Key West Aquarium

What Key West Aquarium does

Key West Aquarium is a single-site, open-air public aquarium located at 1 Whitehead Street in Mallory Square, Key West, Florida. Founded in 1935 as the first open-air aquarium in the United States, the attraction is housed in a historic 1932-1934 concrete building (constructed using seawater-mixed concrete) and is operated by Historic Tours of America Inc. as part of a portfolio of Key West attractions. The aquarium displays more than 250 marine specimens, including sharks, tropical fish, jellyfish, and four species of sea turtles (Spike, Lola, Rocky, and Hector, all non-releasable rescues serving as conservation ambassadors), and offers interactive touch tanks, daily guided feeding presentations, and a 50,000-gallon Atlantic Shores exhibit.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer tourism model, selling admission tickets online and at a physical Mallory Square ticket booth, with pricing starting around $19.94 for adult general admission. Revenue is generated primarily through individual tickets, family/group discounts, special events, and an increasingly important portfolio of bundled packages that combine aquarium entry with sister attractions (Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Old Town Trolley Tours, Conch Tour Train, Ghosts & Gravestones, Truman Little White House, Ernest Hemingway Home), priced up to $87.93. The aquarium supplements its core product with scheduled paid tour modules (Sea Turtle Conservation, Rays and Sharks, Touch Tank, Invasive Species, and a Virtual Offshore Environmental Experience), free educational programming for school groups, and a quarterly 'Sea Mail' newsletter. Customer segments are entirely consumer- and education-focused: tourists and vacationers (primary), families with children, and organized school groups. Distribution leverages the parent company's centralized Historic Tours of America booking platform, gift card program, and a multi-channel marketing mix (website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, events calendar). With only 7 reported employees, the aquarium is a lean, brand-led tourism asset whose performance is tightly coupled to Key West visitor volumes and the broader Historic Tours of America network.

Name

Key West Aquarium

Legal name

Key West Aquarium

Website

https://keywestaquarium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Key West Aquarium is a 90-year-old open-air public aquarium in Mallory Square, Key West, operated by Historic Tours of America, serving tourists, families, and school groups with marine exhibits, guided tours, and bundled cross-attraction packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquarium and Marine Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

Keywords

• Aquarium attraction
• Marine exhibits
• Interactive touch tanks
• Key West tourism
• Sea turtle conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Key West

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Direct ticket sales to visitors for aquarium admission. Self-guided visits with optional guided tours and presentations included in admission price.
2. Package Bundles: Bundled ticket packages combining aquarium admission with other Key West attractions including Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Old Town Trolley Tours, Conch Tour Train, and Truman Little White House. These packages offer discounted entry compared to purchasing separately.
3. Group Tickets: Discounted tickets for group bookings, targeting families and tour groups visiting Key West.
4. Special Events and Private Tours: Revenue from hosting events and potentially offering specialized experiences for groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Key West Aquarium is a physical tourist attraction in Mallory Square, Key West, that sells admission tickets and guided tour experiences for visitors to view 250+ marine specimens (sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, jellyfish, tropical fish) across open-air and touch-tank exhibits. The business also sells bundled ticket packages that combine aquarium admission with sister Historic Tours of America attractions (Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Old Town Trolley, Conch Tour Train, Ghosts & Gravestones, Truman Little White House, Hemingway Home). It is the first open-air aquarium in the United States, operating continuously since 1935.

Product overview

Key West Aquarium operates as a physical aquarium attraction offering a portfolio of self-guided admission tickets and scheduled guided tour experiences. The core product is general aquarium admission providing access to marine exhibits including sharks, sea turtles, jellyfish, stingrays, and touch tanks. Additional paid tour modules include the Sea Turtle Conservation Tour, Atlantic Shores Game Fish and Sharks Tour, Rays and Sharks Tour, Touch Tank Tour, Invasive Species Tour, and Virtual Offshore Environmental Experience. The aquarium also offers bundled package products combining admission with partner attractions including the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, Old Town Trolley Tour, Conch Tour Train, Ghosts and Gravestones Tour, Truman Little White House, and Ernest Hemingway Home. These packages are sold as add-on combinations rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Key West Aquarium General Admission Self-guided admission ticket providing access to marine exhibits with sharks, sea turtles, jellyfish, stingrays, tropical fish, moray eels, barracuda, tarpon, parrotfish, and interactive touch tanks. Targeted at general tourists and families visiting Key West.
• Sea Turtle Conservation Tour Guided tour featuring Spike (Loggerhead), Lola (Kemp's Ridley), Rocky (Green), and Hector (Hawksbill), sharing rescue and rehabilitation stories. Scheduled at 10:15 am, 12:45 pm, and 3:15 pm daily. Included in admission.
• Atlantic Shores Game Fish and Sharks Tour Tour of the 50,000-gallon Atlantic Shores exhibit showcasing nurse sharks, tarpon, grouper, and jacks with educational content about mangrove ecosystems. Included in admission.
• Rays and Sharks Tour Guided feeding tour starting with Cownose rays and Bonnethead sharks indoors and concluding with Sandbar shark feeding outdoors. Included in admission.
• Touch Tank Tour Interactive tour introducing Queen Conch, sea stars, urchins, horseshoe crabs, and other invertebrates with hands-on guest interaction. Included in admission.
• Florida Keys Ecosystem Presentation Automated diorama tour following the journey from mangroves to open ocean, displayed on the North Gallery Wall. Included in admission.
• Invasive Species Tour Educational tour about Florida's invasive species problem featuring red-eared slider turtles, Burmese pythons, and lionfish. Included in admission.
• Virtual Offshore Environmental Experience Virtual submarine dive experience styled after 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, transforming the aquarium into the Nautilus submarine for underwater habitat exploration. Included in admission.
• Aquarium and Shipwreck Treasure Museum Package Combined admission ticket pairing Key West Aquarium with Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, featuring shipwreck artifacts, the Isaac Allerton story, and 65-foot observation tower. Priced at $34.98 per person.
• Aquarium, Trolley Tour and Shipwreck Museum Package Three-attraction bundle including Key West Aquarium, Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, and Old Town Trolley Tour with 13 stops, free reboarding, and guided walking tours. Priced at $87.93 per person.
• Aquarium and Truman Little White House Package Combined ticket pairing Key West Aquarium with Harry S. Truman Little White House presidential museum, sold through the TrustedTours reseller store.
• Aquarium and Ernest Hemingway House Package Combined ticket pairing Key West Aquarium with Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, valid for purchase at ticket booths.
• Aquarium and Conch Tour Train Package Combined ticket pairing Key West Aquarium with Conch Tour Train, including fully narrated tour with 3 stops.
• Group Tickets Discounted tickets for group bookings, targeting families, school groups, and tour groups visiting Key West.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Save-A-Turtle of the Florida KeyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Save-A-Turtle for sea turtle conservation efforts. The aquarium works with this organization to promote sea turtle awareness and participate in conservation activities. Posts about Save-A-Turtle nest hatchlings and shares information about sea turtle-safe lighting practices.
• Plant a Million Corals FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoral reef conservation partner highlighted during Coral Reef Awareness Week. Part of the aquarium's network of reef conservation organizations it supports.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoral reef conservation partner highlighted during Coral Reef Awareness Week. Part of the aquarium's network of reef conservation organizations it supports.
• Coral Restoration FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoral reef conservation partner highlighted during Coral Reef Awareness Week. Part of the aquarium's network of reef conservation organizations it supports.
• Reef ReliefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoral reef conservation partner highlighted during Coral Reef Awareness Week. Part of the aquarium's network of reef conservation organizations it supports.
• Reef Environmental Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoral reef conservation partner highlighted during Coral Reef Awareness Week. Part of the aquarium's network of reef conservation organizations it supports.
• CoastLoveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization partnered with for World Mangrove Day conservation activities including mangrove propagule collection and coastal cleanup events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Aquarium: Major U.S. aquarium in Baltimore with comparable shark, sea turtle, and tropical fish exhibits, daily animal presentations, and ticketed admission model directly analogous to Key West Aquarium's operations.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Florida-based aquarium and marine research institution with comparable marine exhibits, sea turtle rescue programs, and educational tourism offerings; also a current conservation partner of Key West Aquarium.
• Georgia Aquarium: Largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere located in Atlanta, operating with the same admission-based tourism model and comparable shark, sea turtle, and tropical marine exhibits.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: Renowned U.S. aquarium with strong conservation, education, and exhibit programs that share a similar mission and operational model with Key West Aquarium's marine life and conservation focus.
• Florida Aquarium: Largest aquarium in Florida located in Tampa, offering similar marine exhibits, touch tanks, sea turtle conservation programs, and admission-based tourism experiences directly comparable to Key West Aquarium.
• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Mid-sized regional aquarium featuring Gulf of Mexico marine life, touch tanks, and sea turtle exhibits; operates with similar admission-based tourism model and conservation programming as Key West Aquarium.

Regional players

• Dolphin Research Center: Grassy Key, Florida-based marine education and dolphin encounter facility in the Florida Keys that competes for the same Key West visitor market with similar marine life education experiences.
• Theater of the Sea: Long-running marine mammal and fish attraction in Islamorada in the Florida Keys, competing for the same tourist demographic visiting Key West with similar touch tank and marine encounter experiences.

Broad incumbents

• SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium: Florida-based aquarium within the Merlin Entertainments portfolio, operating with the same admission-based model, interactive exhibits, and 360-degree ocean tunnel design common to mid-market aquariums.
• Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach: Part of the Ripley Entertainment portfolio of tourist attractions; offers similar touch tanks, shark tunnels, and admission-based aquarium experiences at a comparable mid-sized tourist destination.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLFc4llTf6-dwQWzkdBI_z_m9pXMT4j0Xm
• Facebookfacebook.com/keywestaquarium
• Instagraminstagram.com/keywestaquarium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/key-west-aquarium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Key West Aquarium