Hard Rock Cafe Key West

Built in 1888 for Robert Curry, son of Florida's first millionaire. It spent years as an Elk's Lodge before becoming a restaurant.

The Hard Rock Cafe Key West occupies the mansion William Curry--Florida's first millionaire--built as a gift for his son Robert. Robert's life seemed cursed from the beginning with chronic illness, and unlike his father, he could not maintain the family fortune. After losing everything and failing to uphold his father's legacy, Robert fell into deep depression and took his own life in the second-story bathroom.

Guests and employees have encountered what's widely believed to be Robert Curry's ghost ever since. A dark-haired man is often seen wandering through the home, with footsteps heard from empty rooms after he disappears. Over the years, the building has housed various businesses and organizations, with members from each witnessing spectral activity.

The mansion's location on famous Duval Street means thousands of visitors pass through, many unaware they're dining where a tragic death occurred. Staff have learned to coexist with Robert's spirit, though some refuse to work alone in certain areas of the building. The original mansion architecture remains intact, preserving both the elegance of Florida's Gilded Age and the melancholy presence of a man who could never escape his father's shadow.