Historic Sites

Ancient Spanish Monastery

Built in Segovia, Spain in 1141, the Monastery Cloister is the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst brought the pieces to America, and in 1952 Miami developers reassembled the monastery on its current site.

Art Deco Welcome Center

Preserves and interprets the history of Miami Beach's Art Deco District through tours, lectures, films, exhibits and other events. Find unique books, posters, vintage collectibles and souvenirs at the Official Art Deco Gift Shop. Three architectural styles are predominant in Miami Beach: Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival and MiMo (Miami Modernism). The Art Deco Historic District is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Miami Beach Boulevard, Alton Road and Collins Canal. It contains 960 historic buildings.

The Barnacle

This state of Florida historic site is Miami's oldest home in its original location. The Barnacle, designed by owner Ralph M. Munroe in 1891, offers visitors the opportunity to almost re-enter the Era of the Bay, before Henry Flagler's railroad came to Miami in 1896 and sparked rapid development. Often called the "Father of Coconut Grove," Munroe was a pioneer photographer, author, sailboat designer and environmentalist.

The Biltmore Hotel

Legendary Mediterranean-style luxury golf and spa resort and National Historic Landmark. Roman columns, hand-painted ceilings, Spanish tiles and marble floors create an elegant and romantic setting. Member of Leading Hotels of the World.

Cape Florida Lighthouse/Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Although located on Key Biscayne, the Cape Florida Lighthouse, South Florida's oldest structure, has a close connection to Coconut Grove. Built in 1825, its first keeper, John Dubose, also had a home in Coconut Grove. Other early keepers, including members of the pioneering Pent and Frow families did, as well. The original lighthouse was destroyed by the Seminole Indians in 1836 and rebuilt in 1845.

Colony Theatre

Within walking distance from the Miami Beach Convention Center, this renovated theater is home to local performing arts organizations, Broadway productions and national film and television shows. The refurbished auditorium has a seating capacity of 440, which includes disabled-accessible seating. The Colony is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Coral Castle

This quirky monument is one of greater Miami's more unusual attractions. Giant pieces of coral rock were carved into a variety of objects by Edward Leedskalnin in the 1920s, as a tribute to unrequited love. The construction techniques behind this mystery garden of fantastic coral sculptures continue to baffle experts and visitors. This attraction has been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

Coral Gables Merrick House

A Greater Miami landmark, the Coral Gables Merrick House preserves the boyhood home of George E. Merrick, the man who founded and developed the City of Coral Gables, Florida. Originally built at the end of the 19th century, with an add-on dating back to 1907, the Coral Gables Merrick House has been restored to its 1920s appearance. Today, visitors to the Merrick House in Coral Gables, Florida may see artwork, furniture and personal treasures that once belonged to the Merrick family. Guided tours of the Coral Gables Merrick House feature a 10-minute video, a walk through the building and its grounds, and questions and answers. The Merrick House in Coral Gables, Florida is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Coral Gables Museum - Old Police and Fire Station

Designed by Phineas Paist in 1939, the Old Police and Fire Station was built during the Depression by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to provide a public safety headquarters and jobs for local construction workers and artisans. Paist used the simple lines and mass of Depression architecture, combined with Mediterranean Revival details. The three-arched bays on the west side originally housed the fire trucks. Set to open in 2010, the Coral Gables Museum will celebrate the history of Coral Gables, as well as the civic arts of architecture, urban design, green planning and historic and environmental preservation.

D.A. Dorsey House

Built in 1915 by real estate magnate and the area's first black millionaire, D.A. Dorsey, for his bride, the Dorsey House boasted electricity throughout. It now houses the Overtown Civic Partnership, an initiative of the Collins Center/Knight Foundation, whose goal is to transform Overtown into an urban center.

Deering Estate at Cutler

This 444-acre environmental, archaeological and historical preserve is located along the edge of Biscayne Bay. From canoe rides to butterfly hikes and nature guided tours, the estate has diverse activities for the whole family to enjoy. The estate offers daily tours of the historic houses: the Stone House and the Richmond Cottage, as well as tours of the lush natural areas where fossil bones have been found from as far back as 50,000 years ago. The estate is part of the Miami-Dade County Park and Recreation Department, which manages it on behalf of the state of Florida. Daily Historic House Tours depart at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the Daily Natural Area Tour departs at 12:30 p.m. The Natural Area Tour is seasonal from October - May.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

This premier conservation and education-based garden and recognized international leader in conservation is dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. It houses the National Palm Collection, with the world's greatest living collection of palms and cycads; has an education program reaching more than 30,000 schoolchildren per year; hosts popular events, such as the International Mango and Orchid Festivals, the Ramble, concerts, affiliated plant society shows and sales; and is a not-for-profit organization relying on the support of its 40,000 members and benefactors.

Haitian Heritage Museum

The Haitian Heritage Museum is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to highlighting and preserving Haiti's rich culture and heritage locally, nationally and internationally. Enjoy beautiful Haitian art, historic artifacts, Haitian music, films and literary works, as well as special events.

Hialeah Park

World-famous aviator Glenn Curtiss and his partner James Bright launched Hialeah in 1921. It was known for its sports facilities, including the nation's first greyhound pari-mutuel track, a jai-alai fronton and the Miami Jockey Club (1925). Joseph E. Widener purchased the Jockey Club in 1930 and hired architect Lester W. Geisler to transform the small facility into beautiful Hialeah Park, that opened to rave reviews on Jan. 14, 1932.

Holocaust Memorial

This inspiring memorial, designed by Kenneth Treister F.A.I.A., is a tribute to the six million Jewish victims of Nazi terrorism before and during World War II. Around the monument, the walls of a tunnel-like passage chronicle the images of the death camps. Also features a photographic mural and a Memorial Wall with the names of the victims. Guided group tours available. A 22-minute documentary film on the creation of the Holocaust Memorial is available for viewing upon request (film schedule 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.).

Jewish Museum of Florida

This museum is composed of two adjacent restored former historic synagogues, connected with a skylighted bistro. The museum first opened in the 1936 Art Deco synagogue, which features 80 stained glass windows, Deco chandeliers and a Moorish copper dome. In 2007, the museum expanded into Miami Beach's first synagogue, built in 1928-29. The core exhibit, "MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida, 1763-present," includes more than 600 photos and artifacts depicting the Florida Jewish experience since 1763. Temporary exhibits change throughout the year in both buildings, on topics of Jewish history, art and culture. Also enjoy the Timeline Wall of Jewish history, films, museum store and Bessie's Bistro. Call for information on public programs and special events. A unique experience for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Lyric Theater

A 400-seat theater and multifaceted facility featuring high-quality performances. It is the lone survivor of the district once known as "Little Broadway," which flourished in Overtown for almost 50 years. The theater served as a movie and vaudeville venue, and showcased more than 150 performers, including Aretha Franklin, Count Basie, B.B. King, Redd Foxx and Ella Fitzgerald.

Miami Beach Botanical Garden

This 4.5-acre botanical garden is a showcase for orchids, tropical plants and trees, a Japanese garden and a living-wall vertical landscape. The garden was founded in the 1960s and continues to evolve into a beautiful green space and venue for special events and classes.

Miami Circle

Discovered in 1998, Miami Circle at Brickell Point is a nationally significant archaeological site located at the mouth of the Miami River in downtown Miami. Archaeological excavations at the site uncovered components of the primary village of the Tequesta, one of the first Native North American groups encountered by Juan Ponce de León in 1513. The site preserves evidence of the complex and planned architecture unique to the Tequesta, including the Miami Circle feature, which is a 38-ft circular footprint of a prehistoric structure. The site's significance lies in the well-preserved evidence of American Indian architecture and the wealth of materials found on the site that relate to trade patterns, as well as the abundance of remains that shed light on ceremonial Tequesta practices. In January 2009, Miami Circle was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Miami Marine Stadium

The 6,566-seat grandstand of the Commodore Munroe Stadium, named for Coconut Grove pioneer and boating enthusiast Ralph Munroe, was completed in 1964. Poured entirely in concrete, with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure, it consists of a dramatically cantilevered folded-plate roof supported by eight big slanted columns anchored in the the ground through the grandstand. A group called Friends of Miami Marine Stadium recently formed to protect one of Florida's most threatened landmarks, which was named to the 2009 list of America's Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Miami News/Freedom Tower

A boom-era structure built in 1925, the building hosted The Miami News, the city's first newspaper, for more than 32 years. Designed by Shultze and Weaver, a New York firm, the building, with its magnificent Giralda tower, is patterned after the great Medieval cathedral in Seville, Spain. From 1962 to 1974, nearly 300,000 Cuban refugees received a wide variety of federal assistance and stayed in this building, thereby providing the structure with an additional name of the Freedom Tower. Owned today by the Mas family, prominent Cuban refugees, the building is undergoing a stunning restoration.

Opa-Locka City Hall

This incredible building is the pinnacle of architect Bernhardt Muller's work. Completed in 1926, it appears as a mirage at the end of Opa-locka Boulevard. Restored to its former grandeur in 1987, the building houses city government offices and serves as the backdrop for the annual Arabian Nights Festival.

Pan American Sea Plane Base and Terminal/Miami City Hall

Opened in 1931, the former Pan American Airways facility was once the largest and most modern seaplane terminal in the world. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt departed from here on a flight to Casablanca. Designed by Delano and Aldrich, the Streamline Moderne building has been the Miami City Hall since 1954. Although many of the original features have been changed, the commission chambers have recently undergone an extensive restoration.

Peacock Park

This public bay-front park honors Charles and Isabella Peacock, who built Miami's first hotel, the Bay View House, here in 1883. They inaugurated the area's first tourist season, and the small hotel became the gathering place for the nascent Coconut Grove community.

Tower Theater

This renovated historic theater was built in 1926. It features multicultural films, live performances and cultural and educational programs. The theater is managed by the InterAmerican Campus of Miami Dade College.

Venetian Pool

A Venetian-style lagoon carved out of coral rock, this historic landmark and swimming pool features caves, stone bridges and waterfalls. Operates year-round.

Virginia Key Beach

Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is managed by a board of trustees appointed by the city of Miami Commission. The 82.5-acre beachfront park reopened in early 2008, after undergoing a multimillion dollar campaign to restore the pristine shoreline and the historic buildings, and a 32,000-square-foot museum/cultural center is planned. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it has a rich cultural history and played a significant role in the civil rights movement of South Florida. The National Trust is working to preserve this rich legacy of the African-American community, while celebrating the current and future contributions of the diverse South Florida community.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Vizcaya was built by agricultural industrialist James Deering, who wintered on the property from 1916 to 1925. Today, the extraordinary European-inspired estate and National Historic Landmark includes a house filled with art and furnishings, and 10 acres of gardens on Biscayne Bay.

Wolfsonian - Florida International University

Located in the heart of the Art Deco District, the museum showcases American and European decorative and fine arts produced between 1885 and 1945. From propaganda posters to World's Fair memorabilia, the array of objects offers visitors a thought-provoking journey through the modern age. The Dynamo Café is on the premises, with an eclectic menu featuring an array of soups, sandwiches and salads, as well as a coffee bar and special dessert and tea menus.