12 Amazing Things to Do in Miami If You Love History & Art

Miami, Florida

Miami changes the minute you step away from the tourist spots. Beyond the beach scene, you’ll find a magnificent Italian villa, ancient sites, an overflow of history, art, and culture. Here’s where to start.

Stroll Down Miami Beach’s Art Deco District

When you walk down Ocean Drive, you’re surrounded by more than 800 colorful buildings from 1923–1943.

You’ll spot pastel facades, bold geometric details, and clean streamlined designs everywhere you look. Don’t miss iconic spots like the Colony Hotel, The Carlyle, and The Breakwater.

To learn about these buildings, you can take one of the daily guided tours from the Art Deco Welcome Center at 10:30 am.

The Miami Design Preservation League (they’ve been around since 1976) runs these tours, and your ticket even includes free admission to their Art Deco Museum.

And if you visit during Art Deco Weekend, catch Florida’s longest-running free community festival that’s been celebrating this architecture for more than 45 years.

Drop By Miami Circle’s 2,000-Year-Old Tequesta Site

This 38-foot-wide circular formation was carved into the limestone bedrock by the Tequesta people more than 10,000 years ago.

The circle contains 24 holes or basins cut into the limestone, believed to be post holes for a large circular structure.

Take a free tour to see artifacts from the site including shell tools, ceramics, and animal bones.

Explore the HistoryMiami Museum

Founded in 1940, the HistoryMiami Museum is the second oldest cultural spot in South Florida and a certified Smithsonian Affiliate.

The 70,000-square-foot space has over one million historic images and 30,000 artifacts, everything from a real 1920s trolley car to the Pan Am Airways memorabilia.

Their main exhibit “Tropical Dreams” takes you through 12,000 years of history, from Native American settlements through Spanish expeditions.

Check out their “History & Ourselves” exhibit to see a Cuban refugee raft, the original “B” from the old Burdines department store sign, and a vintage Spitz Projector.

The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

Visit Industrialist James Deering’s Winter Capital

Built between 1914 and 1922, Vizcaya is a Mediterranean-inspired villa that houses formal Italian Renaissance gardens and 40 acres of native forest.

You’ll find more than 70 rooms filled with European antiques and decorative arts spanning the 16th through 19th centuries.

The gardens feature labyrinths, grottoes, reflecting pools, and a waterfall designed by Paul Chafin and Diego Suarez.

Vizcaya is open Wednesday through Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last admission), with the Main House open until 5:00 p.m. and gardens until 5:30 p.m.

Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 6–12.

You Gotta See Miami’s Oldest Historic Neighborhood

Before Miami was Miami, there was Coconut Grove.

Established in 1873, it was originally populated by Bahamians and African Americans who worked on Henry Flagler’s railroad to the Keys for over 150 years.

You’ll notice Mediterranean Revival and Bahamian-influenced architecture throughout the neighborhood. If you’re looking for a watering hole, stop by the Taurus Beer & Whiskey House, serving patrons since 1926.

Spend some time at the Barnacle Historic State Park, home to Ralph Middleton Munroe’s 1891 house—the oldest house in Miami still in its original location.

Pray at an Ancient Spanish Monastery in North Miami Beach

The St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church, commonly known as the Ancient Spanish Monastery, was originally completed in 1141 A.D. in Sacramenia, Spain.

Newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst bought the monastery in 1925 and had workers dismantle all 11,000 stones and packed into 1,413 wooden crates.

The crates sat in a Brooklyn warehouse for 26 years until two entrepreneurs bought them in the 1950s and spent $20 million (in today’s dollars) reassembling the monastery.

Today, you can explore the cloisters with their intricately carved stone columns. The monastery gardens feature medieval-style plantings and tranquil walkways.

Learn About the Cuban Refugee Struggles at Freedom Tower

You can’t miss the Freedom Tower’s (built in 1925) silhouette on Miami’s skyline. From the observation deck, you get panoramic views of Downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay.

Though it was the headquarters for The Miami News newspaper, the building became a Cuban Assistance Center from 1962 to 1974, processing thousands of Cuban refugees fleeing Castro’s regime.

Designed by Schultze and Weaver, the 17-story tower has decorative friezes, arched windows, and terra-cotta ornamentation reflecting the 1920s Florida building style.

In 2008, it was designated a National Historic Landmark for its significant role in American immigration history.

Drive Down a Piece of History That Links Miami City to the Beach

The Venetian Causeway (completed in 1926) is a 2.5-mile route that includes twelve bridges (including two drawbridges) and crosses six man-made islands.

It’s super old and even replaced the earlier wooden Collins Bridge from 1913, which was the first automobile bridge connecting Miami and Miami Beach.

Islands along the route include Belle Isle, Rivo Alto Island, Di Lido Island, San Marino Island, San Marco Island, and Biscayne Island.

As you cross, you’ll notice the low railings that give you unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay. Cyclists love this causeway for its slower pace compared to other routes.

Hit the Deering Estate For Old Florida Biodiversity

Charles Deering created this waterfront estate in the 1920s, and today it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, encompassing 444 acres.

This includes one of the largest remaining tracts of endangered pine rockland habitat and the continental United States’ largest intact coastal tropical hardwood hammock.

Tour the Stone House, built in Mediterranean Revival style for Deering’s extensive art collection (including works by El Greco, Goya, and his friend John Singer Sargent).

Archaeological tours show you prehistoric Tequesta sites with evidence of human habitation from more than 10,000 years ago.

Step Inside Little Havana’s Culture & Tradition

Just west of downtown, Little Havana pulses with Caribbean connections and family-owned Cuban restaurants.

Stop by Máximo Gómez Park (known locally as Domino Park), a neighborhood fixture since 1976 where locals gather to play dominoes and chess.

You’ll see it in the shops along Calle Ocho (8th Street) and yearly events like Carnaval Miami and the Calle Ocho Music Festival.

Watch cigars being hand-rolled at El Credito Cigar Factory (established 1968), where skilled artisans demonstrate traditional Cuban practices using tobacco leaves.

Check out Tower Theater, built in 1926, that’s one of Miami’s oldest cultural landmarks and shows Spanish-language and international films.

Honor Miami’s Black Cultural History in Overtown

Once known as “The Harlem of the South,” Overtown is one of the oldest neighborhoods within the original boundaries of Miami.

In its heyday during the 1930s and 1940s, the area’s “Little Broadway” entertainment district attracted legendary performers like Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole.

Today, you can visit the Greater Bethel AME Church from 1927 that represents one of Miami’s oldest religious institutions, featuring remarkable stained glass windows.

The D.A. Dorsey House (built 1913) preserves the home of Miami’s first Black millionaire, who established businesses and invested in real estate during segregation.

Don’t miss the Black Archives History & Research Foundation to peek into the community’s past or African-American artwork at the Ward Rooming House Gallery.

Grab Stone Crabs From a Miami Institution Dating Back 1913

Joe’s Stone Crabs (opened by Joseph and Jennie Weiss) was once a small lunch counter at Smith’s Bathing Casino which turned big in 1918.

They were running Joe’s Restaurant from their front porch with just 7–8 tables and now it’s one of the hardest tables to get in town. It doesn’t stop people from lining up for their famous stone crab claws with mustard sauce.

While the stone crabs are seasonal (available mid-October through mid-May), you can always try their surprisingly affordable fried chicken (half a chicken) for just $8.95.

If you don’t wanna wait, head next door to Joe’s Take Away for the same high-quality food in a casual setting, including their famous stone crabs and lobster Reuben sandwich.