Mallory Square, Key West

Mallory square is so fun!(: There's tons of street performers (its so fun), they have tons of little shops, bars, and awesome places! They have hotels to stay at to. The sunset is AMAZING!(: Make sure you see the sunset on a good day though, because the day I saw it, it was cloudy, but it was still beautiful. Especially in the summertime, there's TONS of people, so be careful. And be careful of getting hit by a car. Lol. If I could go anywhere, I would go back there. If you go there, be careful and have fun.(:

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Mallory Square is a bit more touristy than the rest of the island, and is known as one of the best places to catch a sunset. This area was the original port of Key West and features the aquarium, a shipwreck museum, and even a head garden (or more formally the memorial sculpture garden). During the day, it is relatively quiet, though there are always a few crazies here.

This square on the water is also home to the Florida Keys Historic War Memorial. Local residents and the US military worked together to construct this memorial in 2003. It features 10 plaques describing the Keys' role in the nations wars.

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Just before sunset, you will find many of the tourists gravitating towards Mallory Square. Here, you will find a collection of many entertainers, craftsmen and artists plying their wares and entertaining the crowds within a very hippy-esque setting. This all ends with the famous Key West sunset celebrations and (hopefully) beautiful sunsets.

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At the nightly sunset celebration at Mallory Square you'll see a ton of performers (bring some $1s...they work for tips). You will see lots of stunt people, psychics, local artists selling their art work, but my all time favorite is the Key West Cat Man!!!!! This man has trained his cats to walk along a tight rope, jump through hoops of fire, jump over each other while on the rope, and much more. The guy himself is a little nutty...you'll know what I mean when you see...lol.

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A lot happening at Mallory Square when the sun began to go down. Craftsmen were selling jewelry and chatcha's. A street performer wowed the crowds by jumping through a ring of fire. Blue a 17 yrs. juggled on a unicycle above the crowds with the sunset over his shoulder. Lot's to eat and drink and fabulous views of the most amazing sunsets.

Mallory Square was named after Stephen Mallory, whose claim to fame was being appointed Confederate Secretary of the Navy, the square's chief naval function is to load and offload huge cruise ships, which dock there almost daily. Bordering it are historic buildings that once supported the local maritime industry, now restored and occupied by various shops and restaurants

As the sun begins to set in Key West, Mallory Square lights up with a variety of entertainment given by street performers. These performances range from fire eating to juggling and are actually pretty fun to watch. You can start to see performers as early as 4:00 pm. The rest of Mallory Square offers many dining options, gift shops, and arts and craft stands, and of course, the romantic sunset should not be missed.

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Most of the souvenier shops in Key West are selling things made in the Phillipines or China. It was the exact same design and style as seen all over the Caribbean. Only the name is changed. For authentic Key West souveniers and crafts, go to the booths around Mallory Square. There were glass blowers, painters, etc.
At sunset, even more handmade crafts are sold on folding tables along the square.
There are also street performers such as one-man band and fire jugglers.
Everyone shows up at sunset to watch the sun set over an island.

There is a carnival atmosphere at Mallory Square. The excitement peaks with the main show ...the sunset but it then continues into the evening . There are fire jugglers , street musicians, food venders and palm readers. Its wonderful fun.

You can't go to Key West and miss Malory Square. It is pretty much the heart of the city with lots of nightlife, entertainment and food. Oh!! There are roosters everywhere just roaming around. This is where the good cuban restaurant is located and sunset celebration. Sunset celebration occurs everynight on the pier at sunset. There are performers and drinks, and vendors there. It's pretty cool!!

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Features 36 bronze busts of the men and women who have had the greatest impact on Key West. Includes Ernest Hemingway, Harry Truman, Henry Flagler, and Sister Louise Gabriel, wreckers Asa Tift and Captain John Geiger and construction moguls Charles Toppino & Sons, who practically built the lower Keys. Each bust tells their story. The walkways are made of bricks purchased and inscribed by families and friends in memory of their loved ones who have past away.