Pirate Soul Museum
By Katie Hill
The golden age of piracy may have been hundreds of years ago, but the spirit lives on in Key West, Florida at the Pirate Soul Museum. Along with one of Captain Kidd’s treasure chests, Blackbeard’s blunderbuss, and hundreds of other pirate artifacts, you can find some items from NauticalSupplyShop.com at this $10 million, 5,000 square foot museum which has been described as “Disneyworld meets the Smithsonian”.
The museum, opened in January 2005, was founded by Pat Croce, best selling author and pirate historian, based on his passion for pirate lore along with his authentic collection of pirate artifacts. After teaming up with the museum design firm which was behind the International Spy Museum and Washington D.C.’s famed Holocaust Museum, Croce’s unique vision was set into motion.
Pirate Soul houses a unique collection of authentic pirate artifacts coupled with elements of interactive technology revealing a historic adventure through the golden age of piracy (roughly 1690-1725) and the lives of the most infamous pirates. Guests undertake an awesome pirate journey filled with compelling lore and surprising facts while entertained with interactive exhibits and audio-animatronics.
Museum artifacts include the journal of Captain Kidd’s last voyage, the only authentic pirate treasure chest in America originally belonging to Captain Thomas Tew, Blackbeard’s original blunderbuss, a rare 1696 wanted poster for the dreaded Henry Every, and an assortment of rare pirate gold, cannonballs, weaponry, flags, books, maps, clothing, and original pirate proclamations.
To complete the museum, Croce needed a lot of authentic props to go along with his genuine memorabilia. For that, he turned to NauticalSupplyShop.com. So on your visit to the Pirate Soul Museum be on the lookout for lanterns and lamps. Our Port and Starboard Lanterns, Iron Marine Candle Lantern, Ship's Marine Lantern, Captain's Lantern Centerpiece and Ship's Anchor Lamp can all be found in the museum and are available on our site for use in your home.
The museum, located at 524 Front Street in Key West, is open daily, 9:00am-7:00pm, and costs $12.95 for adults and $6.95 for children 10 and under.
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