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Historic Landmarks in Miami Beach, Florida


Lee Morgan The Art Deco Historic District in Miami Beach is one of the city's most recognizable areas. (Photo: Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images )


Miami Beach, Florida, is a hot city in weather terms, but it is also one of the hottest vacation spots in the Southeastern United States. The area along the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay has some of Florida's most famous stretches of sandy beach, and an incredible club and dining scene that is unique to this small part of the Miami-Dade area. It also, though, has places to visit that are historically significant. There are several landmarks in this area with rich history that should be included in a trip to Miami Beach.

Art Deco Historic District

Between 1923 and 1943 Miami Beach was being built into the unique looking city that visitors and locals know and love today. The famous Art Deco Historic District is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. There are literally hundreds of hotels, apartment buildings, retail spaces and other structures built in this distinct style. The architecture of this area landed this area near South Beach on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979. An Art Deco festival happens in South Beach each January to celebrate this defining look in Miami.

Holocaust Memorial

In February of 1990, a committee of Holocaust survivors in the Miami area got together and planned a Holocaust Memorial (holocaustmmb.org) in remembrance of the six million Jewish people who were lost in Europe. A massive sculpture was erected in the memorial park that serves as the centerpiece of the memorial. It is of a giant outstretched arm reaching to the sky with an Auschwitz tattoo and surrounded by victims of the Holocaust climbing the arm in an attempt to escape their fate. The many vignettes of victims surrounding the main arm sculpture are life size and standing beside it can be quite intense.


Miami Beach, Florida in 

Vizcaya Museum

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (vizcayamuseum.org) is a National Historic Landmark that welcomes more than 170,000 visitors each year. This was once a lavish residence that was built during a time when many wealthy industrialists were building extravagant homes in South Florida. This one belonged to James Deering, a worldwide leader in agricultural equipment. But this building and its surrounding property eventually became a museum and garden that houses a diverse collection of art spanning 2,000 years and reaching to every corner of the world. The Vizcaya gardens also have an exceptional orchid collection.

Freedom Tower

Stretching high in to the Miami sky, the Freedom Tower used to be the home of the Miami Daily News and Metropolis. It became a culturally and historically significant place between 1962 and 1974 when it was used to help immigrate Cuban refugees from 90 miles across the ocean. In 1979, it was added to the National Registry of Historic Places. It remains a symbol of freedom for Cuban immigrants who started a new life in America and helped shape the culture of Miami.









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