search
 
graphic

Explore Miami

graphic

10Best Attractions by Type

graphic

Expert Tips for Miami Attractions

  • #

    Institute of Contemporary Art: "Check out their calendar and sign up for their newsletter to stay on top of everything they've got coming up. Sign up for a class or a lecture, volunteer, and more to keep this important community space running."

  • #

    North Shore Open Space Park: "Bring quarter to feed the meters. There's plenty of parking, but you don't want to get caught at an expired meter or risk getting a ticket that will ruin your beach day."

  • #

    Palmetto Golf Course: "Look up the Miami-Dade Golf Patron Membership, which will grant you deep-discounts to a number of public courses (including this one) for one low price, plus a number of other perks, including a free round!"

 
SHOW MORE INFORMATION

Best Miami, FL Attractions

  • slide 10

    Holocaust Memorial

    Intensely moving, this memorial created by artist-architect Kenneth Treister honors victims and offers solace to survivors of the horrors of the Holocaust...

    Photo courtesy of used in book.
  • slide 9
  • slide 8

    Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

    Constructed in 1916 for industrialist James Deering, this Italianate palace is often referred to as the Hearst Castle of the East. Intended to appear...

  • slide 7

    Little Havana

    This small neighborhood packs a big cultural wallop. Settled in the years following Castro's revolution, it's now home to a third of Miami's 2 million...

  • slide 6
  • slide 5

    Jungle Island

    Tropical birds have the run of this unusual island park off MacArthur Causeway. Approximately 1,100 macaws, parrots and other winged residents join giant...

    Photo courtesy of used in book.
  • slide 4

    Shark Valley Visitor Center

    Part of the Everglades National Park, the Shark Valley Visitor Center is located in the center of an expansive river of grass, punctuated only by a 15-mile...

    Photo courtesy of Everglades National Park
  • slide 3

    Zoo Miami

    The only US zoo set in a subtropical climate, ZooMiami mesmerizes visitors with remarkable, open air exhibits and exotic creatures from around the world....

  • slide 2

    Robert Is Here

    Visiting this Homestead fruit stand, established by Robert Moehling in 1959 when he sold cucumbers street-side for his father, is a local tradition. Here,...

  • slide 1

    Lummus Park Beach

    Because South Beach is such a broad description, and because the varying beaches here go on for miles, we thought we'd narrow it down. Lummus Park, the area...

    Photo courtesy of Wilfred Hall
Advertisement

Local Expert Attraction Recommendations

The LatestLocal Expert Attraction Recommendations

About Miami, FL Attractions

Between ocean vistas and lush, tropical landscapes, man-made Miami tourist attractions are hard-pressed to compete with what nature put there.  Even so, the artistry exhibited Miami city attractions gives beaches a run for their money. Foremost among them is the 1916 winter estate called Vizcaya, an iconic Miami destination that was painstakingly designed to mimic an authentic Italian villa.  Another landmark from the same era, the Venetian Pool, is a fantasy of grottos, waterfalls and Mediterranean architecture, constructed around an abandoned rock quarry.

Charting more recent history are the Holocaust Memorial, a beautiful Miami museum whose enormous bronze hand hints simultaneously at hope and despair. Another tension – that of nature versus human intervention – gets a measure of reconciliation at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where a rainforest and arboretum highlight gorgeous, warm-weather specimens. Directly related is The Kampong, the former winter home of renowned horticulturalist David Fairchild. This serene attraction is a hidden gem in Coconut Grove and features spacious gardens filled with plants discovered throughout his global expeditions, as well as one of the largest mangrove preserves in South Florida.

Exotic plants are complimented by exotic animals located at Jungle Island and Zoo Miami. Jungle island, located on Watson Island, is home to over 300 birds and the largest cat in the world, the liger. The Miami-Dade County Zoological Park and Gardens, or Zoo Miami, invites visitors to hand-feed tigers and giraffes, and stroll or bike the three-mile path featuring over 2,000 animals. No matter your interests, a trip to Miami is sure to be one of excitement and adventure.

About Maria Arroyave

Maria Arroyave is a Miami native.  She left only briefly, to attend Florida State University.  She earned a master’s degree in print journalism from the University of Miami and has held an associate editor title with two local luxury lifestyle publications. Maria has also been a senior editor for an international travel publication company, during...  Read More

Read more about Maria here.

×