Vizcaya Museum and Gardens – Venture out into Nature!

Relive the history and fall in love with this stunning place all over again.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a national historic landmark that was created to preserve the estate of agricultural industrialist James Deering. The intention is to engage the community and visitors in learning through arts, history, and environmental education. Vizcaya is a very high-profile American estate that was built in Miami between 1914 and 1922, which makes it one of the most intact examples of this time period in American history. During this time, many successful entrepreneurs followed the trend of building estates with European-inspired features, but Vizcaya stands out as one of the most celebrated examples. Nestled in the heart of Miami, Vizcaya is a historic mansion that has a stunning art collection, gardens with extensive botanical variety, and a Rockland hammock. The property also includes the mangrove shore and a historic village that is being restored to tell the full story of Vizcaya. Vizcaya has been an integral public hub since it opened to the public in 1953, providing residents and visitors with a variety of family events, concerts, and educational lectures. With over 500 acres of lush gardens, Vizcaya has long been considered one of Miami’s most captivating places to visit.

It currently welcomes about 275,000 visitors annually.

Located across South Miami Avenue from the Main House and gardens, is the natural extension of Vizcaya Village. The historic Village was a part of the original 1916 Vizcaya estate, with more than a dozen buildings that were intended to make Vizcaya virtually self-sufficient. Calling to mind the sprawling European estates of the Renaissance era, this idea evoked a grandeur not yet seen in Miami at the turn of the twentieth century. However, on a practical level, it also compensated for the limited services and merchandise available in Miami at that time. The Village was home to staff quarters, an automotive workshop, and a variety of barns where the administrative and farming functions were carried out.

It has only been 100 years since the plans for Vizcaya Village were first drawn up. The Village is a series of buildings, gardens, and living histories that were built to tell the complete story of Vizcaya. It was created to provide an interactive tour of the grounds, with the goal of fostering a stronger sense of community. The visitor center is made up of several key components such as green spaces and greenhouses. It also contains plenty of space for walking tours and other operational purposes. The goal for the Village is to create a self-sustaining outdoor classroom where visitors can come to learn about the myriad educational opportunities centered on sustainability and related topics.