Miami attractions – 30 most interesting places

Miami is associated by many with a fashionable seaside resort: the ocean, yachts, gold-studded benchmarks and accompanying models, expensive hotels and restaurants with a strict dress code. In many respects, this is true, but rest here is available not only to the rich, the average tourist can also spend a full vacation here. Moreover, you are guaranteed to discover the capital of Florida from a new perspective, because there really is something to see here. The above list of the main attractions of Miami is divided into groups for ease of navigation.

Zoo

Zoo (Zoo Miami) was opened in 1980 and covers an area of ​​300 hectares. It is located in the suburbs, half an hour from the city. The total length of the route through the park is as much as five kilometers. It is not necessary to go all the way on your feet, you can rent bicycles or strollers for the whole family, or take a ride on a road train. The zoo is divided into four zones inhabited by animals and showing vegetation, adapted to the flora and fauna of the corresponding part of the world – Asia, Australia, Amazon, Africa.

You can have a picnic in nature, you can feed the giraffes, watch numerous shows. Of course, the infrastructure includes cafes, playgrounds and a petting zoo, rides and camel rides. Zoo opening hours are from 10 am to 5 pm daily.

Book a private transfer from the airport to your hotel for 6 783 RUB

Oceanarium

The oceanarium (Miami Seaquarium) at the time of its opening in 1955 was the largest in the world. And now it is easy to spend the whole day here, visiting fascinating shows, looking at marine life. Dolphins, killer whales, sharks, manatees, turtles, seals, alligators and stingrays – there is just no one here. The main star of the aquarium is the dolphin Flipper, the hero of the series of the same name, he has a separate show. Also every day killer whales, fur seals, dolphins perform at one of the sites of the sikvarium.

For a fee, you can feed or swim with dolphins, fur seals, chat with penguins. The oceanarium takes an active part in saving endangered species of animals. The sikvarium is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. The Summer Savings Pass program allows you to purchase tickets to the zoo, Lion Safari Park, the Seaquarium and the Science Museum.

Children‘s Museum

Children‘s Museum (Miami Children's Museum) is a must-see for young travelers. The vast territory hosts both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Here, children can learn various professions, feel like bankers, firefighters, underwater explorers, scientists or policemen. Any creative ideas will also find their embodiment. Outside there is a huge playground for children of all ages. And what about a life-size cruise ship, a two-story dream castle and a 10-meter high climbing wall!

The concept of the museum is learning through play: without noticing it, children learn a lot of new and interesting things. And of course, here you can eat, and relax, and buy souvenirs as a keepsake. Tickets cost $20, children under one year old visit the museum for free. The museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

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Jungle Island amusement park

Amusement Park Jungle Island (Jungle Island) – a small, by American standards, zoo, which focuses on representatives of the cat – tigers, lions, their unusual hybrids. Other animals are also not far behind in trying to impress visitors. At three sites of the park (Jungle Theatre, Parrot Amphitheater and Serpentarium) interesting performances take place – parrot show, Tiger Tale, Winged Wonders, Attractive and Creeping Lifestyle performances.

You can visit the lemur room and get to know the sociable monkeys better. There is also a petting zoo, and even a beach with children's slides. Opening hours from 10 to 17 daily.

Lion Safari Park

The Lion Country Safari park compares favorably with zoos in that you can see animals here in their natural habitat. The flora and fauna of the African continent is recreated on the territory of the park. Visitors can move around the park both on foot and by car along specially designed routes. As the name implies, the park was originally created to protect the population of African lions, but now there are enough other animals here – zebras, antelopes, tigers, giraffes, rhinos, reptiles.

Feelings of such closeness to wild animals are quite strong. In addition to the safari itself, here you can ride boats, a Ferris wheel, visit a water park – the day will fly by. Safari operates daily from 9.30 to 17.30.

Perez Art Museum

The Perez Art Museum Miami opened back in 1954, but with the move to a new building in 2013 and a name change (the previous names were the Perez Fine Arts Center, the Museum of Art), it gained a second wind. The main exhibit of the museum, not jokingly, is called its building itself. The architects did their best – the three-story building located on the bay is elevated above the ground, its veranda extends beyond the museum and multi-level gardens are arranged on it.

Inside, rich collections of modern and 20th century art await guests: paintings, sculpture, photographs, leather goods, mosaics and metalwork, innovative geometric color paintings and installations made from natural materials. The museum hosts educational events and conferences, and the veranda hosts celebrations and business meetings.

The museum is open to the public from 10:00 to 18:00 (Thursday until 21:30), except for Wednesdays.

Frost Art Museum

The Frost Art Museum introduces its guests to American (including Latin America) art of the 20th century. More than 6,000 paintings, engravings, sculptures, photographs are collected here. In addition to American art, the collection includes Japanese netsuke, bronze figurines of Asian and African cultures, and some items from the pre-Columbian era. The museum's collection is constantly updated with new acquisitions and donations. The museum bears the names of patrons Philip and Patricia Frost, who invested large sums in the development of the art gallery.

Entrance to the museum is free. Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00.

Phillip and Patricia Frost Science Museum

The Philipp and Patricia Frost Museum of Science tells how technology affects the development of the world. On the territory of one museum there is a planetarium, an observatory, an aquarium, a terrarium and a zoo with birds of prey. On the roof there are viewing platforms and a city garden. Here you can delve into both the features of the structure of DNA and the latest astronomical achievements.

The museum is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and is staffed by academics, making the visit even more fun. Needless to say, all the exhibits are interactive; visitors can feel certain physical phenomena on their own. And the laser show of the planetarium is one of the most impressive in the world.

Museum opening hours: daily from 9.30 to 18, on Saturday until 20.30.

Miami Beach

Miami Beach (Miami Beach) – the famous seaside resort, in fact, is a suburb of the city of Miami. Although for the average tourist, Miami Beach is the capital of Florida. This is white sand, trendy hotels and restaurants, beautiful people in expensive cars, in general, luxury and glamour. Miami Beach is located across Biscayne Bay, and is divided into several districts. The central part is the business part, its center is Collins Avenue.

The southern part is a party place, its heart is Ocean Drive. The most beautiful (and, note, free!) beaches are located here. There is also a historical and architectural district – a whole block of houses built in the 1920s in the Art Deco style (Art Deco District) is an open-air museum. Everyone can find something to do here; tourists from all over the world flock here for a reason.

Winwood Art District

Wynwood Art District – the idea of ​​giving new life to abandoned premises, giving them to representatives of creative professions, is not new and is still popular around the world. The Wynwood area was not a prosperous one. Here, in abandoned warehouses, settlers from Puerto Rico lived. Everything changed when the area was given over to street artists. Now it is a street art center, one of the main attractions of the city, and simply impressive graffiti made by first-class craftsmen.

In addition to the painted walls, there are museums, a huge number of art galleries, fairs and festivals. In the art quarters, unlike the luxury Design District, there is an atmosphere of creativity and freedom of expression. To experience it to the fullest, visit Wynwood on the second Saturday of the month when the Art Walk festival takes place here.

Area Design District

Design District – As the name implies, this place is associated with shops and shopping. But not with the usual ones – you should go to the Design District for brands and brands, because it is here that the most expensive and status stores and showrooms of world designers are located. The audience here is going to be appropriate – bohemia and heirs of fortunes. But this does not mean that the design area should be bypassed without being ready to shell out a round sum. In the Design District, it is interesting to just take a walk, look at interesting sculptures and fountains. And if you come here on the second Saturday of the month, you can take part in the Night of the Festivities festival.

It's free admission to all galleries, street musicians, drinks, fairs and just a pleasant walk in the open air. You can come here for walks at any time, but if you want to go shopping, they are open from 11 am to 8 pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 12 pm to 6 pm on Sunday.

lincoln road

Lincoln Road Mall – If we continue the topic of shopping, we can not fail to mention the Lincoln Road Mall. Although it can be called a shopping center very conditionally – it is as many as 7 pedestrian blocks, entirely consisting of shops, cafes and restaurants, beauty salons. Unlike the Design District, there are different brands here – from democratic to expensive, so you won't be able to leave without shopping. The idea of ​​creating a shopping street belongs to businessman Karl Fischer, by analogy with Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles and Fifth Avenue in New York.

Very quickly, Lincoln Road became the largest shopping street in the United States. Needless to say, in addition to shopping, it is a great place to spend time with a cup of coffee or lunch, visit a spa treatment or even go to the cinema. Shops on Lincoln Road are open daily from 10 am to 11 pm.

Ocean Drive

Ocean Drive (Ocean Drive) stretches for 25 kilometers along the ocean and is the focus of the party life of the capital of Florida, although the street is located in the center of the suburb – Miami Beach. They come here to show themselves and to look at others. Color is added by beautiful palm trees stretching along Ocean Drive.

In the morning, the promenade is occupied by sports boys and girls who go jogging, or ride bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards. In the evening, numerous clubs and cafes open their doors for incendiary parties. Slowly passing cars tend to outdo each other in price and rarity, and their drivers – in the presence of beautiful companions. It's always noisy, fun, incendiary. Without a visit to Ocean Drive, the impression of the city will be incomplete.

Area Little Havana

The Little Havana area owes its name to Cuban emigrants who fled repression in their homeland, but took a piece of it with them to the United States. Now people from all over South America live in the area, but the Cuban flavor still prevails. Spanish speech is heard everywhere, rocking chairs stand near the doors of small stucco houses with thatched roofs, old people emotionally “cut” in dominoes. The smells are also not local – it smells like Cuban cigars, national food and pastries. The area has everything for a comfortable life – its own park, theater, museums and stadium.

Ethnic food is served in restaurants, real Cuban coffee is served in coffee shops. Of course, they dance salsa and rumba. And in order to completely stun the visiting tourist – adherents of Santeria (Afro-Cuban religion) bring chicken bones to the roots of the ceiba tree on the Cuban Memorial Boulevard. Residents of the area are friendly, prices are lower than in other areas – a day spent here will be remembered for a long time.

Freedom Tower

The Freedom Tower is another attraction associated with Cuba. The 14-story building was built back in 1925 as the central office of the Miami News newspaper. At the end of the 1960s, the paper moved and the building with the lighthouse on the dome housed the registration office for Cuban refugees. Then the tower got its name – a kind of symbol of freedom for emigrants who fled from persecution. The building now houses the Museum of Cuban Emigration and the Miami Dade College Art Library.

If the museum's exposition focuses mainly on the hardships of the Cuban people, then getting into the library is worth at least to consider the wooden interiors of the early 20th century. The building also looks very curious and combines elements of American Art Nouveau and Spanish decor. The night illumination is impressive – the lighthouse located on the dome beautifully illuminates Biscayne Bay. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 to 17:00, admission is free. Information about the events held in the tower should be clarified on the official website.

Villa Vizcaya

Villa Vizcaya (Vizcaya Museum and Gardens) is a luxurious renaissance-style mansion right on the shores of Biscayne Bay. The villa was built back in 1916 for the wealthy industrialist Deering in a very good location in terms of aesthetics – it offers stunning sea views, and the villa itself is not visible due to the surrounding forests. However, this location contributes to the heavy damage that hurricanes cause to the villa. In addition to the building itself, there is a beautiful landscaped garden on the adjacent territory, replete with pools, gazebos and canals, interesting sculptures and a variety of plants and flowers.

The interior of the villa matches its external splendor – Deering himself brought from Europe a lot of luxury items, furniture, paintings and sculptures of the 15th-19th centuries. The villa now houses the Dade Museum of Art and is open to the public. The mansion also serves as a hall for receptions of high-ranking delegations, wedding celebrations are held here and films are often shot. The villa is open from 9.30 to 16.30 daily.

Miami-Dade County Courthouse

The Miami-Dade County Courthouse, when erected in 1928, was the tallest in the city – and with its 28 floors and 110 meters in height, left the Freedom Tower below. Accustomed to skyscrapers of steel and glass, the inhabitants of the 21st century, such buildings – tall, but erected in the neoclassical style – seem very unusual, as if houses built for giants. Due to geodetic shortcomings, during the construction of the building it turned out that it goes into the ground. It was possible to solve the problem, but the cellars of the skyscraper had to be filled with cement for a significant part.

The building still serves its purpose, it houses a civil court. Previously, a prison was also located on the upper floors of the skyscraper, but enterprising prisoners have repeatedly proved that escaping from a high-rise does not cause any particular difficulties, so the place of detention was moved from the skyscraper. You can visit the building for free from Monday to Friday, opening hours from 9 to 16 hours.

coral castle

Coral Castle is another amazing place, visiting which a tourist experiences a range of feelings – curiosity, surprise and a little sadness, because this is a monument of unrequited love. At the beginning of the 20th century, the unremarkable Latvian youth Edward Lidskalnin was rejected by the bride two days before the wedding. The unfortunate man went to America, and devoted his whole life to building a castle for his beloved. He built the castle at night, from multi-ton blocks of coral limestone – megaliths. No one knows how the stones weighing more than 1000 tons were carried by one frail builder. No mortar was used in the construction of the castle.

Now the Coral Castle is a kind of giant's dwelling – walls, gates, huge chairs and a table, decor elements are lined with megaliths. On the territory of the castle there is a tower in which the author himself lived, built of 2.5 meter boulders. There was no happy ending in the love story – the architect died alone on a stone bed – and the mystery of the construction of the monumental structure has not been solved to this day. Castle opening hours: Sunday – Thursday from 9 am to 6 pm, Friday – Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm.

Gianni Versace Mansion

The Gianni Versace Mansion is located on Ocean Drive and will definitely attract the attention of a tourist if only by pilgrimage to the front staircase of the mansion, on which the famous fashion designer was shot dead. But, of course, the mansion is remarkable not only for this sad incident. Built in 1930 by oil tycoon heir Alden Freeman, the house combines Renaissance Italian architecture with the Dominican Alcazar de Colón. After acquiring it by Gianni Versace, the latter spent a fabulous fortune on the decoration and interior design of the villa.

There are legends about the decorations of the mansion, which is only worth the pool lined with gold mosaics. Famous friends of the fashion designer – Cher, Elton John, Madonna stayed in the house. Now the building of the mansion is occupied by a restaurant and a boutique hotel Villa Barton G for wealthy guests. In addition, you can get inside on an excursion by an organized group by prior arrangement.

American Airlines Arena

American Airlines Arena is a multifunctional sports complex and entertainment center for various events, concerts, football, hockey and basketball matches. The maximum capacity of the building is about 21 thousand spectators. It is the home court of the Miami Heat basketball team. Concerts of world-class stars take place here. The most significant sporting events include the 2000 World Wrestling Championship and the NBA Finals. For those wishing to attend a concert or a sporting event, their schedule is available on the official website of the arena, tickets are recommended to be purchased in advance. The arena's naming rights were purchased in 1998 by American Airlines for nearly $200 million.

Hard Rock Stadium

Hard Rock Stadium also hosts various sporting events, from American football to hockey and lacrosse. It is the home arena of the Miami Dolphins football team. The Orange Bowl junior tennis tournament is held at the Hard Rock Stadium. The stadium has hosted Super Bowl matches five times.

It is curious that the stadium changes names all the time, earning on commercial advertising. In the piggy bank of the previous names Dolphins Stadium, Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park, Sun Life Stadium. The capacity of the stadium depends on the event being held, for a football match it is 65,000 seats. The building is often used as a concert venue.

Barnacle Historical Park

The Barnacle Historic State Park is a perfect place for a walk and a picnic in nature. On the territory of the park is the mansion of Ralph Munro, a yacht designer and founder of Coconut Grove, where Barnacle is located. Thanks to the careful attitude to the nature of the owner of the estate, in the park you can watch birds, of which there are much more than in other parks. The Munroe House is a late 19th century one-story stilt house and is the oldest house in Miami-Dade. Its name comes from the English barnacle, which means “shellfish”, whose shape resembles the octagonal central room of the house.

The entrance fee to the park is $ 2, children under 6 years old are free. The park is open Wednesday through Monday from 9 am to 5 pm. A visit to the mansion is possible only as part of organized groups from Friday to Monday, or by appointment on Wednesday and Thursday. The park is closed on Tuesdays. Tickets to the mansion cost $3 for adults and $1 for children aged 6-12.

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden

The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden covers an area of ​​34 hectares and boasts an extensive collection of tropical plants, including palm trees, orchids, coral trees, rare flowers and plants. What is a blooming amorphophallus worth – the largest flower in the world, which blooms for only 72 hours 3-4 times in a lifetime. In addition, on the territory of the botanical garden there are a waterfall, lakes, a whole water garden. You can take a tram tour through the garden. Visitors can also admire exotic butterflies as they feed.

The attraction is called “Wings of the Tropics” and takes place in the greenhouse of the Clinton family. The botanical garden was founded by R. Montgomery and named after his friend, Dr. Fairchild, thanks to whose travels the collection of the garden was replenished with rare plant species, some of which were first brought to the United States. Opening hours: daily from 9.30 to 16.30.

Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park has the status of an international biosphere reserve and covers an area of ​​more than 6,000 square kilometers. Mostly it is untouched wilderness. The Everglades is home to over 2,000 plant species and many animals, some of which are endangered. The natural landscape is also very diverse – there are swamps, prairies, mangrove and cypress thickets. You can move around the territory both by car and on foot, or by bicycle. Boat excursions are very common, since most of the park is located on the water.

There are a huge number of routes to visit, it all depends on the time that the tourist has and his personal preferences. The official website of the park offers routes depending on the season and the starting point of the trip. In the park, you can stay overnight or even spend a vacation. Entrance to the territory is paid. The ticket is valid for 7 days. Annual passes can also be purchased. The park is always open, at any time of the year and day.

Pinecrest Gardens Park and Organic Market

Pinecrest Gardens Park and Organic Market is located in Pinecrest, a suburb of Miami-Dade. Previously, the popular theme park Parrot Jungle was located on this site, but it was moved to Watson Island, and the botanical garden remained and pleases visitors with a well-groomed territory and convenient infrastructure. In addition to walking along shady alleys and admiring plants and animals, including turtles, swans, lizards, herons, the park offers a lot of entertainment for children. This is a petting zoo, and a play area with attractions and water entertainment Splash ‘n Play, giant chess and checkers, fish feeding and performances in the local amphitheater.

On Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., an organic farmers' market is open here, where you can buy organic products from local producers – fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee, honey, spices. The park's opening hours are from 9 (10) to 17 (18) depending on the time of year and day of the week.

international Airport

International Airport (Miami International Airport) is the first attraction visited by tourists arriving in the capital of Florida. This is the main air gate of the state, and it is from here that the majority of flights from the United States to Latin America are made. The airport has three terminals: North, South and Central. The route of the Skytrain train runs between them, and travelators operate inside the airport building, since the distances between the terminals can reach a couple of kilometers.

Of course, the airport is well equipped and has all the infrastructure necessary for a traveler: cafes and restaurants, lounges, shops, ATMs, hotels. To get a taxi from the airport to the center, you will have to pay about $30. You can also get to the airport by metro (Miami International Airport station) or by buses, which will take the tourist to the center in 45 minutes, and, importantly, they run around the clock.

Sea port

Seaport (Sea Port of Miami) is one of the largest in the United States. The full name of the port is Port Dante B. Fastzell, located on Dodge Island, connected to the mainland not only by a highway, but also by an underground tunnel, thanks to which you can get there without any traffic jams. Serves both cargo and passenger ships. There are as many as 8 passenger terminals in the port alone, which means that 8 cruise ships can enter here at the same time, with 5,000 passengers on board each. The size of the port is generally amazing.

This is not surprising, because the main cargo communication with the countries of Latin America is carried out through the sea gates. The port is also home to many international cruise companies. From here it is convenient to cruise around the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Even a simple walk along the port will bring a lot of impressions.

Club “Deuce”

Club “Deuce” – how not to mention the haunts of the party capital of the United States. Miami is full of bars, clubs and places to have a drink. But they all often replace each other, and the Deuce club has been operating since 1926. The institution is a typical dive bar (a place of dubious reputation where the local public gathers in the evenings) and makes visitors nostalgic for the times when there were no dress codes, of all the entertainment in the bar there was enough table for pool and jubox, and the decorations were neon lights over the captured bar. One way or another, a very diverse audience goes here, there are even celebrities.

In the local setting, it's easy to feel like an 80s action movie hero. Happy hour, where you can treat yourself to two drinks for the price of one, lasts from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust

The Holocaust Memorial is the saddest monument dedicated to the victims of the genocide of the Jewish people during World War II. The Jewish community has had a significant impact on the development of Miami, and this monument is a tribute to grief and a symbol of peacetime hope for all peoples of the world.

The memorial consists of 11 areas: here is a memorial wall with names, and a pond with water lilies, personifying the souls of the dead, and the central Sculpture of love and longing. A 10-meter arm stretches into the sky, and the victims of the genocide climb up it in terrible suffering. A visit to this monument leaves a heavy impression, and this is the purpose of such memorials – so that the living today remember the terrible suffering, so that they do not repeat the mistakes of their ancestors!

Visiting the memorial is free, the monument is open every day from 9 o'clock until sunset.

Old Spanish monastery

The old Spanish monastery (Ancient Spanish Monastery) amazes with its difficult fate. The monastery was built in Segovia at the beginning of the 12th century, originally called the Monastery of Our Lady of the Queen of the Angels, then it was renamed the Monastery of St. Bernard of Cleuro. After the Spanish Civil War, the church building was used to store grain. The building was acquired by the American tycoon Hearst and decided to move it to America. The monastery was dismantled stone by stone, transported to the USA, and collected only 25 years and 1.5 million dollars later, because the numbered container was lost. Now assembled like a puzzle, the building serves as a place for divine services in Spanish and English, weddings and pilgrimage of parishioners.

The monastery is open daily from 10 am to 4.30 pm.

Miami attractions on the map