The City of Bones: Key West's Above-Ground Cemetery

A good share of Key West's history is written on the stones of the Key West Cemetery.

Nineteen acres of whitewashed vaults, angels and weathered stones sit on the island's highest ground, in the middle of Old Town, about a 12-minute walk from our front gate. It is free to visit, open every day, and full of the people who made Key West: cigar makers and sponge fishermen, sailors from the USS Maine, a devoted fan of Julio Iglesias, and a woman who wanted everyone to know she had been right all along.

Here is why the graves are above ground, how to visit, and which stones to look for.

Why is Key West called the City of Bones?

The name goes back to the Spanish. A Spanish document of 1681 records the island as Cayo de Guesas, and a chart of 1790 calls it "Cayo Huesso commonly called Kay West." Hueso is Spanish for bone, and the story goes that early Spanish visitors found human bones scattered across the island. Over time, English-speaking sailors turned Cayo Hueso into Key West.

The bones had a simple explanation. Key West is a slab of coral rock and limestone with very little soil on top, so nothing could be buried deep, and storms regularly uncovered what had been.

For the rest of the island's story, from the Spanish to the founding of the town, see our brief history of Key West.

Why are the graves in Key West above ground?

On October 11, 1846, a great hurricane struck Key West, the most destructive storm in the island's history. It flattened much of the town and tore open the old cemetery, which lay near the beach, scattering coffins and remains across the island.

The next year, in 1847, the town laid out a new cemetery inland, on Solares Hill, the highest point on the island. Because the water table is high and the rock is hard, many families chose to bury their dead above ground, in vaults stacked like small houses; a single four-by-eight-foot plot can hold two vaults below ground and three above. Some of the oldest stones in the cemetery, dating from 1829 and 1843, are older than the cemetery itself, because they were moved here from the old burial ground after the storm.

How do you visit the Key West Cemetery?

The cemetery is at 701 Passover Lane, with its main entrance and the sexton's office at the corner of Angela and Margaret Streets. From Marrero's it is about a 12-minute walk east through Old Town.

It is free and open every day, from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm in winter and 7:00 am to 7:00 pm in summer, and you are welcome to walk it on your own. Pick up the free self-guided tour map at the main entrance; it marks the notable graves and makes the visit far more rewarding. The sexton's office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, if you have questions.

A few practical notes. There is very little shade, so go early in the morning or late in the afternoon and bring water. Some of the side gates are kept locked, so it is easiest to come and go by the main entrance. And expect company: chickens and iguanas wander freely between the graves.

Are there guided tours of the Key West Cemetery?

Yes. The Historic Florida Keys Foundation, which looks after the cemetery's preservation, runs guided walking tours twice a week for a fee, and the proceeds go toward its upkeep. Tours are by reservation; call 305-292-6718.

Our innkeepers are happy to help arrange one, and you will find more of what they can book on our See & Do page.

Which epitaphs should you look for?

The famous ones are the reason many people come, and they are all marked on the self-guided map.

"I told you I was sick." The stone of B.P. "Pearl" Roberts (1929 to 1979) is the one everyone comes to see, and entirely true to Key West's sense of humor.

"I'm just resting my eyes." Nearby, Gloria M. Russell (1926 to 2000) had the last word in the same spirit.

"Devoted fan of singer Julio Iglesias." Edwina Larez (1923 to 1986) left no doubt about where her loyalties lay.

"Admiral, Conch Republic Navy." Wilhelmina Harvey (1912 to 2005), Key West's first woman juror and a longtime local official, holds a rank only Key West could award.

Look too for the monument to the sailors of the USS Maine, whose explosion in Havana harbor in 1898 led to the Spanish-American War; around two dozen of the dead are buried here behind an iron fence. And find the grave of "Sloppy" Joe Russell, Hemingway's fishing companion and the bartender behind the original Sloppy Joe's.

What should you know before you go?

The Key West Cemetery is a working cemetery, not a museum. Around 100 people are still buried here every year, and families visit their graves. The humor of the epitaphs is part of what draws people, but the place deserves the same respect as any other: keep your voice down, stay on the paths, and never sit, stand or lean on the graves. The graves belong to the families, so leave everything as you find it, and if a funeral is taking place, give it a wide berth.

More of Old Town's past, close to home

Marrero's is part of the same story: a Victorian house built by a Cuban cigar maker for the woman he loved, whose own tale is still told on the island's ghost tours. You can read it on our history page. When you are ready to plan your stay, take a look at our guest rooms.

We look forward to hosting your next Key West stay.

The Marrero's Team