Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage in Key West, FL

The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum in Key West, Florida is run by the Mel Fisher Heritage Society. It has four ships from roughly 1560 to 1700.

The museum and heritage society are named after the man who founded both, Mel Fisher. Mel Fisher was born in 1922 in Hobart, Indiana. He had a love for diving and the water at an early age.

Mel studied engineering at Alabama University, then joined the army during WWII. In 1950 he moved to California and started a chicken ranch. He married Deo, a record-holding diver who was also one of the first females to take on diving as a career.

Mel and Deo opened an aqua shop, but eventually chose to move to Florida to hunt for treasure full time. In 1985 he discovered 1,041 silver bars and boxes of coins 3,000 to a box. More treasures at the same location followed. Estimated value of everything Mel discovered ranged from $200 million to $400 million.

Mel Fisher started a museum to display his finds since he believed what he found was too valuable not to share with the public. Mel Fisher passed away in 1998.

Today approximately 200,000 people visit the museum every year.

Exhibitions the museum has include Henrietta Marie, Plata Del Mar: Silver of the Sea, Columbus Code, 1622 Fleet, The Last Slave Ships, Traveling Exhibitions.

The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum and Society offers various educational opportunities, especially for children. The MER Academy is popular and features two weeks of hands-on exploration of underwater archeology and learning about real pirates.