Does Cuba Own the Hemingway House in Key West?

On a recent trip to Key West, we heard an interesting rumor: that the Hemingway House in Key West is owned by the country of Cuba. The evidence given in support of this rumor was somewhat intriguing: the property only accepts cash for tickets because Cuba can't legally have a U.S. bank account.

It was a rumor that added a splash of intrigue to the already legendary house - but is it true? We thought we would look into it and see what we could find out.

A Court Record

In 2006, the Hemingway House somewhat famously became embroiled in a lawsuit about the polydactyl cats who call the place home (a quick internet search will give you more information on that case). The lawsuit clarified that the property is privately owned by individuals, and not the Cuban government.

And, while it's true that Cuban nationals can own property in the U.S. (there’s no blanket prohibition against it), there’s no evidence in the lawsuit that the individuals are Cuban nationals, let alone the country of Cuba.

But What About the Bank Account Rumor?

The cash-only policy of the museum has long fueled speculation that it's connected to Cuba’s banking restrictions. But this isn’t exactly airtight. In 2015, Cuba actually did open a U.S. bank account with Stonegate Bank in Florida. CNN and The Guardian both reported on it at the time, marking it as a symbolic thaw in U.S.-Cuba financial relations.

So while U.S. sanctions have historically made it difficult for Cuban entities to interact with American banks, it hasn’t been outright impossible—and doesn’t appear to be the reason the Hemingway House operates on a cash-only basis.

At an even more basic level, while the Hemingway House long operated as a cash only business, that policy has now changed - they do accept credit cards for admission. So, even the basis for this rumor is no longer true.

Final Word

Despite what the island gossip mill/coconut telegraph may say, there’s no evidence that the Cuban government owns Hemingway’s house in Key West. It’s a privately held property, operating as a museum with its own quirks—including its famously felines.

Still, we’re always open to hearing new information. If you’ve got insight or documentation that tells a different story, we’d love to know.

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Want more fun information about Key West? Buy a copy of 101 Travel Bits: Key West to learn more!