First Southernmost Point Buoy Key West Bobble Unveiled

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first bobble of the famous Southernmost Point Buoy, which is located in Key West, Florida, at the intersection of South and Whitehead Streets. The limited-edition bobble is being released in conjunction with National Bobblehead Day, which is celebrated annually on January 7th. We’re celebrating starting today with dozens of new bobblehead releases including this new bobblehead of the iconic buoy. The special edition bobble is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

The colorful bobble features a replica of the concrete buoy on a black rectangular base. Just like the actual iconic landmark, the buoy is inscribed: “The Conch Republic … 90 Miles to Cuba, Southernmost Point Continental U.S.A., Key West, FL … Home of the Sunset.” The bobble is currently available exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbles, which are expected to ship in April, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Regarded as one of the country’s most frequently photographed tourist locations, the anchored concrete buoy in Key West, which is painted to resemble a marine navigational buoy, was dedicated on September 10th, 1983, and recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Standing 18 feet above sea level, it is 12 feet tall and 7 feet wide and is maintained by the Key West Public Works Department. The city of Key West first marked the southernmost point with a modest sign that was stolen many times, which led the city to erect the now-famous concrete buoy 40 years ago that no one could steal. While it has survived many hurricanes, the painting on the buoy was damaged in September 2017 by Hurricane Irma but was later restored by original artist Danny Acosta.

For accuracy purposes, a more southern part of Key West exists and is publicly accessible: the beach area of Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park at approximately 500 feet farther south than the marker. Also, all eight major islands of Hawaii lie entirely to the south of Key West. Further south, land on the Truman Annex property, just west-southwest of the buoy, is the true southernmost point on the island – approximately 900 feet farther south – but it has no marker since it is U.S. Navy property and cannot be entered by civilian tourists. Finally, the true southernmost point in Florida (as well as in the continental U.S.) is 10 miles away at Ballast Key, an island south and west of Key West. The claim on the buoy stating “90 Miles to Cuba” may be a rounded number, since Cuba, at its closest point is 94 miles due south. One book author suggested they meant 90 nautical miles measuring from Key West to Havana.

“We are excited to unveil the first bobble of the Southernmost Point Buoy in Key West,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Photographed countless times by tourists to the Conch Republic, the enormous painted buoy is a must-see when visiting Key West, and we think this bobble will be a must-have for Florida natives, residents and visitors!”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.