The Underwater Gardener is Key West’s only dedicated saltwater aquarium store — a working coral shop where you can see hundreds of aquacultured corals alive, in water, under reef lighting. Whether you’re a local reefer, driving down the Overseas Highway, or visiting Key West on vacation, the showroom is worth the stop. And yes — if you fall in love with a coral on vacation, we’ll pack it and ship it to your door by UPS Next Day Air on a Tuesday or Wednesday ship date chosen so you are home to receive it.
Bring the Kids. Meet the Reef.
You do not need to own an aquarium to enjoy walking in. Some of our favorite visitors are families who came in off US 1 with no intention of buying anything and left with a kid who would not stop talking about the clownfish. The lights are on, the corals are open, and nobody is going to rush you.
We are a working coral farm, not an aquarium exhibit. There is no ticket booth and no gift shop at the end. What there is: hundreds of living corals under reef lighting, reef fish and invertebrates collected here in the Keys, and someone behind the counter who is happy to explain what a pistol shrimp does. It costs nothing, and it is one of the few stops down here that is entirely indoors when the weather turns.
We are five minutes from Duval Street and ten from the airport, so it fits between everything else you have planned.
Where to Find Us
We’re in the Overseas Market Plaza at 2816 N Roosevelt Blvd, Suite 1, Key West, FL 33040 — directly next to Five Guys on US 1, about five minutes from Duval Street and ten minutes from Key West International Airport. Parking is available right at the plaza.
Shop Hours
Mon & Fri: 10:30am – 6:30pm
Sat: 11am – 6pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm
Tue – Thu: Closed to the Public — Fish Collecting & Aquarium Maintenance
Visiting on a closed day? Tuesday through Thursday we’re out collecting fish and running aquarium maintenance, so the shop is not open to the public — plan the visit for Monday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you need aquarium service, a custom aquarium installation or a consultation, call (305) 850-9949 or email jamie@theunderwatergardener.com and we’ll get you on the schedule.
What You’ll See in the Shop
- Display reef tanks — fully established reef aquariums showing coral the way it’s meant to be seen
- Frag tanks stocked with Florida-aquacultured SPS, LPS, soft corals, and zoanthids (Florida Aquaculture Certificate #AQ0254072)
- Local Florida Keys species — Ricordea florida, Rock Flower Anemones, gorgonians, and native fish and inverts collected under our Saltwater Products License with Marine Life endorsements
- Marine fish, inverts, live rock, live sand, and R/O water
- Water testing — salinity, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Bring in a sample and we’ll run it with you and talk through what the numbers actually mean for your tank. Paid bench service — ask us for current pricing.
- Premium equipment — authorized Red Sea dealer, plus Waterbox, Hydros, and more
Visiting Key West? Take the Reef Home
A huge share of our visitors are tourists who never expected to buy coral on vacation. Here’s how it works: pick out your coral in person, and we’ll hold it, pack it professionally, and ship it UPS Next Day Air to your home with our live arrival guarantee. We coordinate the Tuesday or Wednesday ship date with your travel so you are home to receive your coral. We also run monthly reef-keeping classes and can arrange private reef collection charters with a licensed captain for serious hobbyists.
Planning a Visit: The Short Version
- Free to walk in. No ticket, no admission, no gift shop at the exit.
- No rush. Most people just look, longer if you start asking questions.
- Entirely indoors and air conditioned — one of the few things down here that still works in the rain.
- Good with kids. Living coral, reef fish, shrimp and anemones at eye level.
- Open Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday through Thursday we are out collecting.
- Parking at the plaza, five minutes from Duval Street, ten from the airport.
Questions Visitors Ask
Is it free to come in? Yes. You can walk in, look at everything and leave without buying a thing. Plenty of people do.
How long does a visit take? As long as you like. An hour if you are a reefer and we get talking.
Is this the Key West Aquarium? No. The Key West Aquarium is the attraction on Whitehead Street. We are a working coral farm and saltwater store in the Overseas Market plaza, next to Five Guys, five minutes away. Different place, no ticket.
Is it worth bringing kids? Most of them end up at the frag tanks with their nose on the glass. There is nothing to break at their height and nobody is going to rush you out.
Can I buy a coral and fly home with it? Yes. You can take it home on the plane, or pick it out here and we will ship it UPS Next Day Air on a Tuesday or Wednesday when you are home, covered by our live arrival guarantee.
Do I need a reef tank to visit? No. Come in because it is raining, because the kids are bored, or because you have never seen a coral that was grown rather than taken.
What if I come on a closed day? Tuesday through Thursday the doors are locked while we collect and run service calls. Call (305) 850-9949 before you drive over — if we are on the island and not on the water, we will do what we can.
Questions before you come by? Contact us — or just show up. We love talking coral.
Visiting on vacation and keeping a reef at home? Pick the coral here and we will ship it to your door on our next livestock day. How that works.
More About Reefing in the Florida Keys
Planning a visit, or keeping a reef at home and wondering what we do down here? These pages go deeper.