Outside of his family, his crew, his close friends and a handful of investors, no one believed he would find it. Mel Fisher was a legendary Florida treasure hunter. From July 12–14, Key West will celebrate the life of a man who fully adopted the old adage, “Finders keepers.” A man who fought before the Supreme Court to defend his right to keeping what he found and who pursued his dreams relentlessly — seemingly foolishly — because he was sure that they would come true if he simply kept at it. The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is located at 200 Greene Street, Key West, Florida. Price $15.95. This year’s lucky recipients, Wesley House Family Services, are a charity that Shawn Cowles, one of the original creators of Mel Fisher Days, feels strongly that Mel himself would have been proud to support. In 1985, Fisher’s persistence paid off. The event is free and open to the public and will also feature live music, food, drinks and contests (including the aforementioned Lucky Cupcake Contest — those possessing teeth prone to chipping: you’ve been warned). Mel Fisher Maritime Museum store in Key West has unique books and gifts related to all things nautical. A true folk legend right in Key West where it all happened! QUIT YOUR JOB AND MOVE TO KEY WEST… You will find gold doubloons, pieces of eight, museum quality re-creations, fine jewelry, and nautical gifts. $25,000 reward! Donations made to the Mel Fisher Museum are tax … Today, the celebration offers a wider range of events, including tours of the company’s treasure boats and private conservation laboratory, live music, raffles, a silent auction worth tens of thousands of dollars and the chance to bite into a cupcake laced with an authentic Atocha piece of eight. Mel Fisher's Treasures. Sean Fisher was 7 years old when his grandfather, Mel Fisher, discovered the legendary shipwreck of the 17th-century Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha in Key West waters. By continuing to browse or by clicking 'Accept', you agree to our sites privacy policy. Everyday he insisted, "Today's the Day"! The gift shop showcases and sells recreated and authentic shipwreck treasures. Fisher was treated for lymphoma with months of chemotherapy, and died at his home in Key West, said Dr. Madeleine Burnside, executive director of the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society … Treasure hunters admiring their loot. Key West Lost Treasure GalleonTravel Channel, READY TO START Mel Fisher Days has grown tremendously since its 1998 conception, during which Mel was alive and the festival was able to honor him in person. On July 20th, 1985 Mel Fisher discovered a bounty that added him to the history books only a short way off the coast of Key West. 613 Duval Street Key West, FL 305-295-9555. Seriously, it is worth every minute of your time. Especially those that capture the essence of life in Key West. We especially enjoyed the Cuban exhibit (limited … The attraction is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. The Key West Express docks just blocks from the current museum where you can see and learn about Mel Fisher and his legacy on the island or step across the street to the Shipwreck Museum to learn even more about Key West's rich maritime history. Mel Fisher's Treasures © All Rights Reserved. On this evening walking tour, brave a visit to some of the city’s spookiest spots, uncover the eerie legends of Robert … July 12, 2018. “Pieces of eight” from the wreckage of the Atocha. 200 Greene Street Key West, FL CLOSED. Mel Fisher Treasure Museum. Visitors were encouraged to touch and feel the 74.85-ounce bar that had been on display at the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum in Key West for more than 20 years. Discover the past like a true “Conch”. The family became a kind of Swiss Family Robinson of the treasure salvaging business, spending 16 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars on their crusade to excavate the Atocha’s payload. Use our Key West trip itinerary tool to visit Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum on your trip to Key West, and learn what else travelers and our writers recommend seeing nearby. Maybe you will find one of these green beauties. The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a 501 (c) (3) accredited, not-for-profit organization existing to research, interpret, and exhibit the maritime history of Florida and the Caribbean in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, and stimulate inquiry. But of equal importance is the endless support and unwavering faith of his crew, his family, and his friends, which enabled Fisher to achieve his dreams, making the Atocha team just as impressive and legendary a model for humanity as the man behind the find himself. The crew would find the Atocha and become rich beyond imagination, and his childhood dreams informed by late nights reading Treasure Island in rural Indiana would finally become reality. Price $15.95. Mr. Fisher is perhaps the … The museum is very informative and educational. Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum Address: 200 Greene St, Key West, FL 33040, United States Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum Contact Number: +1-3052942633 Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum Timing: 08:30 am - 05:00 pm These treasure Galleons were part of a Spanish fleet that sank during a hurricane in 1622, off the coast of Key West. He was 76. Every day, an opportunity for adventure and success. The amazing Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is the only place where you can touch the opulent treasure carried by the galleons. A museum may not be the top of your list of things to do in Key West, but I would definitely recommend you take the time to visit the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and make sure you take the laboratory/behind the scenes tour. Hotels near Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum, Key West on Tripadvisor: Find 54,198 traveller reviews, 50,008 candid photos, and prices for 30 hotels near Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum in Key West… Own a piece of history, today's the day! It is the memory of Mr. Fisher, historic treasure hunter, famed dreamer, and one of Key West’s most beloved characters, that the Mel Fisher Days Festival seeks to celebrate. And perhaps that’s what Mel Fisher Days is really about, at its core: that today’s the day, for all of us — we just have to choose to live it that way. 1322 US Highway 1 … A man who shared the incredible bounty of his life with family, friends and strangers and who dreamt of finding buried treasure more than he dreamt of a desk job — and then had the courage to follow that dream, even when things seemed hopeless. Book your tickets online for Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum, Key West: See 1,837 reviews, articles, and 464 photos of Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum, ranked No.27 on Tripadvisor among 146 attractions in Key West. During his lifetime, Fisher had, of course, leaned heavily on the support of his immediate family, his wife and children working tirelessly alongside him, sometimes with heartbreaking results. YOUR ADVENTURE! Admission is free and it operates during … It made every day he woke up important, hope-filled, exceptional. Mel Fisher Treasure Museum. Mel Fisher, a former chicken farmer who became a Horatio Alger figure among undersea treasure hunters, died on Saturday at his home in Key West, Fla. Our first two projects are continuing our search and recovery of the remaining treasure from the Atocha and Santa Margarita. OPEN Mon - Wed 10am-8pm Thur - Sat 10am-9pm Sun 10am-6pm. The museum also reveals the story of the victims of the slave trade with a focus on the Key West … In an age of deletable-tweets and five-second attention spans, of lightning-fast information and anonymous internet bullies, this kind of unwavering faith in one’s ability to achieve his or her dreams and to invest the time and effort necessary to do so is practically unheard of. Mel Fisher's Expeditions is currently working on four (4) major salvage projects. Mel Fisher Maritime Museum store in Key West has unique books and gifts related to all things nautical and historic. The Schooner Wharf Bar Dock Party will also feature the now-famous silent auction, with prizes ranging from authentic treasure to luxurious vacations. Mel Fisher is a Trademark by Crystals, Inc., the address on file for this trademark is 200 Greene Street, Key West, FL 33040 He was famously, relentlessly determined, starting each day by telling his crew, “Today’s the day!” It became a credo; they even printed it on T-shirts. If our assumptions and hard data are correct, we are on the verge of discovering a third Spanish treasure Galleon that sank in the same hurricane as the Atocha and Margarita in 1622. Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum also operates the Key West Turtle Museum, where you can learn about Key West… Mel Fisher was the treasure hunter made famous for his 16-year search for the Spanish galleon Atocha shipwreck. Located on the northwest coast of the island, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a short distance from almost all locations in Key West. on The charity, which provides services to needy children and families throughout the Keys including foster and adoptive care, intervention services, life skills training and more, exists to protect and provide for the many needy families who utilize its services. For over 5,000 days, Fisher believed that today was the day he would finally achieve his dream. It is the memory of Mel Fisher — historic treasure hunter, famed dreamer and one of Key West’s most beloved characters — that the annual Mel Fisher Days Festival seeks to celebrate. Annual Dock Party at Schooner Wharf Bar, with tours of salvaging vessels, raffle, silent and live auctions and live entertainment. We especially enjoyed the Cuban exhibit (limited … The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum allows you to explore artifacts from some of the most famous ships that … The Key West … Mel Fisher's Nautical Gift Shop Come to the source for authentic shipwreck treasure and one-of-a-kind treasure jewelry creations. The familiar tale off the rogue explorer always searching – for an historical relic or a treasure ae buried deep in some remote location inspires children of all ages (and some adults) to draw their own treasure maps and lead their own expeditions to where X marks the spot. Sebastian, Florida Museum & Treasure Store. Exploring the depths of the Mel Fisher Museum in Key West, FL Joe Dorsey on February 17, 2014 - 4:30 pm in Attractions , Places to visit In season one, we got a look at one the most visited museums in the Florida Keys, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum . See the amazing treasure in the Spanish Treasure Galleons galleries discovered by Mel Fisher and his crew, plus so much more! We spent time reading and viewing the exhibits about Mel Fisher's journey. Mel Fisher was a dreamer, a visionary, a legend and most importantly, the World's Greatest Treasure Hunter. Every day, the support of his family — both genetic and otherwise — was enough to keep him from throwing in the salt water-soaked towel and giving up. … KEY WEST 101: DISCOVERING PARADISE. The motherlode was found! Mel Fisher, who died in 1998, became a celebrity after his crew’s 1985 discovery of a 1622 Spanish galleon shipwreck about 35 miles off Key West. Use our Key West trip itinerary tool to visit Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum on your trip to Key West, and learn what … Here are the events that we’re looking forward to during the 2017 Mel Fisher Days, happening July 13-15, in Key West. Beginning on Thursday, July 12, and also occurring on Friday, July 13, a limited number of ticket holders will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the private conservation laboratory of the Fisher family, receiving an intimate look at some of today’s most sophisticated archeological conservation technology (and the millions of dollars’ worth of treasure that it was built to protect). The museum is very informative and educational. and historic. Our first two projects are continuing our search and recovery of the remaining treasure from the Atocha and Santa Margarita. We have amazing treasure in our 1622 Fleet exhibit of the Spanish galleons discovered by Mel Fisher … Click here for Mel’s response any why it still holds true today! That new technology includes a newly-developed HAUV (that’s a Hybrid Autonomous Underwater Vehicle to you landlubbers), a custom-built research vehicle capable of reaching depths of up to 1,000 meters. Also on display at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is an exhibit of the last 3 slave ships brought to Key West Florida in 1860. Come discover a museum rich in history! Andy of the J. A closer look at the emerald found by Megan McDowell. Mel Fisher’s storied treasure salvage vessel J.B. Magruder.. At right is Capt. Also included are the shipwrecks and artifacts of The Santa Clara, a Conquistador-era galleon (1564), The Guerrero & Nimble. ¦, Your email address will not be published. Proceeds from these events are to benefit Wesley House Family Services, Inc. Click here to learn more about our Sebastian location. Our third project is a deep water shipwreck, code named "Lost Merchant". His mantra continues to inspire the search for the rest of the treasure from the … Our first two projects are continuing our search and recovery of the remaining treasure from the Atocha and Santa Margarita. It enabled him to get up each day with the same determination and focus as the day prior. He was 76. Address: 200 Greene Street, Key West … Click here for directions The Key West Express docks just blocks from the current museum where you can see and learn about Mel Fisher and his legacy on the island or step across the street to the Shipwreck Museum to learn even more about Key West… Relive Mel Fisher's battles with the government to retain the artifacts they found - all the way to the US Supreme Court. Also in the building, which houses and displays to the public millions in recovered Spanish treasures, are the offices and conservation laboratories of the men and women who continue to carry out Mel Fisher's legacy. But in Key West, treasure huntings is not just relegated to the realm of farfetched lore and historical non-fiction. Mel Fisher did what many have not - he realized his dream during his lifetime. During our visit to Key West, we visited the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum and had a nice time. It’s the idea that a person could wake up each day, for an incomprehensible number of days in a row, and tell himself and his crew that today was the day, and that he could believe it just as strongly one morning as the next. Mel Fisher Museum The Key West Turtle Museum is operated by the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, a fully accredited nonprofit museum and research facility. Did you know that the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is the only fully accredited museum in the Florida Keys? His son, Kim Fisher, continues his father’s work to this day, searching the ocean surrounding the Keys for the still-undiscovered sections of the Atocha and other valuable wrecks. While the company still actively raises funds to finance its current treasure hunting missions, it was decided early on that 100 percent of the festival’s proceeds would go to a Key West charity. Today’s the day we find the Atocha! Move over, Mars Rover, there’s a new bot in town. Mel Fisher Days in Key West! The cause was … Come commemorate the anniversary of Mel Fisher’s famous 16-year search for the Spanish galleon Atocha and the discovery of the Atocha Mother Load . KEY WEST BUCKET LIST. Price $15.95. The Fishers lost a son and daughter-in-law to the search and faced an endless barrage of doubt and ridicule over Mel’s refusal to give up hope of finding the ship. The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Online Store. Discover Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society and Museum in Key West, Florida: The museum chronicling a treasure hunter's dream, fulfilled. Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum website 772-589-9875. Jan 3, 2021 - We are a fully accredited museum in the Florida Keys. Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum, Key West: Address, Phone Number, Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum Reviews: 4.5/5 CALL NOW TO START YOUR ADVENTURE! Relive the life of one of history’s most famous treasure hunters along with a wealth of exhibits on shipwreck archaeology with this admission to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. “Mel, you found the Atocha “Motherload” in 1985, why are you still out there searching? Key West has a reputation for being one of the most haunted cities in the United States. Today’s the day! When it comes to the company’s current efforts to uncover buried treasure, Mel Fisher’s Treasures is constantly investing in and developing new cutting-edge technology to aid in its search. The yield included 47 tons of silver … The gift shop showcases and sells recreated and authentic shipwreck treasures. In the late 1980s, Fisher purchased a former Key West Naval Station to house the Mel Fisher … A Spanish Galleon called the Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank during a hurricane in the year 1622, carrying a myriad of coins, bronze cannons, jewelry, indigo, silver, and gold. Especially those that capture the essence of life in Key West… The Museum showcases artifacts from Spanish galleons sunk off the Florida coast almost 500 years ago! Not a diver? Mel Fisher's Treasures. It is the memory of Mr. Fisher, historic treasure hunter, famed dreamer, and one of Key West’s most beloved characters, that the Mel Fisher Days Festival seeks to celebrate. Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum website 772-589-9875. Given its position in the middle of the ocean and it’s often sordid past full of mutiny and bloody hard-fought battles, Key West has always been associated – with the piratical tradition. New Images of suspects! Each year, Mel Fisher and crew celebrate that famous discovery during the annual Mel Fisher Days, a three-day event in Key West benefiting the charity Wesley House Family Services, which helps families throughout the Florida Keys. HAUNTED KEY WEST/ STRANGE KEY WEST. In today’s information-driven, instant gratification age, the thought that anyone could spend 16 minutes, let alone 16 years, in pursuit of a singular objective is impressive beyond comprehension, but the Fishers weren’t just any average thrill-seeking family. Price $14.95. A gold bar was stolen from the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida, on August 18, 2010. ... KEY WEST KEY LIME PIE COOKBOOK by David L. Sloan. The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a 501 (c) (3) accredited, not-for-profit organization existing to research, interpret, and exhibit the maritime history of Florida and the Caribbean in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, and stimulate inquiry. Ask how you can join in on the fun, romance and adventure of finding the next motherlode! DMCA NoticesNewspaper web site content management software and services, If you have any problems, questions, or comments regarding www.FloridaWeekly.com, please contact our, Celebrate Key West’s legendary treasure hunter. 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