Beaux Arts is Miami's oldest juried art show. It was founded in 1952 by fifty women from a…read morevolunteer group led by Anne Atkinson, then Assistant Director of the newly built Joe and Emily Lowe Art Gallery. The purpose of the group was to provide funds for the Lowe Art Museum. The first show had art on clothes lines to display it for buyers. In 1987 Beaux Art's introduced the Hands On program to bring art to children in underserved communities in Miami. The show has now grown into an annual event with over 200 artists displaying works in 10 different mediums on the campus of the University of Miami. This was my first time attending the festival and I couldn't have picked a better time. The 75th anniversary of the festival coincides with the University of Miami playing in the CFP National Championship tonight against the Indiana Hoosiers. The campus was buzzing with Cane pride. On campus parking was available in the Pavia parking Garage for $10. I also noticed that you could park across the street for free and walk over. Admission to the festival was free. I love the park like setting of UM. The campus is beautiful and it was the perfect setting for all of the wonderful art that was displayed. The fair was actually much larger than I expected it to be. In addition to the many art tents where you could vote for your favorite, there was a food area, live music, artisan vendor tents, and children's activities. There was so much going on that it would take several hours to take it all in. You could also visit the Lowe Art Museum which was open. I was really impressed with this event and it is a January highlight for many others too.

This is my third year attending, & I absolutely LOVE this arts fest…read more The artists are truly amazing...you see he most unique & breathtaking artistry. I was really impressed with the jewelry booths this year. There was an amazing cover band playing, & of course the food was great.

Take a walking tour with Howard Brayer! He's likable, informed, a treat to learn from and you'll…read moreget a lot of nachas to see how so many Jews played a part in developing today's gorgeous Miami Beach! Am Yisrael Jai! Take the tour! Thanks Howard! PS There is a gift shop too! PPS A guard checks everyone's belongings through a detector- glad to see that too. A+++

I had wanted to visit this museum for some time. The day I went they had an architectural talk. I…read morefigured I'd do both. To my surprise there was a 2nd talk about Jewish settlers in South Beach. Both were very interesting. I really liked the museum as well, lots of interesting items on display. The building is an old synagogue. They also had an art display. Saturdays it's free and it's a great location for a walk afterwards.

Cecil Goring gave me a tour of the museum and it was not just entertaining and enriching but his…read morethoughtful, knowledgeable, patient and insightful tour was educational, emotional and eye-opening on many different levels. A big 'Thank You' to Cecil and everybody who has worked on keeping the memory of the people who worked in this historic precinct alive in order to teach all of us so many valuable lessons.

On Nov 19, the Overtown Optimist Club planned an afterschool fieldtrip with 30 youth and adults to…read morevisit and explore the heritage within the Historic Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum. In a word, AMAZING. The history shared from Director Terrance CribbsLorant left our kids wanting more. The kids were engaged and continuously asked questions. What a gem of an experience. If you haven't planned a trip, you absolutely MUST. You will not be dissapointed. Kids were challenged to think about community and activism in a positive, humane and inspiring way. We are so very grateful to have such a masterful curator ... just a short walk away. Thank You Terrance! We will be back.

Phenomenal experience Re-visiting one of the first museums I went to when I was a kid! I still…read moreremember that elementary school field trip & the magic it brought me! I think Museum Miami was where I fell in love with South Florida!!! It showed me soooo much beauty that was & IS in my own backyard! Going back decades later & I can still feel the same magic & joy!!!! Can't wait to return!

The Museum of Miami, formerly History Miami Museum is a special place for visitors…read more The museum displays great special exhibits and events as well as permanent collections, with 40,000 artifacts. The museum was one of eight in the United States selected to showcase the Freedom Plane National Tour of historic documents including a draft of the Constitution, the Treaty of Paris and the Articles of Association. The exhibit is on through July 5, 2026 in celebration of the nation's 250th birthday. Parking in the cultural center garage is validated for a reduced rate of five dollars.

In 1910 Carl Fisher began to transform Miami Beach into a world class resort destination. The Miami…read moreBeach Improvement Company was founded in 1916 by John Collins and it platted the Oceanfront Subdivision and named the area Miami Beach. In the 1920's during Florida's land boom years, many hotels and mansions were built. The 1930's and 40's were the height of the Art Deco design movement inspired by Paris and many of the hotels were built in this style. By the 1970's Miami Beach was run down by neglect and salt water damage. Things were so bad that the movie Scarface used South Beach as a stand in for a drug infested ghetto neighborhood. Barbara Baer Capitman and a group of activists banded together to preserve the Art Deco buildings of South Beach. Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976 with Leonard Horowitz which started a movement to place one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. Their efforts enabled 800 of the historic Art Deco buildings to be saved. In the late 1980's South Beach had a resurgence. Models and the fashion industry moved in. An area that once had people thinking twice about driving through became home to the wealthy. Today it is walking friendly and generally low crime. As a component of trying to save the Art Deco gems in the 1970's, the Miami Design Preservation League founded Art Deco Week in 1978 to bring attention to saving this area. The event transitioned into an annual free weekend festival celebrating the district's history, arts, and iconic style. Today it is the Preservation League's largest educational outreach program for the city's famous landscape. Although I have visited this area many times, this was my first time attending the festival. My favorite part was being able to walk up and down Ocean Drive since it was closed off to traffic for this weekend. Many of the restaurants extended their normal sidewalk dining into the street creating elaborate outdoor dining areas. In addition to dining specials offered by area restaurants this event also has a car show, artisan market, Jazz Age Stage with live music and dancing, VIP Opening Night Soiree, lectures, and residential and Ocean Drive architectural tours for $40. You can also visit the Miami Preservation League's Welcome Center and Museum. There are fun photo opportunities set up in Lumus park opposite the Versace mansion. Parking in South Beach is always a challenge but as a fan of both history and architecture this festival was right up my alley.

It's a nice way to spend an hour or two. This year the weather couldn't be any better…read more Art Deco Fest start at like 5th street and goes all the way to 12/13th. Lots of food and drink options Making Ocean Drive pedestal not is a brilliant way to appreciate the architecture of the art deco buildings. My kids really liked the car show and arguing about which car was the nicest. I wish there was more interactive activities for the kids and adults that give the everyone a greater appreciation for Art Deco. It has gotten a little too much about the vendors and not enough about the art

The Miami Springs Historical Society, founded in 1986, runs a small, free museum in Charles B. A…read moreStafford Park. It is open on Saturdays from 12-4 PM. When I arrived the door was locked and I thought they were closed but if you knock they will let you in. Maria, a member of the historical society was volunteering her time and she could not have been nicer showing me around and answering questions. She told me that the museum collection was curated by one gentleman who donated it to the historical society. The City of Miami Springs donated the building. Without dedicated people like these so much history would be lost and I am grateful that they donate their time and effort to keep history alive. The purpose of the museum is preserve the city's heritage along with that of neighboring cities. Miami Springs, Hialeah, and Opa-locka were founded by famed aviator Glenn Curtiss who was a contemporary of the Wright brothers. Curtiss started his career building and racing motorcycles. From there he moved into building airships racking up many flying firsts along the way. His innovation in planes helped the military in the run up to WWI. His planes were also used during WWII. His accomplishments and inventions are too many to list. He was considered the Henry Ford of the aviation world. Curtiss moved to Miami in the 1920's where he founded 18 corporations and developed Miami Springs in the Pueblo Revival architectural style. He passed away at the young age of 52 from complications from appendicitis surgery in 1930 but he left his presence all over this area. Some of the displays are about his development company. In a side room there is an interesting 10 minute movie about Fair Havens and Dr. John Harvey Kellogg of the cereal fame. The building was originally the opulent Hotel Country Club and the Battle Creek built in 1926 by Glenn Curtiss in the Pueblo Revival style to give prospective home purchasers a place to stay. In 1929, during the economic downturn, Curtiss sold the hotel to his friend, health, and wellness expert Dr. John Harvey Kellogg for the sum of $10. Dr. Kellogg lived and worked out of the Miami Battle Creek Sanitarium for many years where he treated patients, developed new soy-based food products, wrote, and raised his large adopted family. Kellogg was ahead of his time with his ideas on health and wellness. He lived well into his nineties. The room the is set up to look as it would have during Kellogg's time. Today the building is an elderly residents home. Many of the other displays are about Pan Am and Dinner Key. Dinner Key was used as a base of operations for the U.S. Navy, Pan American World Airways, and the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1917 the first continental naval air station in the country was created. During WWI Dinner Key was used as a Naval Air Base. In 1930, Pan American World Airways built a large terminal and hangers for flying boat service to Latin America. The City of Miami purchased Dinner Key in 1946 and one of the Pan American hangers was turned into the Dinner Key Auditorium. Fun fact, this is where Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested in 1969 for indecent exposure at a concert for 10,000 people. He was convicted but died in Paris before he could be made to serve his sentence. Today Dinner Key is the site of the Miami City Hall that was created from the Pan American terminal in 1954. Three of the four Pan American hangars are used for boat storage and Dinner Key is now a marina. Anther display is about the Hialeah Park flamingoes. Considering that this is a small space, there is a lot to look at if you take your time. The flight attendant outfits for Pan Am through the years is a fun display from a fashion perspective. Thank you Maria for sharing your time with me. Although the museum does not charge a fee they accept donations and they have a small gift shop. If you too like history and are in the area on a Saturday afternoon, I highly recommend you stop by.

We had a memorable time viewing the "Library of Us" during Art Basel at Faena Beach on the first…read moreday, thanks to good friends of ours. We were anxious to see this unique library sculpted by British artist Es Devlin. The Library of Us" is a 20-foot-tall, 50-foot-wide kinetic, rotating sculpture commissioned by Faena Art for Miami Art Week/Art Basel December 2025. It featured 2,500 books in a triangular, glowing, water-surrounded structure, offering a reflective space for art and book lovers to pass some time with books that Ms Devlin has collected. I read at least one book per week every week so I enjoyed this never before seen sculpture! It was amazing! The exhibit was for a couple of weeks and had lots of visitors. We really enjoyed a nice relaxing time there.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our good friends Michelle and Dom, we were able to get our…read morehands on an invitation to this very coveted event . In hindsight now most of the feedback from Art Basel proper is that it could get a bit overwhelming, with so much art and so many people. This is why Vernissage is such a wonderful event, it is much less crowded, and gives you the opportunity to get in the very first night and not only appreciate the art in a more intimate setting and sometimes even talk to the artists. There were a couple of bars that I noticed, and the lines to buy wine not that bad. I will now make it my official purpose in life to score these tickets again for next year. This event is by invitation only so as the schedule notes, don't come if you don't have an invitation... there are no ticket sales at the door. I am forever grateful to our good friends for the invite.

Excellent local museum to visit and learn about Hollywood. Check website for openings I believe…read moreit's once a month only.

I finally was able to come by and tour the interior of the house. Tours given by volunteers of the…read moreHollywood Historical Society are offered between and 1 and 4 on the first Sunday of the month through May. I love how the city of Hollywood has embraced their history. There are many historical signs on buildings throughout the city. This house not only tells the story of Vera and Clarence Hammerstein but also the history of Hollywood, Florida. If you have any history questions pertaining to the city, you can ask the knowledgeable volunteers. In addition I was also able to meet with the city historian who was working in a back building during the tour. The 1935 house is a tropical modern design. Features include a variegated tile roof, Cuban and Spanish floor tiles, white stucco walls, and fireplaces with detailed heatolators along the sides. While I love the house my favorite items on the tour were the personal touches of its previous occupants. Vera and Clarence were world travelers and in the Florida room you can see the souvenirs of their travels. Also on display is Clarence's World War I memorabilia. The house has all of the period furniture including a gorgeous Tiffany cabinet. You feel like the homes owners could step back at any moment. Tours are absolutely free and parking is available on the street in front of the house. A big thank you to the volunteers who give their time to make these tours possible. After you finish at the home there are a number of great cafes and coffee shops a short distance away on Young Circle.