The President Who Came for a Week in November: Harry Truman’s Key West

A House Built for the Navy

The building was older than its fame. It went up in 1890 as the first officers’ quarters on the Key West naval station, a duplex with Quarters A for the base commandant and Quarters B for the paymaster. In 1911 it was converted to a single-family home. During World War I it housed a guest the Navy had asked for help — Thomas Edison, who spent months on the station working on underwater weapons for the war effort.

By the time Truman arrived, it was a comfortable, breezy, unremarkable white house with deep porches and louvered windows, built the way island houses were built before air conditioning: to catch the wind and keep out the sun. That plainness turned out to be the point. Truman wanted a place to work without the formality of Washington, and the Navy gave him one.

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The Key West Uniform

The President settled into a routine almost immediately. A brisk walk around 7 a.m. Paperwork on the porch. An afternoon swim at a small beach the Navy built for him, long since dredged away. Poker at 4 p.m., and often again after dinner until midnight.

Then there were the shirts. By November 1948, reporters covering the trips were describing the President’s tropical shirts as much too loud. Truman’s party had a name for them: the Key West uniform. Staff, aides and the occasional visiting dignitary were expected to dress the part, and the photographs of a sitting president in a bright printed shirt did more to sell Key West as a winter escape than any brochure of the era.

He kept coming back. Between November 1946 and March 1952, Truman made 11 visits and spent 175 days of his presidency here. He and Bess spent Thanksgiving of 1951 on the island. In one of the island’s favorite stories, he wrote home to Bess that he had half a mind to move the capital down here and simply stay.

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Presidents, Prime Ministers and Peace Talks

The house did not go quiet when Truman left office. Dwight Eisenhower spent part of the winter of 1955–56 here, recovering from his heart attack. In March 1961, John F. Kennedy met British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan for a one-day summit. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter brought their family for a reunion in 1996, and in April 2001 Secretary of State Colin Powell hosted international peace talks in its rooms.

Since 1991 the Little White House has been a museum, and it bills itself as Florida’s only presidential museum. The rooms are kept as they were in the Truman years, and yes, the poker table is still there.

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From Naval Station to Neighborhood

For most of its history, the land around the house was off limits. The naval station was largely decommissioned in 1974, and in 1986 developer Pritam Singh bought 43 acres of it. A year later, on March 31, 1987, the Presidential Gates at Whitehead and Caroline streets — built in 1906 and, as local lore has it, once opened only for presidents — swung open to the public.

What grew up behind them is Truman Annex: quiet, gated, landscaped streets of homes with wide porches and brick walks, a few minutes on foot from the busiest blocks of Old Town and somehow nothing like them. Mornings there sound like birds and bicycles, and the Little White House is still at the center of it.

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Visiting the Little White House

•             Location: 111 Front St., inside Truman Annex.

•             Tours: guided tours only, about 45 to 50 minutes. Check current hours and admission at trumanlittlewhitehouse.org before you go.

•             Best timing: the first tour of the morning, before the cruise-ship crowd and while the grounds are still cool.

•             Look for: the poker table, the presidential desk and the gardens outside.

Harry S. Truman Little White House

Featured Stays: Your Own Winter Address

Truman never needed a resort. He needed a porch, a walk to the water and a door he could close. Two of our historic homes offer the same thing, and both are available to book now.

Seas The Day (2 Bedrooms | 1 Bath | Sleeps 4): This updated first floor condo located in the Shipyard section of the Truman Annex is yours to call home while enjoying sunny Key West. Suitably named, Seas the Day is walkable to the beach, breathtaking sunsets, and entertainment on Mallory Square. Ideal for: Couples or a small family

Cloud 9 (3 Bedrooms | 3 Baths | Sleeps 7): Only 1/2 block from the excitement of Duval Street and yet oh so tranquil! You will feel like you are floating in the clouds in this secluded 3B/3BA treasure of a home with parking, a pool, and lush courtyard. Ideal for: Families or a group of friends

Both homes are managed by Historic Key West Vacation Rentals. Book direct and save — our team knows these houses, and this island, better than any listing site does.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When did Harry Truman first visit Key West? Truman first arrived on Nov. 17, 1946, on his doctor’s advice to rest after a difficult midterm election. He stayed through Nov. 23 and returned 10 more times as president.

How much time did Truman spend at the Little White House? Between November 1946 and March 1952, Truman made 11 visits and spent a total of 175 days of his presidency in Key West. He returned several more times after leaving office.

Can you tour the Little White House? Yes. The museum at 111 Front St. offers guided tours that last about 45 to 50 minutes. Hours and admission change seasonally, so check trumanlittlewhitehouse.org before visiting.

What is Truman Annex? Truman Annex is a residential neighborhood built on the former Key West naval station, next to Old Town. It opened to the public in 1987 and is known for its quiet, landscaped streets, its historic buildings and its easy walk to Mallory Square.

Where should I stay near the Little White House? Truman Annex and the surrounding blocks of Old Town put the museum within a short walk. Historic Key West Vacation Rentals manages historic homes in Truman Annex, Old Town and the Historic Seaport — book direct and save.

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Come for a Week. You May Stay the Winter.

Truman came for six days and kept coming back for six years. Browse the largest selection of historic vacation homes across Old Town, Truman Annex and the Historic Seaport at Historic Key West Vacation Rentals — locally owned and locally managed, and ready to help you plan a week or a whole month. Book direct and save, and call us before your favorite home is gone.

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