price tags at $5,000 each. I'd say this part of the museum was the most impressive, but you have some sales people overseeing you the entire time plus two dozen video cameras, so it was a bit unsettling. Overall, it was very interesting, but deep down inside me, I wish the treasures were the property of the US or Spanish government and could be put on display in world-class museums for a wider audience to enjoy.

So I'm not a huge museum person I get bored pretty easily. I really enjoyed this museum. There is a lot of reading as you go but a lot of the information is really cool! The second floor wasn't as cool as the first so if you get tired or are tight on time at least make sure to do the bottom floor!

Okay, people have given this place really low stars, and I seriously don't understand why. It's absolutely incredible! We got the student rate, which was fine (I guess I'm just accustomed to paying ridiculous admission fees because I lived in New York). The people at the counters were pleasant, and the museum is clean and easy to maneuver. There IS a lot of reading, but the story is incredible (I can't keep anything up for 16 DAYS, much less 16 YEARS!), and the artifacts are preserved beautifully. If you're thorough, give yourself a little under two hours to complete both floors. The slavery exhibit gives a really interesting perspective and I learned a lot about how the African people were brought to Cuba, and how they assimilated (my people have been through so much!). I definitely recommend this place on a rainy day, it gives you a lot to think about!

This was the worst experience I have ever had visiting a museum. Some friends and I attended this museum last week. We arrived at 5pm an hour before they closed. $16 was steep for this museum. We were commanded to sit down and watch a video shortly after we paid. We watched the movie and still had time to see the rest of the museum. Two separate times we had different employees rudely tell us that they were closing soon. A security guard was following closely behind us. Then we were told to leave. The second we left the museum they locked the door. I have never felt so unwelcome in a museum before. I would never recommend this place to anyone.

Great story. Great artifacts. Staff lack knowledge on the museum, particularly the amount of time needed to explore the museum. Allow at least 90 minutes if you like to read about the exhibits & view the introductory video. We arrived at 5 pm & were told we could make it through the museum in 45 minutes. Not so. At 6 pm we were asked to leave. We asked if we could return the next day to tour the second floor. The answer -No!

This museum is a little pricey and doesn't have the "wow factor" that most families are looking for these days. As for my wife and I, we really enjoyed it because Mel Fishers adventures were a part of our childhood (National Geographic). I vividly remember watching this expedition on our small color TV...delivered by our local PBS station. It was a genuine pleasure being that close to the actual artifacts pulled from the ocean. The museum also added more up to date information about the wreck that wasn't known at the time. If treasure and parties still captivate your dreams, don't waste this opportunity to see these items up close. BTW...if your military the museum offers a free ticket to you and your spouse...thank you staff for your appreciation of our sacrifice!!!