AUDUBON HOUSE AND TROPICAL GARDEN

By  Mike Miller May 7, 2025

Audubon House and Tropical Garden is in Key West, Florida. It’s a restored 1840s home with a one-acre garden. The site showcases John James Audubon’s bird artwork.

Visitors tour the house and grounds. It offers a glimpse into 19th-century Key West life. The property blends history, art, and nature.

Audubon House and Tropical Garden

Built in 1846 by Captain John Huling Geiger, a harbor pilot and wrecker, the house stood after a hurricane. Geiger’s wealth came from salvaging shipwrecks.

John James Audubon visited in 1832, sketching 22 birds for his Birds of America. He used the garden’s plants, like the Geiger tree, in his work.

Slated for demolition in 1958, the Mitchell Wolfson Family Foundation saved it. Restored by 1960, it sparked Key West’s preservation movement.

The house joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It reflects the island’s maritime and artistic past. 

Located at 205 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040, the site is open daily, 9:30 AM–4:15 PM. Self-guided tours follow a brief staff introduction.

Allow 1–1.5 hours to explore the house and gardens. Book ahead via their website or call 305-294-2116, especially in peak season. Park your car at nearby Mallory Square lots; street parking is limited.

Bring sunscreen; gardens lack shade. Photography is allowed, but no flash or tripods indoors. The site is ADA-accessible with restrooms and a gift shop. Check for events like garden tours. 

• The house displays 31 of Audubon’s hand-colored engravings, including the white-crowned pigeon with a Geiger tree.  

• Kitchens were separate to avoid heat and fires; a replica cookhouse stands in the garden. 

• The garden’s koi pond hosts herons, often mistaken for statues.  

• Local lore suggests Geiger’s ghost lingers, with paranormal groups certifying hauntings. 

• The 1850s herb garden grows medicinal plants used by settlers.  

• A third-floor gallery shows all 22 of Audubon’s Florida bird prints.  

• The restoration used receipts to match Geiger’s original furniture.  

• Orchids and bromeliads bloom year-round, labeled with their Latin names. 

AUDUBON HOUSE AND TROPICAL GARDEN WEBSITE