Key West getting pirate museum

[jviehe]

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/local/7640905.htm

KEY WEST - Former Philadelphia 76ers president Pat Croce plans to open a pirate museum in this island city, once a base for seafaring outlaws.

Croce, whose enthusiastic, daredevil personality could be compared to a pirate's, bought a building in Key West's downtown for $3 million last week. He hopes to open Pirate Soul in the fall.

Croce said the museum will feature items from his pirate collection, including a treasure chest from Capt. Thomas Tew and the last journal from Capt. William Kidd, a 17th-century pirate who was executed for his crimes. Croce also wants to borrow or lease other items.

"I want people to say, 'Wow!' when they see it. We'll take them back in time," said Croce, who lives in the Philadelphia area and owns two homes in Key West.

Asked about his interest in pirates, Croce showed his tattoos of a pirate ship and the Jolly Roger flag and said, "Life is a bold and daring adventure."

Croce, who first worked for the Sixers as a physical therapist and taped ankles for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, is a self-made millionaire. He was president and minority owner of the 76ers from 1996 until 2001. In 1996, he oversaw the drafting of Allen Iverson, who became the team's star.

"I've had offers to run other teams, but I've been there, done that," Croce said.

Instead, he has been an NBA television analyst for NBC and three years ago published an autobiography, "I Feel Great." Most recently, he has been a commentator on the Spike network.

Croce has signed on as a martial-arts commentator for NBC at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

 

[_Kurt_]

Cool- I'm there!
Kurt

 

[Toolbox-13]

Sounds great to me I'll have to wait til fall to head back to Key West

 

[jviehe]

I see a pattern of avatars...

 

[_Kurt_]

I hadn't noticed :ne_nau:

 

[seaangel]

I just had to comment, and I know this will probably make me look really old to some of you. But, here goes anyhow. Back when I was a kid, in the dark ages, actually in the mid to late 60's, when I grew up in Key West there was a house on Elizabeth Street, that was a for real house from when pirates had occupied it. It was at that time a museum and you could tour it. Now whatever happened to that house/museum I don't know. But it was really cool to visit and hear the stories of how the pirates and there, uh, ladyfriends had lived there.

It was fun growing up there and hearing all of the legends and stories from some real old timers. I was fascinated with that as a child. Even though I am a girl I had a toy pirate ship and little figures, actually it was my older brothers but I played with it alot. Always have had a tendancy toward the sea and shipwrecks. Maybe, because of growing up in Key West. Anyway have fun and I hope it will be a good museum. :wavey:

 

[CBulla]

I think its pretty cool that people are starting to look back at the history of the place and do something to preserve it. I hope that its done in a fashion that presents the real historical aspects without dropping off into the briney deep of disneyism!

 

[Toolbox-13]

I was in Key West over the Thanksgiving Holiday and the night before we left the Schooner HMS Bounty came into dock to Kick off the DVD sales of the Disney Movie Pirates of the Caribean that whole time folks were dressed up like Pirates and wenches and it was alot of fun they had a awsome fireworks show. If that helps get folks there to see the real thing then more power to them. I had a great time Diving and we went on a sunset cruise on the Schooner Western Union, and you can't go to Key West without seeing Mel Fishers Maritime Museum (that was awsome).

 

[ygthad]

It sounds like a must see.. Thanks