Turtle Cannery Museum in Key West, Florida

Turtle Cannery Museum in Key West, Florida

Located in the bustling Key West Historic Seaport, this small museum tells the story of the city’s once-thriving turtle industry, from corralling and slaughtering to the canning of sea turtle meat. The kraals, or holding pens, were built along the waterfront to keep live turtles before processing. The meat was canned and sold to cooks, who used it primarily for turtle soup, while the shells were crafted into goods like eyeglass frames, combs, an…