FORT EAST MARTELLO • KEY WEST, FLORIDA
Robert The Doll
After Dark
Meet Key West’s legendary Robert the Doll after the museum closes,
with exclusive after-hours access to the historic Fort East Martello Museum.
Choose Your Night
Check available dates and book Robert the Doll After Dark directly.
Choose Your
Robert Experience
Choose the Essential Experience or go VIP to stay longer, explore, and investigate.
VIP Paranormal Investigation
Most Immersive • 2 Hours
30-minute ghost tour of historic Fort East Martello
30-minute seated encounter with Robert the Doll
Robert’s history, legends & documented stories
60-minute independent paranormal investigation
Paranormal equipment provided
Explore the fort at your own pace
Return daytime museum admission included
Free on-site parking
$99 regular
From $79 direct
Robert The Doll
After Dark
The Essential Experience • 60 Minutes
30-minute ghost tour of historic Fort East Martello
30-minute seated encounter with Robert the Doll
Robert’s history, legends & documented stories
Return daytime museum admission included
Free on-site parking
$45 regular
From $39 direct
What Happens
After Dark?
When Fort East Martello closes to the public, your experience is just beginning.
EXPLORE THE FORT
Start with a 30-minute guided ghost tour through historic Fort East Martello, exploring its stories, strange locations, and reported paranormal activity.
MEET ROBERT
Then settle in for a 30-minute seated encounter with Robert the Doll, diving into his history, legends, documented accounts, and the mystery that has surrounded him for generations.
VIP: INVESTIGATE
VIP guests stay for an additional hour to investigate independently, without a guide. Paranormal equipment and flashlights are provided, and you’re free to explore the dimly lit fort at your own pace.
Before you leave, visit the Fort East Martello gift shop for Robert the Doll souvenirs and museum merchandise. Purchases help support the Key West Art & Historical Society.
Stories May Include
ELENA HOYOS’ EXPLODED TOMBSTONE
See the damaged grave marker tied to one of Key West’s strangest true stories.
THE GHOST CAT
Guests have reported seeing a cat apparition inside the fort, including a mysterious image captured in this passageway.
THE YELLOW FEVER TUNNEL
Brave one of Fort East Martello’s eeriest passageways and hear the stories connected to it.
VIP EXCLUSIVE: THE CITADEL
VIP guests may explore the fort’s massive inner stronghold, once said to have been used as a makeshift hospital and linked to some of the fort’s strangest activity.
Tools of the Investigation
VIP guests are equipped for an independent paranormal investigation inside Fort East Martello.
VIP guests have access to thousands of dollars' worth of paranormal investigation equipment for hands-on experimentation inside Fort East Martello.
Our collection includes spirit boxes, Estes Method gear, thermal cameras, dowsing rods, pendulums, trigger objects, paranormal challenge boxes, REM pods, ghost bells, phantom hands, marble drops, and more, with new equipment added regularly.
Before your independent investigation begins, your guide will show you how to use the equipment and help you get started. After that, the fort is yours to explore. What happens after that is up to the spirits.
What Guests Have Reported
Nothing is staged, and paranormal activity is never guaranteed. But over the years, guests and investigators have reported some remarkable experiences inside Fort East Martello.
During VIP investigations, guests have reported spirit voices, unexplained footsteps, cold spots, shadow figures, dowsing rod movement, REM pod responses, and even cat apparitions.
One of America’s Most Haunted Destinations
Fort East Martello has stood watch over Key West since the Civil War era. Today, the historic fort is associated with more than 42 documented spirits and has earned national recognition as one of Florida’s most famously haunted places.
Robert the Doll After Dark gives you rare access to the museum after closing, when the daytime visitors are gone and the fort takes on an entirely different atmosphere.
A real historic fort. A real museum. No actors. No haunted-house effects.
• Recognized by USA TODAY 10Best
• Named “The Creepiest Place in Florida”
• Exclusive after-hours museum access
• Free on-site parking
Investigated by some of the biggest names in the paranormal world, including Amy Bruni of Kindred Spirits, Dustin Pari of Ghost Hunters, Sam & Colby, Aaron Sagers of Paranormal Caught on Camera, Ghost Files, Project Fear, and Jack and Ozzy Osbourne.
Meet Robert the Doll
The World’s Most Famous Haunted Doll
Robert began as the childhood companion of Key West artist Robert Eugene “Gene” Otto. Stories of strange behavior surrounded the doll for decades, eventually becoming part of Key West folklore.
After Gene’s death, Robert remained with the next owner of the Otto home. In 1994, Myrtle Reuter donated him to the Key West Art & Historical Society, and Robert has lived at Fort East Martello ever since.
Since going on display, visitors have reported unexplained experiences around Robert, including malfunctioning cameras and electronic devices.
The museum continues to receive apology letters from people around the world who believe they offended him and then suffered bad luck. Believer or skeptic, Robert has a way of leaving an impression.
Based on authentic guest feedback across Google, TripAdvisor, and independent investigations.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
The Essential Experience is approximately 60 minutes and includes an after-hours ghost tour of Fort East Martello followed by a seated paranormal experience with Robert the Doll.
VIP includes everything in the Essential Experience, plus an additional hour to investigate the fort after the other guests have left. You’ll have access to additional areas and more time to conduct your own paranormal investigation.
-
The experience is exactly the same. Best Value tickets offer our lowest direct-booking price and are non-refundable, but you can reschedule at least 24 hours in advance. Flexible tickets cost a little more and may be canceled for a full refund with at least 24 hours’ notice.
-
No. Fort East Martello is a real historic museum, and Robert the Doll After Dark is a genuine after-hours paranormal experience. No actors, staged scares, hidden effects, or manufactured paranormal activity.
What happens during your visit is what actually happens.
-
No, and we wouldn’t trust anyone who told you otherwise. Paranormal activity is unpredictable.
Some guests report extraordinary experiences. Others experience subtle activity, and some nights are quiet. Nothing is ever staged or created to make something happen.
-
It can be, but this is not a traditional haunted attraction. There are no monsters jumping out at you or intentional jump scares.
You will be inside a haunted Civil War-era fort after dark, so the atmosphere itself can be intense. How scary it feels depends largely on you and what happens during your visit.
-
Not at all. First-time investigators are welcome.
We’ll introduce you to the fort, Robert, and some of the methods used during paranormal investigations. VIP guests then have additional time to explore and investigate independently.
-
No. We provide equipment for guests to use during the experience.
Experienced investigators may also bring their own equipment, provided it does not distract from the tour. -
Robert the Doll After Dark is for guests ages 10 and older. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Infants and toddlers are not permitted.
Because this is a real museum after dark, not a children’s haunted attraction, parents should use their judgment when bringing younger guests.
-
The experience takes place throughout Fort East Martello, but this is not a long-distance walking tour. The experience includes periods of walking and standing, as well as seated portions.
Guests who need a chair or have mobility concerns should let us know so we can help make the experience as comfortable as possible.
-
Yes. The primary areas used during Robert the Doll After Dark are accessible, although this is a historic fort, and some routes may differ from those used by other guests.
Guests with specific mobility needs are encouraged to contact us before their visit so we can make appropriate arrangements.
-
Robert the Doll After Dark takes place inside Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 S. Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West, near Key West International Airport.
Unlike many Key West attractions, the fort offers free on-site parking.
Transportation to and from the fort is not included.
-
Yes, personal photography is welcome during appropriate portions of the experience.
And no, you don’t have to ask Robert’s permission before taking his photograph. We’ll tell you the real story behind that famous legend when you meet him.
Video recording is only permitted during the VIP investigation, not during the guided tour.
-
Please arrive before your scheduled start time. The guide locks the doors when the experience begins, and no one will be available to let you in.
We don't offer refunds for late arrivals, but we will try to reschedule you for another night if space is available.
-
Standard tickets may be canceled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours’ notice. Discount tickets are non-refundable.
The Ghost Key West
Good Time Guarantee
We want you to leave with a great story to tell.
If something within our control keeps you from having a great experience, let us know within 24 hours of your visit. We’ll listen, take it seriously, and work with you to make it right. That might mean another experience, a credit for your next trip, a refund, or another solution that makes sense.
We can’t guarantee ghosts, UFOs, paranormal activity, or island weather. But we can guarantee authentic history, compelling storytelling, and a team that genuinely cares about your time with us.
That’s the Ghost Key West Good Time Guarantee.
ROBERT THE DOLL AFTER DARK
Ready To Enter The Fort After Dark?
For more than a century, stories have surrounded Robert the Doll. Now you can experience him inside one of America’s most haunted historic locations, after the museum doors close.
Choose the Essential Experience or stay longer with VIP.
Still have questions? Visit our FAQ
Fort East Martello • Key West, Florida • Ages 10+ • Free Parking