U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham Maritime Museum, Key West (must see)

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham Maritime Museum is found aboard a 327-foot-long vessel that was used by the Coast Guard for over 50 years.

The Ingham was commissioned in 1936 and served in both World War II and the Vietnam War. During its long service, the boat was involved in a number of significant events in US maritime history including allied convoys between 1941 and 1943, during which it engaged and sank the enemy submarine U-626, as well as rescue missions such as the rescue of survivors from the USS McCawley, which had been torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1943.

One of only two preserved Treasury-class U.S. Coast Guard Cutters and the fourth ever to be named for Treasury Secretary Samuel D. Ingham, this was the most decorated vessel in the Coast Guard fleet and the only cutter to ever be awarded two Presidential Unit Citations. The Commandant of the Coast Guard declared USCGC Ingham the National Memorial to the Coast Guardsmen killed in action in WWII and Vietnam, who are identified on a memorial plaque on the quarterdeck.

After her decommissioning in 1988, the Ingham was eventually donated to the Key West Maritime Historical Society and turned into a museum. Today, visitors to the museum can explore the ship's decks, engine room, crew quarters, and other areas, as well as several exhibits on its history and the role of the Coast Guard in protecting America's waterways.

Apart from that, Ingham is probably the best location in Key West to watch the sunset away from the crowds. On Fridays and Saturdays, they set up the bow and west-facing deck with tables, chairs, and a cash bar. Otherwise, the self-guided tour is awesomely informative, covering the cutter's service from the 1930s to the 1980s and is, as such, a must for history and military buffs.