We love art! You got to--to appreciate this space. Great staff Rachel (so informative), Alex in…read morespray paint, and Alex -the one checking tickets- all sooo friendly and great. Rachel is above and beyond awesome. Beautiful art space outdoor and indoor (this was a great break from the heat). The outdoor fans, great idea but they aren't cold so not helping anyone cool off hehe On our second visit we brought the kids and did some spray painting on canvases and a skateboard. Such a great experience. Alex and her partner Andres were so helpful made the experience very enjoyable.

Wynwood Art Walk Tours isn't just walking past murals. It's walking with someone who knows which…read morewalls have stories attached, which artists took risks, which pieces cost the neighborhood something. The murals themselves are massive and they're professional, but scale alone doesn't make art work. Context does. Shepard Fairey's augmented reality layer is the differentiator here. It's not a gimmick. When you scan a mural with your phone, the piece opens up into layers and motion. It's the artist's way of saying "there's more here than what you see." It works because it's restrained, not constantly pulling you into your screen. You're still in the neighborhood. You're just seeing deeper. The guide we had knew the economics of gentrification in Wynwood. Knew which artists have been here for years and which are new money. Knew the politics of murals, why some walls get painted and others get buffed, why some artists collaborate and some don't. That knowledge cost something to build. You're paying for it. We took three teenagers, ages 14-17. Not a group naturally inclined to stand still for street art. They asked questions about technique, about why certain artists choose certain walls, about whether the AR experience changes how you see the piece or adds distraction. They engaged. That's not about impressive art alone, that's about the tour structure creating room for actual thinking instead of passive consumption. The neighborhood is dense and chaotic and intentional all at once. You'll see pieces that are technically flawless next to pieces that are deliberately rough. Some murals are massive, some are character-scale. Some artists are making statements about politics, some about beauty, some about ownership. The variation is what keeps it alive. A sanitized art walk would kill this. Walking it yourself is free and worth doing once. Walking it with the tour is $29 and worth doing if you want to understand why these walls matter to the city and why some artists chose to paint them. The difference is context. Context costs something, but you leave with more than photos. The sun hits different at 4 PM than at 11 AM, so timing matters if photography is part of your thing. The neighborhood gets foot traffic but it's not overwhelming. You're in a real place, not a theme park. That texture is part of why this works.

Amazing! What a place to see beautiful pieces of art at the gallery located in Wynwood, also known…read moreas Miami's art district. It has a very modern design and decor. I enjoyed viewing all of the unique pieces of art and collections. The gallery frequently changes its artwork and exhibits. I was greeted with kindness and knowledge by the gallery team. A must go to explore and immerse yourself in quality art. I definitely will be back when I am in the Miami area of Wynwood.

If there is something Wynwood doesn't lack of is art in all shapes and colors. I love all the art…read moregalleries opening in this area. The Wall Art Gallery is not the exception and I enjoy their art collection. While pricing is kind of prohibitive, it costs nothing to enjoy the fine art they have. Looking forward to my next time at this place to see if they have refreshed their collection. All in all, I appreciate the work of those artists and the Wall Art Gallery for offering a place to exhibit those.

If you are coming to Miami, and your calendar is manageable, make your visit land on Second…read moreSaturday. If you make it on Second Saturday, well, all galleries are open late, and many galleries offer free drinks. Many galleries also have cash bars, if you really want to hang. If you like walking around, this could be a problem. The streets are packed with art lovers. If you like to sit down, this could also be a problem. It's overcrowded, and finding a seat may be a hard commodity to find, but don't lose hope. If you come to Second Saturday, you'll have fun.

How could I have not reviewed this before?…read more I was one of the brave souls exploring Wynwood back at the beginning in '02 / '03 when Second Saturdays had a more underground feel to it and was just three or four gallery spaces. (I remember this area when I went to high school nearby and it was just the hood, but I'll leave it at that...don't want any more gray hairs to pop up!) Anyways, Wynwood / Design District has grown up and diversified now and known by the mainstream. Nowadays you're likely to see a DJ performance in front of a local (non green mermaid) coffee shop with live breakdancing, live street painting, performance art such as planking in one of the public spaces, and bands in the other . You're also likely to run into a bunch of majorly cool people around the different galleries too. Don't forget the bunch of new restaurants, plus the food trucks either! Sure, parking can be an adventure and / or overpriced ($10 for an unimproved lot where my "Eleanor" gets dirty?? ) But what would a hot night in the city be without a little adventure!

Raw concrete floors..exposed high roof joists and white concrete walls. Throw in dim overhead…read morelighting with a few strategic spotlights and voila you're in Now gallery. I ventured a block east of the main 2nd Avenue track after receiving a flier for an event at an adjacent space, and I ventured in to enjoy this months exhibit: sculptures made out of old books! Highlight of the exhibit seemed to be books arranged in a DNA double helix..deep stuff...cool space!

Collecting art in Miami, I am well-acquainted with Now Contemporary Art for many years; and, have…read moreacquired several pieces along the way. In the last year, the gallery has moved and restructured its representation, all for the better. The new space, though smaller, is more visually functional. It's open and airy, with high ceilings, natural light and expansive walls that bring out the best in the works featured. The gallery specializes in artists employing clever use of unconventional materials to generate exciting and quirky art works. Example, cubed wood to mimic pixilated animal sculptures, melted and mutilated manga dolls, cut comic book pages collaged in optical patterns, lego blocks arranged in to architecture, paintings of amusing and happy plasticine figurines in social arrangements, buttons kinetically arranged with fishing line to create 3 dimensional imagery, carved books et al. All fun and aesthetically whimsical. The uniquely original art is presented by Pablo Dona, the gallery owner/director, a passionate and charming dealer, sells the art he loves and wants to collect for himself. Now Contemporary is among the galleries that have elected to remain in Wynwood and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday with both on site and street parking. The art is family friendly, as is the gallerist.

I was traveling through Wynwood and found Joen and his beetle! Very cool to see. Joen was made…read morein 2019 and has had a rough time here. Worn and loved and tagged in the art district. There was plenty of parking and the Wynwood district is awesome to see all the art murals around. I'm glad I got to visit him.

Traveled with a large group of International students. Spotted the sculpture and stopped to take a…read morephoto. Amazing sculpture.

I have always wanted to explore the old RC Cola Plant in Wynwood. RC Cola had its origins in…read moreGeorgia just like Coca-Cola but it never became as popular. The building is open sometimes for tours and as an event space. It was closed the day I finally had the chance to come by but I still was able to enjoy all of the art painted on the outside of the building. In 1905 RC (Royal Crown) Cola was founded by Claud Adkins Hatcher, a Columbus, Georgia pharmacist who enjoyed creating soft drinks in the basement of his family's wholesale grocery business. The company was originally called Union Bottling Works. Royal Crown Ginger Ale was the first flavor followed by Royal Crown Strawberry, Royal Crown Root Beer and Chero-Cola. One day Hatcher overheard a route salesman describe a competitors tall bottle as being knee high which inspired him to create the Nehi line of fruit flavors in 1924. These included orange, grape, root beer. By 1925 the name of the company had been changed to Chero-Cola Co. and there were 315 plants in 14 southern states for bottling Chero-Cola and Nehi. In 1928 the company changed its name again to the Nehi Corporation because of the popularity of the fruity soft drinks. Things were going along well for the corporation until the Great Depression and the stock market crash of October 1929. Business finally began to stabilize by the 1930's but Hatcher passed away suddenly at the age of 46 on December 31, 1933. His will provided for the establishment in 1938 for the Pickett and Hatcher Educational Fund named after his good friend Devitt Pickett. The fund offered college educations to students who couldn't otherwise afford them. The fund is still operating today benefitting thousands of college students. Hatcher was succeeded by Vice President H.R. Mott who led the company to profitability in the 1940's by streamlining operations and cutting expenses. In 1946 celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Joan Crawford advertised for the company. In 1955 the name of the company was changed to Royal Crown Cola Company. In 1961 they made a breakthrough with a diet cola that tasted good and had no aftertaste. Diet Rite Cola took the company to new heights until cyclamate, the low calorie sweetener used in the soda was banned in 1969. 1975 brought to the public the popular ad campaign "Me and my RC." In 1980 the first caffeine free RC cola was introduced and in 1983 Diet Rite was eventually reformulated with NutraSweet. In 1984 RC Cola was bought by Chesapeake Financial Corporation an affiliate of Victor Posner and the headquarters was relocated from Atlanta, Georgia to Miami, Florida. An unfavorable court ruling against Posner spelled the end of RC Cola and it closed down in 1993 due to financial mismanagement. After becoming abandoned, the building began attracting graffiti. Today the RC Cola building is a focal point of the prestigious Art Basel held every December. It has appeared in the movie 2Fast2Furious. The plant is now owned by the Mana Urban Arts Project nd it is used for parties, festivals, events, and trade fairs. Art pieces painted there are under the curation of the Bushwick Collective. A full list of upcoming events can be found online.

It's an abandoned building! It's Public Art! It's a Grafitti Mural! It's a Movie Set!…read more It's the Old RC Cola Plant!! George M. gave a great historical lesson on it, and I had the chance to check it out during the Wynwood Art Fair this afternoon legally ;) I'm half tempted to take out a star because there were no industrial piping by where they used to make the soda, but there was killer grafitti and you could inhale the history in the air, and see some real cool industrial architecture. I also got to see the making of an action film while sauntering through the facility. This place has potential too, for either a killah Halloween party or Full Moon drumming!

Arlo Hotel is more of minimalistic / millennial / Gen Z type hotel, where you contact the front…read moredesk via text message and the rooftop bar is a party on weekend, making rooms on the 8th floor super loud in the evenings. Rooms are clean and roomy. Gym is pretty large and has pelotons. They provide nespressos in room, earplugs, and 2 cans of water a day.

this is a prime location for visiting the wynwood area. it has rooftop pool, lonby im the bar and…read moreis great walking distance to a lot of cafes and clubs. the staff was overall kind, but i felt like the rooftop staff was very standoffish and not very friendly. but maybe it was an off day. the friends who i was with also felt the same way. besides that, the hotel is great to visit or stay. c.

I loved this. the tour guide had work on the route too. As an artist I love looking and…read morelearning and finding a place where this is part of the landscape was inspiring. no banksy that they knew of, but thats ok. this is about an hour, and my friend is handicapped, so it worked out well. you meet in front of the graffiti museum, and there is plenty to look at and photograph. beautiful. knowing that every oct they have a street fair to celebrate this, and they re do the walls every few years makes this the perfect return visit spot. Love to come in october for the street fair.

We had a blast on the tour seeing so many amazing murals and so much street art it was almost…read moreoverwhelming! We haven't been to Wynwood in several years and the art scene continues to explode! Ivory was a truly fantastic tour guide with great energy, information, knowledge and street smarts. Thank you Ivory for a incredible tour! We luckily managed to park quite nearby the tour starting spot and had no problems. They also happen to have a bathroom inside which was handy before the tour started since I was fully caffeinated, as usual. Life is great with a fast paced but somehow relaxing street art tour! The talent on display was mind blowing! I will never forget it!

Balloon Museum Miami was SO much fun. I honestly didn't realize how much I needed an experience…read morelike this until I was there. It genuinely made me feel like a kid again, and I walked out feeling this incredible sense of euphoria and joy that I haven't felt in a long time. There was something so special about being able to completely immerse myself in something so colorful, playful, and carefree. Every exhibit was so fun, so interesting, and so unique, and each one brought me so much joy. I truly cannot explain what a great time I had here. Two of my absolute favorite exhibits were the butterfly made with nearly 39,000 LEDs, which was previously featured at Burning Man in 2023, and the giant ball pit at the very end. The butterfly was honestly magical. My best friend and I sat underneath it for probably 20 minutes just taking it all in. It was so peaceful and relaxing that we genuinely could have fallen asleep underneath it. It was one of those moments where you just completely forget about everything else and feel totally present. It was relaxing, joyful, and honestly just beautiful. And then ending the entire experience by jumping into a GINORMOUS ball pit?! It was the perfect way to finish. It was so playful and freeing, and I felt like a little kid again. There was something almost enlightening about being able to just let go and have fun without thinking about anything else. I honestly wish this was a permanent display in Miami because I feel like SO many people need something like this. We spend so much of our lives being responsible adults, working, running errands, paying bills, and constantly feeling like we have to be serious. Sometimes you just need to let loose, play, and experience that childlike happiness again. This place reminded me that we're not meant to just work all the time. Sometimes you need to give your soul a little break and allow yourself to feel that pure, uncomplicated joy again. I would absolutely go back. I genuinely wish everyone could experience this, especially anyone who feels like they've gotten a little too caught up in being an adult. Go let yourself be a kid again for a few hours. You'll leave feeling happier, lighter, and maybe even a little more connected to that part of yourself you forgot was still there.

The Balloon Museum is a pop up museum at the Mana Convention Center in Wynwood!…read more We booked our tickets far in advance to try and get the early bird discount but the process to redeem the discount was super confusing and my cousin ended up buying all of our tickets at full price. Definitely pay attention to the different types of tickets and try to see if you can get a discount. I ended up getting my boyfriend's ticket the day of and there was a FL resident ticket that ended up being cheaper than even what we paid for months ago. As for the museum itself. It's easy to find since its at the convention center. There is parking on-site right in front of the museum but it's $30 all day parking, which is pretty steep. We ended up parking at the street metered parking and paid half the price for an hourly price. Try to do street parking since it's a lot cheaper. It wasn't too hard to find either which was surprising since we came at 3pm on Saturday. Entering was super easy and the museum was a lot bigger than I was expecting. There were a ton of rooms and many photo-worthy moments! We came with my group of cousins and my cousins' two-year-old. It was a great time and I think it was one of the most extensive and immersive museums I've been to in a while! They're here until September 27 so definitely check it out if you have time to!