Florida Keys History of Diving Museum

The Florida Keys History of Diving Museum in Islamorada is filled with an amazing amount of diving artifacts displayed in a beautiful and interesting way. Children of all ages will love it. You walk into a vault as if you are in a submarine, and here you can see diving equipment from hundreds of years ago and old books and drawings relating to it. There is a diving bell you can sit inside, and a smaller diving bell you can immerse in water with the pull of a rope to see how it never fills up. Diving helmets from all around the world are represented- at the press of a button a speaker introduces you to each helmet while the helmet is lit up from behind. This is lovely and kids love the lights. There is an area dedicated to treasure hunters and the exciting things they have found. You can lift a 70 pound silver bar. Giant diving machines like robots fill one room, and this makes kids squeal with delight. "Iron Mike," one of these machines, is still in perfect working order and yet is obsolete- made of half a ton of bronze and steel, he could stay underwater for a long time and in 1934 located $4 million of gold! Kids can poke their heads in a porthole and you can watch them from the other side of the fish tank! There are colorful and fascinating exhibits on commercial diving, military diving and masks, and the invention of SCUBA equipment. An attractive area shows what the study room of the first marine biologist looked like, through a porthole.
We loved this museum and we all felt happy when we left! It takes you into another world and sparks your imagination. The couple who amassed this collection and won grants to create this museum must truly be curious and interesting people. This will be one of the highlights of your trip to the Keys.

Directions

Florida Keys History of Diving Museum is located at 82990 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036, call (305) 664-9737.
From the Turnpike, take Highway 821, the Turnpike extension toward Homestead. Follow it for 46 miles to the end. Follow the signs to U.S. Highway 1 south. Continue 46 miles into the Florida Keys. You are in the town of Islamorada. The museum is at Mile Marker 83, on your right. Look for the dark blue, purple, and green building, after Ziggie and Mad Dog's Restaurant.
Open daily 10-5. Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thurs in Nov), and Dec 25. 
Admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors and veterans, $9 for college students with ID, and $6 for children aged 6-11. There is a $2 off coupon on their website (you can mention that you saw it and receive the discount).

Click on map for interactive view