Visit these World-Class Miami Museums

Your guide to art and culture in Miami

From groundbreaking museums dedicated to modern art to fascinating historic institutions, Miami has a wealth of museums to visit. With the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA) opening within a year of each other, Miami’s modern art scene has drawn both local and global acclaim. From art and design to history and culture, take your pick from one of Miami’s many museums.

Pérez Art Museum Miami

Perhaps the most important museum in Miami, Pérez Art Museum Miami PAMM is dedicated to international art of the 20th and 21st centuries from the perspective of the Americas. The bayfront museum boasts an impressive permanent collection, as well as compelling exhibitions. The landmark building by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron further solidified Miami’s place as a major city of the arts.

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Joining the PAMM on its beautifully landscaped bayfront campus, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science features an indoor-outdoor Living Core Aquarium with both terrestrial and aquatic environments that include a 500,000-gallon Gulf Stream Aquarium experience. The facility also features the full-dome Frost Planetarium, the Knight Learning Center and Innovation Center.

Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami

The first U.S. project designed by the Spanish architectural firm Aranguren + Gallegos Arquitectos, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA) is located in a three-story, 37,500-square-foot building in Miami’s Design District neighborhood. Founded by the Board of Trustees and former staff from the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, they’re dedicated to promoting new narratives and continuous experimentation in contemporary art.

The Wolfsonian-FIU

Located in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco District, The Wolfsonian – FIU is a museum, as well as a library and research center that examines “the persuasive power of art and design and explores what it means to be modern.” Their collection of more than 200,000 objects, dating from 1850 to 1950, focuses on American and European decorative and fine arts, in addition to fascinating exhibitions. From propaganda posters to World's Fair memorabilia, the array of objects offers visitors a thought-provoking journey through the modern age.

HistoryMiami

On a beautiful plaza in Downtown Miami, HistoryMiami is a Smithsonian Affiliate cultural institution. With the exhibit “Tropical Dreams: A People's History of South Florida” on permanent display, the intimate museum also plays host to various exhibitions highlighting historical moments in Miami and throughout the world.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Conceived by retired millionaire James Deering, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens was originally built in the 1910s as his private Coconut Grove waterfront estate. Today, the original house and gardens, occupying 50 acres of land, is preserved and open to the public for tours. In addition to its historic intrigue, Vizcaya also houses contemporary art exhibits and a lovely al fresco café overlooking the pool ideal for lunch.

Haitian Heritage Museum

For a glimpse into Haitian culture in Miami and the Caribbean, the Haitian Heritage Museum is dedicated to Haitian art, historical artifacts, music, film and literary works. It’s a focal point and community gathering place in the colorful and thriving neighborhood of Little Haiti.

The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum-FIU

Located on the Florida International University campus, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate institution dedicated to both exhibiting art from diverse cultures throughout human history, and to providing a resource for scholarly research. The museum’s collections range from Pre-Columbian objects dating from 200-500 AD to works by contemporary Caribbean and Latin American artists.

Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum

The Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum in Miami’s Historic Overtown is historically significant as home to the city’s first black police officers, dating back to the 1950s. Packed with artifacts, documents, video and oral history, its collections provide insight into Miami’s rich black heritage.

Museum of Art and Design (MOAD)

The Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami-Dade College is housed inside the historic Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami. Considered the Ellis Island of the Cuban exile, the Freedom Tower was used by the federal government in the 1960s to process refugees fleeing Fidel Castro’s regime. Part of the National Register of Historic Places, today it’s dedicated to art and design, as well as a permanent exhibit on the Cuban diaspora.

The Bass

Behind Collins Park on Miami Beach’s Collins Avenue between 21st and 22nd streets, is a 1930s Art Deco building, The Bass. The first public exhibition space for art in South Florida. Focusing on exhibitions of international contemporary art, such as design, fashion and architecture it also maintains a vigorous education program for visitors of all ages. The museum’s Creativity Center is one of the largest art museum education facilities in Miami-Dade.

Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU

Found inside Miami Beach’s first synagogue built in the late 1920s, the Jewish Museum of Florida’s core exhibition, “MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida, 1763-Present,” depicts the Florida Jewish experience through photography and artifacts. The beautiful Art Deco building is worth a visit on its own and rotating exhibits are also showcased here.