Key West Shopping Tips by grandmaR Top 5 Page for this destination

East Martello Museum Shop: Out by the Airport Gifts & Souveniers Review

This is a shop run by the Key West Art and Historical Society. They have three shops-one at the Custom House, one at the lighthouse, and this one at the East Martello Tower. You an buy in person or on the internet.

What to buy: There are two main areas at the East Martello Museum. One is connected with Robert the Doll, and that area also has Halloween and haunted houses kinds of things.

If you have a Robert in the family, you can buy a button that says "Robert Did It"

The other area is the Mario Sanchez art works some of which are on display in the basement. You couldn't afford the actual artworks though - what you could buy are prints of his work

What to pay: All the prints are unframed. Unsigned ones run around $25.00. The ones that he signed before he died in 2007 are about $175.00. From the Robert the Doll collection you can get license plates, coasters, and T-shirts and the like

Address: 3501 S. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West,

Directions: Out by the airport

Phone: 305-296-3913

Theme: Gifts

Website: http://www.goestores.com/home.aspx?merchant=keywestarthistoricalsociety

The Butterfly Shop Gallery: Butterflies in Crystal

When we went to the Key West Butterfly Conservatory, we saw these butterflies in acrylic cases over on the side of the shop. No photographs were allowed, so I photographed it from the sidewalk outside. I've been to their website, and I do not think it presents their product as well as I would have done had I been able to photograph it properly.

What to buy: You can buy on-line by picking the case you want and the butterflies that you want to go in it.

What to pay: Prices range from $35 for a small butterfly in a small case up to $3K for a 36" round display.with multiple butterflies

Address: 1316 Duval Street

Directions: At the east end of Duval Street.

Phone: 866-949-0900

Theme: Home Furnishing

Key West Sandals: Typical sandals Clothing Review

We used to be able to get very nice leather sandals in this style which were sturdy and comfortable and could be made in colors or fabric to match the Key West Hand Print dresses. They still have them, but they also have this kind if you prefer them

What to buy: These sandals look to me like cheap tourist stuff, but they still have the other kind. The factory is no longer on Key West.

What to pay: The Daisy sandals are about $24. The plain ones are about $20.00

Directions: 201 Simonton Street at the Key West Hand Print place.

Phone: 800-866-0333

Theme: Shoes

Audubon House Gallery: Audubon Artifacts Art Gallery Review

Theme: Art

Key West Hand Print: Fabric and clothing Clothing Review

Key West Hand Print used to have a factory here on Key West (photo 5). Now I think the fabrics are printed outside the country. I loved their fabrics (photo 3), especially the Lily's (photo 2) where she always has her signature hidden somewhere in the design. But now the fabrics are not all cotton, and they don't seem to be as good quality anymore.

What to buy: In addition to yard goods, they have women's clothing, and also some things for men and children.

Address: 201 Simonton St.

Phone: 305-294-9535

Theme: Women's Clothes

Website: http://www.keywestfashions.com

Key West Hand Print: From 1967 Clothing Review

This is the way the old Key West Hand Print factory outlet shop used to look back in the mid to late 60s. There are dresses, plain fabric and even bikinis on display. Some of the dresses were Lily Pulitzer designs, but some of them were the product of the Key West Hand Print designers themselves.

What to buy: You can still shop for Lily Pulitzer dresses and Key West Hand Print clothing, but Lily Pulitzer no longer has much control of her designs, and the Key West Hand Prints are made outside of the U.S. now.

Theme: Art

Turtle Kraals Museum Gift Shop: Turtle Themed Socks, Shirts and Shorts Gifts & Souveniers Review

Tina Brown is a charter fishing captain and co-founder of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida Keys. In 1999, she founded the non-profit Turtle Kraals Museum as a means of educating the public about the plight of sea turtles.

She turned this building on the dock into a free museum- the world's only sea turtle museum.

What to buy: There is also a small gift shop where it is possible to join a society to protect the turtles and buy sea turtle themed t-shirts and other products

There are also items available from the online store, such as:

Turtle Shorts: Comfortable 100% cotton with side pockets. Available in S-XL.

T-Shirt: Heavy weight 100- percent cotton t-shirts boast the Turtle Kraals logo and are available in sizes S-XL.

"Saga of the Sea Turtle" By: Blackie Cruz
"Blackie" was a commercial turtle fisherman back in the early 1900's, in the Florida Keys. His memoirs reveal the history of the Key West fishing industry.

Turtle Socks: Ankle high socks for ages 6 months to men's size 13.

What to pay: Turtle shorts $23.00
T-shirt $21.00
Socks $10.00
Book $23.00

Address: 200 Margaret Street, Key West, FL 33040

Phone: (305) 294-0209

Theme: Men's Clothes

Website: http://www.seaturtlemuseum.org/store.htm

Wings of Imagination: Butterfly Artifacts Gifts & Souveniers Review

The gallery of the Butterfly Conservatory has a gift shop as do most tourist attractions.

Gift Shop and Gallery Hours
9:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily

What to buy: All kinds of beautiful and unique butterfly and nature related items from around the world.

Address: 1316 Duval Street

Phone: (800) 839-4647

Theme: Gifts

Website: http://www.keywestbutterfly.com/shop.htm

Key West Reef: Swim Suits Clothing Review

If your luggage is lost or you find that you've lost so much weight that your swim suit no longer fits, you need not fear that you will have to swim in shorts and a T shirt. There are plenty of shops in Key West that sell swimwear.

I have not been to this shop, but I took the picture from the car as we came down Truman to Duval St.

What to buy: Other Key West Swimwear shops

Beach House Swimwear, 619 Duval.....(305) 292-9300
Bikini Village, 326 B Duval St.....(305) 296-2127
Dive Key West, 3128 N Roosevelt.....(305) 296-3823
Heatwave, 403 Greene St.....(305) 296-0292
New Look, 117 Fitzpatrick St.....(305) 295-0052
Paradise Vision, 602 Duval St.....(305) 294-9036
Peaches of Key West.....(305) 296-2650
Randal J Clothing & Swimwear, 513 South St.....(305) 293-8858
Shirley Can't Surf, 624 Duval St.....(305) 292-1009
Tropical Kiss, 310 Front St.....(305) 293-9691

Address: 928 Duval St, Key West

Directions: The places is more or less on the corner of Truman and Duval.

Phone: (305) 294-2413

Theme: Women's Clothes

The Blond Giraffe: The Ultimate Key Lime Pie?

When we first got to Key West in the 60s, Key Lime pie was something that you could rarely get outside of the Keys. Most of the time a "Key Lime" pie outside of the Keys was green because it was made with Persian limes. Key Limes have a yellow juice, so you know if you get a green pie, it's bogus - not a real Key Lime Pie.

It's now gotten to be big business and you can get Key Lime pies almost anywhere in the US.

This place first opened way after our time in 1999. I have not been to any of their stores, nor have I bought their products.

They now have two stores in the Key West area (one on Stock Island), one in Marathon, and one in Miami.

What to buy: In addition to the pie, they also have Key Lime Rum Cake, The Blond Giraffe "Pie on a Stick" (Key Lime pie dipped in chocolate), Maté, spices, scents and gifts.

Address: 1209 Truman Ave, (US-1)

Other Contact: 305.295.6776 (Stock Is. factory)

Phone: 305.293.6667

Theme: Food and Drink

Website: http://www.blondgiraffe.com/