The Miami Beach Convention Center, like the city of Miami Beach itself, is much more than just well-known. It’s legendary. And legends aren’t made overnight. Here are highlights of the long and storied history of the Miami Beach Convention Center.

When the Miami Beach Event Center opened in 1958, at a cost of $4 million and with 108,000 square feet of event space (rather modest compared to today’s 1.4 million square feet), it was the largest exhibition center in the South. The center gained rapid acclaim, hosting several major events. Perhaps the most notable occurred in 1964, when Muhammad Ali (known at the time as Cassius Clay) won his first World Heavyweight Championship against Sonny Liston. In fact, the Miami Beach Event Center’s early years were filled with some of the biggest names and events in sports.

As the center’s prominence grew, it doubled in size, adding a convention hall with 130,500 square feet one decade after it opened. Firmly established as a major convention and event destination, Miami Beach entered the world stage, hosting the Republican National Convention in 1968, and both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in 1972. In 1989, the facility again doubled in size, as a $92 million renovation increased its capacity to slightly over a half-million square feet of event space.

In 2002, Miami Beach landed one of its most noteworthy events: Art Basel. Created in 1975 in Basel, Switzerland, by gallerists Ernst Beyeler, Balz Hilt and Trudi Bruckner, Art Basel was envisioned as an art fair that would generate interest and excitement between buyers and collectors within the art world. Art Basel was designed to showcase masters of modern and contemporary art, as well as emerging artists, with convention center installations but also extending beyond, with programming at cultural institutions and viewings of private collections as well as parties and other events.

From the beginning, Art Basel was a huge success. Today, Miami Beach is one of just four global cities to host Art Basel events (Basel, Hong Kong and Paris round out the list). As it celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022, Miami Beach’s Art Basel festival continues to grow in size and stature. The 2022 event is the largest to date, showcasing 238 local galleries.

As for the Miami Beach Convention Center, it’s entering a new era of hosting major events and conventions. The reimagined facility – with 1.4 million square feet of space, over 10 acres of sculpture gardens and greenspace surrounding the building, and an art collection valued at over $7 million – is poised for growth. A brand-new, 800-room Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Hotel & Convention Center is in the works as well, opening in 2024.

From leading technology and financial company conferences to antiques shows, pharmaceutical conventions and an LGBTQ task force gala event, the Miami Beach Convention Center will continue to host a broad spectrum of events, weddings and other gatherings, adding new chapters to its already distinguished history.