This is a sister garden of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, located in Coconut Grove. It's…read moregated and you have to reserve your time and ticket in advance on their website. On the day of my reservation, there was a high chance for downpours. I wish we had had more than 5 minutes to walk around before the heavens opened and it started pouring rain. We did make it over to the water, but didn't really get to see the whole garden other than the area where we parked. You'll only need an hour or less to see this place, it's small. Would I go out of my way to visit? No, but if you're in the area and looking for something new, then go for it. Entry was a bit annoying as I had to get out of the car to reach the buzzer to have the gate opened. No one was answering so we wasted 5 minutes just trying to get in. All in all, interesting little garden, but no where as spectacular as Fairchild.

The Kampong is open by advance reservation to visitors Tuesday through Friday and is a 9 acres (3.6…read moreha) botanical garden in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is one of the five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG). An admission fee is charged,The fee is 18.00 The Kampong was bought as a winter home by the famed horticulturalist David Fairchild and his wife Marian in 1916.For many years he managed the Department of Plant Introduction program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., searching the world for plants that could be useful and successfully introduced into the United States. Fairchild introduced around 30,000 plant species and varietals into the U.S. At his home in Florida, Fairchild created a garden that contained many of the plants that he obtained throughout his trips. In 1931 Marian's sister Elsie and her husband, Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, acquired the adjoining property on the north to use as their winter home.Fairchild and his wife made the Kampong their permanent home from 1928 until their deaths in 1954 and 1962 respectively. A year after David Fairchild's wife's death, the land was purchased by Catherine Hauberg Sweeney, a botanist and preservationist.[4] Sweeney maintained Fairchild's garden and was vital in its preservation for future use and study, securing its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1984 Sweeney donated the property to the then Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden (now National Tropical Botanical Garden), and remained its principal sponsor until her death in 1995. The Kampong's first director from July 1996 to February 1998, Thomas Lodge, oversaw completion of The Fairchild-Sweeney House renovations. He also was key in researching David Fairchild's role in the establishment of Everglades National Park. Larry Schokman served as Mrs. Sweeney's superintendent for 11 years, until 1984 when The Kampong became part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG), and Schokman became an NTBG employee. As director of horticulture and then assistant director under Lodge, Schokman maintained a close working and personal relationship with Sweeney until her death in 1995. He became director of The Kampong in 1998 and retired in August 2007. He died in October 2017. Following Schokman, David Lee was director of The Kampong from 2007 to 2009. Lee was formerly the chair of biological sciences at Florida International University, where he worked for 26 years. Lee helped to safeguard The Kampong's southern boundary from development encroachment, and provided guidance for The Kampong's board of governors. In 2009, Ann Parsons took on the role of director of The Kampong. Formerly the director of education at Norfolk Botanical Garden, Parsons, along with curator of living collections David T. Jones, were tasked with preserving the rich legacy of The Kampong while planning for the future. They are doing just that--in 2011, more than 5,000 guests visited the historic estate and garden through tours, educational programs and special events. Michael Maunder was Director from 2013 to 2016. Craig Morell, formerly the horticulturist at Pinecrest Gardens became the Director of The Kampong in 2017, retiring in May 2022. Appealing to a wider spectrum of visitors than ever before, The Kampong is an urban oasis with over 1200 species of fruit trees, palms, ethnobotanical plants and teaching collections for botanical study. These visitors are key in helping spread The Kampong message about the importance of protecting, preserving, and studying tropical plants. Today the Kampong's living collections include tropical fruits including pomelo, 23 cultivars of avocado, and 65 varieties of mango, palms, flowering trees, ficus, aroids, and bamboo.This garden serves as the mainland campus for the NTBG. In addition to the diverse living collections which are the core of The Kampong, there are living quarters for researchers and scientists, as well as meeting facilities for larger groups. The site is also well configured for weddings and outdoor functions of all varieties. The Fairchild-Sweeney House - designed by architect Edward Clarence Dean, constructed in 1928,as a combination of Spanish and Southeast Asian influences. A later renovation to the home incorporated more modern features and added a second floor over a portion of the home, resulting in an unusual blend of styles. Visitors included Thomas Edison and Henry

In all the years that I lived in Miami, I never once visited Viscaya; I live in shame. Mostly…read morebecause when you're local the mentality is, "why pay to see a fancy house? you can drive by coral gables or south beach and see them for free". I will say, the grounds are absolutely delightful, especially if you go in the Springtime as we did where flowers are all in full bloom, that alone is worth the ticket price. The architecture is exquisite! A feast for the eyes in so many ways. When we came to visit, they were doing renovations. You could see the water damage on the roof and walls, probably caused by one of the many Summer storms, because of that the tickets were at a discount that day but we were still able to appreciate the beauty of Viscaya. There are two cafe's. One in the garden of the main house, and another across the street where farm animals use to be kept. Surprisingly, the food and drinks are reasonably priced. The day we were there, a wedding was going to take place and there was a lot of commotion going on. Fancy tables being set up, fine china, crystal glasses, the whole works. We asked a security guard how much it costs to have a wedding reception there and he said: "Just to rent the space, no tables, no nothing, starting price is 100k". So if you have 100k lying around, and plan to get married soon, this could be an option for you. Jokes aside though; I'd definitely visit again.

Imagine being transported to a palatial European setting...except you're in Miami. We took the…read moremetro to Vizcaya and made the ten minute walk to the gardens. The property and history is pretty amazing. As many other reviews have mentioned, a good portion of the rooms and structures are closed for renovations. They have reduced the entry to $20 from $25 but it still was a little disappointing that the casino building and several rooms in the house were closed. Being that it was the offseason, some of the gardens did seem to be past their peak. We hope to return when everything is open in season and tour the whole facility.

WOW! What a beautiful gem!…read more I'm honestly in shock I didn't know about the Coral Gables Museum beforehand but this venue is gorgeous. Located in the heart of the Gables this museum is the perfect spot to host lovely evening looking at the stars. I came here for a private event and was fascinated by the Spanish inspired architecture, bistro lights, star gazing and the live music + food that was brought by outside vendors leading it to be the most perfect night. The place itself is spacious, airy, and cozy all at the same time. If you're looking to host a private event that will transport you to a European night, this is the spot!

¡Azúcar! Celebrating Celia's 100th Birthday is the latest exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum,…read morehonoring Celia's trajectory and life. The museum is cozy and transmits a historic vibe, being set in the old firehouse station, and features a charming patio perfect for enjoying a refreshing afternoon or a starry night. The exhibit is beautifully curated and full of life, it truly immerses you in her journey and fills you with the energy of her achievements. It's inspiring to see Celia throughout all her phases, uplifting your spirit and reminding you of the incredible, adventurous experiences life can bring. I really appreciate when institutions pay homage to true Latin icons with all the glory that a symbol of Latin music and culture deserves. Even though the exhibit is small, it's a joyful little capsule of azúcar that reminds you that life is a carnival of happiness. La Reina Celia will always live on through us, every time we dance to her rhythms and step into her world. Just wish it would be a little bigger as the ticket might be a little bit expensive for the exhibitions space and offer (my only reason I don't that the final star it deserves). Coral Gables Museum, keep nourishing our spirit with exhibits like this.

Amazing gem on the University of Miami Coral.Gables campus…read more The museum is free, however there is limited parking.

The Lowe Art Museum is free to visit and offers a wonderful variety of art across many styles and…read moreperiods. Parking is available in the garage across the street for an hourly fee paid by meter. The only downside to our visit was the abrupt behavior of the rude staff -- at exactly 3:51 PM, they came in and announced that the museum was closed, turning off the lights without any prior warning. Official closing time is 4:00 PM, so a more courteous heads-up would have been appreciated.

What a delightful and incredibly informative tour of this historic home in the City Beautiful. A…read moregreat restoration project, both inside and out, and the docents' passion for the place comes through in every word of the hourlong tour. Super cheap too with plenty of parking out back.

This review is based on seeing the outside as the inside, was shut. I would like to come back to…read morealso see inside, maybe after the pandemic. Built in 1899 by Reverend Solomon Merrick, this residence, which served as the home base for Merrick's 3000-acre grapefruit plantation, grew from a modest frame house to one encased in coral rock. Solomon's wife Althea planted oaks, gumbo limbos, n rubber trees throughout her vegetable n cut flower gardens n lined the keystone walkways with low coral walls, conch shells, n crepe myrtles. In 1921 the plantation was transformed into a planned community by Solomon's son George who named his subdivision "Coral Gables" for the oolitic limestone pillars that ornamented his childhood home, preserved on a half-acre lot. At this time, Althea added a grotto, a bamboo grove, n a fish pond planted with water lilies n irises. Following the collapse of the land boom, the house became a boarding house through the 1940s. George's sister Ethel continued to add plantings n cared for the gardens until she passed away in 1961. At this time the property was purchased by W.L. Philbrick who funded the Merrick Manor Foundation. In 1976 the City of Coral Gables acquired the house n gardens n encouraged the Coral Gables Garden Club to undertake its restoration. Aided by historic photographs n personal interviews, the garden club worked with landscape architect Jonathon Seymour to restore the garden. Flowering b fruit trees native to Florida's high hammock were rejuvenated or replaced, the pond was restored, and a replica sundial was set in the cut flower garden. The house, restored to its 1920s appearance, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Such a beautiful place! The whole area is pretty but so we didn't get to explore the whole place…read morebut I'll definitely be back. The butterfly conservatory is so pretty and there were so many butterflies flying around. This is a great place to spend the day (maybe when it gets a little colder out!)

This place is located about a half hour from downtown Miami. The drive isn't bad, but I'm not sure…read moreabout traffic in the area generally. We arrived here a bit after 1:30 p.m. on a Thursday. As we toured the gardens, I could see the road we came in on as it continued past some areas of the garden, and by 3 p.m. it was packed with cars at a crawl. So come early? The facility has ample parking on site. There is a main building that houses the gift shop, ticket counter, and a very small cafe. The gardens spread out behind it. Our tickets were free thanks to a Horticultural Society membership that my wife got. If you know that you'll be visiting at least a couple of sites like this within a year, it is worth checking on this to save some money on entry fees. There are paved paths throughout the gardens. You can walk the entire property, but they also offer hourly tram tours. We opted to do the tram first, and I think this is definitely the way to go. You can get a 1-hour overview of all the areas and then decide what to re-visit on foot afterwards. The focus of the gardens is tropical plants, though they have some other varieties as well. Our guide on the tram tour was quite good. He provide a historical overview and highlighted specific plants and architectural design choices as we drove around. Afterwards, we checked out the butterfly house and a few adjoining buildings. We also revisited areas with particularly nice views. My wife wanted to track down some Egyptian geese and also iguanas, both of which we'd seen on the tour. We were able to find both without too much effort. We probably spent 2.5 - 3 hours here. I enjoyed this more than I expected, and if you have any interest in landscape design or botanical gardens, this is a very worthwhile stop near Miami.

This is a planetarium, museum, aquarium all in one!…read more Place is very close to the Miami port. We had several hours to kill in Miami but had four large carryon bags. They luckily hold onto the bags while we explore the museum and this worked perfectly for us. In addition to the 4-5 floors and two buildings worth of area to explore, there are amazing view of Miami from most of the floors. Kids thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Florida gators and other reptiles. The aquarium has shark and a huge turtle in addition to several other varieties of sea life. Kids spent several hours in the flight museum and the interactive universe simulator model as well. We also caught one of the shows in the planetarium, make sure to reserve a spot during a time slot of your choice well before hand. Perfect stop if you have a few hours in Miami.

My husband and I visited this museum as part of our day trip to Miami. I wish parking wasn't so…read moreexpensive ($18 flat rate). It took us about 2.5 hours to explore the entire place including the planetarium show. The show that worked out best with timing was called "How to Die in Space: An Interactive Adventure Through the Cosmos." The girl leading it was wonderful but as you may figure by its name, the show was not a peaceful experience. There were a number of explosions that I think scared some of the kids in attendance. The other exhibits included one about flight, the human body/mind, an aquarium, dinosaurs, and general Florida wildlife. I can't say I learned a terrible amount of new information but it was fine. I appreciate the museum's mission and it probably would be cool for toddlers-little kids.

I finally made it to PAMM after living in South Florida for years, and it was a good experience…read moreoverall. We went on the second Saturday of the month when admission is free. When we arrived around 4 PM, the parking garage was full and we were told we would have 10 minutes to find parking. We got really lucky and were able to secure a spot. Parking was $18, which is pretty normal for downtown Miami, and it was convenient being able to park on-site. I would not consider myself a big "art" person, but I really enjoyed some of the exhibits, as well as the fun Chromosaturation room. Afterwards, we were able to check out the Resilient Lady ship as she was leaving port of miami, which was nice and relaxing. Overall, I enjoyed the visit and would definitely recommend checking it out, especially on one of the free admission days.

an excellent collection of art. the surrounding area of the…read moremuseum is also very scenic and beautiful, definitely worth exploring and great places to take pix! have fun c.

Super interactive! This was such a great experience and I feel like I learned so much about van…read moreGogh himself and his art. If you're looking to see his actual paintings, this isn't the exhibit for you and you'll have to go to museums in Amsterdam, Paris etc. because these are all replicas of his work and projected images but not the originals. I really enjoyed watching the various videos about his pieces and learning about his life. At the end there was a really cute activity where you can draw your own art with crayons and I really enjoyed it. Haven't used crayons in about 15 years so that was fun. The entire exhibit takes about an hour to get through but you can easily spend more time if you want to read everything. Tickets- they make you download an app and buy the tickets through it. There is a student discount!! As well as seniors and military. Parking- downtown Miami is a ghost town but I went during lunch time so it was actually pretty busy. Parking is like $15 for valet but I was able to find Pay By Phone parking near bay front park and walk 2 blocks to the exhibit.

On 2/28/26 5 of us went and were not admitted as we were 7 minutes late. We were told to email for…read morerefund or reschedule, which we did within 5 minutes. No where on website or ticket did it say no admittance if you are late. We got no refund or reschedule date. Do better!!

Moon Over the Gables in Ponce De Leon Circle is a cultural event surrounding the public art piece,…read moreMuseum of the Moon by UK artist Luke Jerram. Museum of the Moon is a replica of the moon that is lit from within and measures seven meters in diameter. The surface of this moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. Each centimeter of the sculpture equals 5km of the moon's surface. Museum of the Moon has been on tour around the world and will also be displayed in Spain, Chile, and Germany. Several moons have been made and they are touring simultaneously. A number of museums throughout the country have also purchased replicas of this piece for their collections. The City of Coral Gables hosted different events around the base of the artwork during several evenings in March. Events included story time, arts and crafts, yoga, and on the night I visited live music and food trucks.