Self-Guided Arts & Culture Tours in Miami Beach

Few locations are as photogenic as Miami Beach. From the bright blue waters and green palm trees to colorful murals and pastel Art Deco streetscapes, Miami Beach combines nature, art and architecture like few places in the world. Discovering local culture is as much a part of the experience as sitting on the sand. There are so many places to discover public art in Miami Beach. Miami Beach recently launched an app (available in both English and Spanish) to help you along the way.

The Experience Miami Beach Tour App offers a wealth of self-guided tours of some of the most stunning art and architecture in Miami Beach – including famous locales and hidden gems. The app offers a number of tours, but the four tours below give a comprehensive look at places that showcase Miami Beach’s history and culture.

Art in Public Places Self-Guided Tour

In 1995, Miami Beach passed an ordinance requiring that two percent of all city and public/private project costs be allotted to public art. The result? This civic decision has filled the city with vibrant public art created by both local and international artists. The app’s Art in Public Places tour takes you past more than 25 public works from South Pointe Park all the way up to the Miami Beach Bandshell. You can start anywhere you’d like, but if you want to work from south to north you can begin at the “eloquent south pointe park pier gate,” a colorful collection of gates with a cartoon welcome sign above them. Then check out the 55-foot “Obstinate Lighthouse,” a multi-hued tower of shapes in South Pointe Park. Both pieces are by German artist Tobias Rehberger.

Other notable works of art on this self-guided tour include Ellen Lanyon’s “Miami Metamorphosis” mural at the Miami Beach Police headquarters, which traces the city’s roots from tropical flora to Art Deco epicenter. There’s also Bill Fontana's “Sonic Dreamscapes,” set outside the New World Center in Soundscape Park, which is perhaps the city’s most multi-faceted work. Here, sounds bounce off each other throughout the park all day, adding music and light elements as the day progresses into night. End your tour at the Miami Beach Bandshell, where “Beatles Mandala (Amor=Love)” by Kevin Arrow commemorates the anniversary of the Beatles’ historic visit to Miami Beach in 1964.

Hidden Art Self-Guided Tour

Art is everywhere in Miami Beach – so much so that it might be easy for someone to walk right past some of the most alluring artwork. This self-guided tour takes visitors from South Pointe Park to some of the most famous locations in Miami Beach, pointing out hidden art along the way. Poolside at the Eden Roc Miami Beach, a mural by Stephen Palladino called “Together We Share” celebrates Miami’s colorful characters and diverse population. Then head next door to the storied Fontainebleau Miami Beach and see Morris Lapidus’ famous “Staircase to Nowhere” and bow tie floors.

You’ll find art in completely unexpected places along this tour, from the manhole covers outside the New World Center to a memorial stone for a loyal K-9 next to the Miami Beach Police headquarters. Other interesting objects include an Art Deco-style bridge tender outside The Wolfsonian–FIU and a stained-glass window donated by famed mobster Meyer Lansky at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU.

A Day Inside Miami Beach Architectural Wonders Self-Guided Tour

This tour, curated by Tours ‘R’ U.S. Miami owner George Neary, shows some of Miami Beach’s most iconic buildings along with explanations of their history and architectural styles. Miami Beach has become a destination for Art Deco enthusiasts, boasting the world’s largest collection of buildings in this style. But the city has a far more diverse architectural profile, and this tour takes you past modern wonders, such as The 1111 Lincoln Road parking garage as well as Miami Modern (MiMo) hotels, such as The Miami Beach EDITION.

The tour is more than just a walk past notable buildings, however. You’ll eat inside architectural wonders, too. For example, you can dine at Puerto Sagua, one of the most popular Cuban restaurants in the area, which is filled with three-dimensional art. You’ll also be able to do some shopping along Lincoln Road, the pedestrian mall designed by fabled architect Morris Lapidus.

Public Art and Iconic History in Miami Beach

This relatively short tour gives you a quick-but-fascinating overview of the history of Miami Beach through its public art. You can pick up the tour anywhere, but beginning at the famous Versace Mansion (now The Villa Casa Casuarina) at Ocean Drive and 11th Street puts you at one of Miami Beach’s most famous sites. Learn the history of the home, from its first owner, Florida pioneer Addison Mizner, up through the days of Gianni Versace. Walk farther along Ocean Drive and discover the role iconic hotels played in training troops during World War II.

You’ll see newer architecture at the Miami Beach Convention Center, where you can hear stories about the famous victory by Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) over Sonny Liston in 1964.