Historic Sites In and Around Liberty City

As one of Greater Miami and Miami Beach’s most deeply rooted historically Black neighborhoods, Liberty City’s story is embedded in the streets, buildings and people who have called it home for generations. What you see today exists because of the people who have endured and persevered in building community.

Liberty City began as the Liberty Square Housing Project in 1937, the first federal housing project built specifically for Black Americans. Another wave of families moved to Liberty City in the late 1950s and early 1960s after Historic Overtown residents were displaced by expressway construction.

Here are some of the key places in Liberty City to explore the area’s history through cultural centers, historic landmarks, parks, murals and public spaces that continue to serve the community.

Historic Landmarks

Historic Hampton House

4240 NW 27th Ave.

Once known as the social center of the South, the Historic Hampton House was a gathering spot for Black travelers, entertainers and civil rights leaders visiting Miami. Experience its rich history through a guided tour as you step into the same rooms where famous Black leaders, artists and athletes made legendary memories. 

Notables such as Muhammad Ali maintained a permanent room in the hotel. The Hampton House regulars included Nat King Cole, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King delivered an early version of his “I Have a Dream” speech at the 54-room hotel. In 2001, the Hampton House was designated a historic site.

The Wall

Northwest 12th Ave. from 62nd to 71st St.

During the 1930s, a seven-foot concrete wall was built along Northwest 12th Avenue to separate the new Black housing community from an established white neighborhood. This barrier stood tall for many years as a reflection of the segregationist Jim Crow era.

Even though the wall was eventually demolished, you can still see the remains near Northwest 12th Avenue from Northwest 12th Parkway.

Museums & Cultural Centers

Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center

6161 NW 22nd Ave.

Explore exhibitions at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, attend festivals and see local art created by generations of artists in Liberty City and beyond.

Since opening in 1975, the center has served as a creative hub for Liberty City artists and youth to display their work and enhance their talents through training in music, dance, theater and visual arts.

Joseph Caleb Auditorium

5400 NW 22nd Ave.

Attend cultural programs, concerts, screenings and community events at Joseph Caleb Auditorium to learn more about the stories that molded Liberty City.

The auditorium opened in 1975 to help alleviate poverty through decentralized neighborhood services and public resources. Today, it’s also home to the Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida, an organization dedicated to preserving the history of Miami’s Black communities.

Parks & Memorial Spaces

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park

6000 NW 32nd Ct.

Take a walk in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park and stop by the statue of King that stands in honor of his legacy as one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement. Since Liberty City has long been a key part of Miami’s civil rights history, the memorial has an empowering meaning in this neighborhood.

Gwen Cherry Park

7090 NW 22nd Ave.

Stroll through Gwen Cherry Park, which serves as one of Liberty City’s largest recreational spaces, where locals gather at its sports fields, swimming pool and play areas for year-round community events.

The park honors the late state Rep. Gwen Cherry, who in 1970 became the first Black woman elected to the Florida Legislature. A lawyer and community advocate, Cherry dedicated her career to education, civil rights and public service. She was also the daughter of one of Miami’s first Black physicians, Dr. William A. Sawyer.

Athalie Range Park

525 NW 62nd St.

Spend time at Athalie Range Park, a local favorite, where generations of families gather to enjoy the swimming pool, picnic tables and sports courts. The park is named after M. Athalie Range, a pioneering civic leader who advocated for equal education and improved services in Black Miami neighborhoods in the 1960s. Range was the first Black person elected to the Miami City Commission and later became the first Black woman to lead a Florida state agency when she was appointed Secretary of the Department of Community Affairs.

Public Art & Murals

Prince of Peace Mural

Northwest 62nd St. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) and 7th Ave.

Painted by the late artist Oscar Thomas, this colorful “Prince of Peace” mural depicts the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and is one of Liberty City’s most recognized public artworks. Drive or walk along Northwest 62nd Street to admire the mural and its moving quote that reads, “We as a people will get to the Promised Land.”

Liberty City Mural

Northwest 62nd St. and 11th Ave.

Created at a police station in 2018, the Liberty City Mural was crafted in collaboration with MLK (Moving the Lives of Kids) Mural Project, artist Kyle Holbrook, local youth and members of the Miami Police Department. Walk along this mural painted along a wall at the station that extends the full block. The work is dedicated to victims of gun violence and victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Sacred & Community Spaces

Masjid Al-Ansar Muslim Mosque

5245 NW 7th Ave.

Take a moment to observe the cultural and religious layers of Liberty City’s history at the first surviving mosque in Florida. Masjid Al-Ansar Muslim Mosque has been in Liberty City since 1966 and reflects the religious diversity in one of Miami’s predominantly Black residential communities.

The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation

1835 NW 54th St.

Founded in 1949, The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation was established to bring the church to the people through community-based initiatives that support education and youth programs. Step into this historic church where people continue to gather for worship.

Historic Cemeteries

Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery

3001 NW 46th St.

One of the oldest cemeteries in Miami, Lincoln Memorial Park, is the resting place of more than 500 above-ground burial vaults dating back to 1924. Respectfully walk through this historical site where Black pioneers are buried, including Dr. William A. Sawyer, the first Black physician in Miami-Dade County; Arthur and Polly Mays, who opened a school for Black children in rural South Dade; and Florence Gaskins, who formed the first local Red Cross chapter for Black people.

Evergreen Memorial Park

3055 NW 41st St.

Founded in 1913, Evergreen Memorial Park was one of two cemeteries where Black people could be buried with dignity during segregation, when Black people were often buried at the back of white cemeteries. Although records of the first people buried here were lost to fire, the cemetery continues to serve as a place of remembrance for generations of Liberty City families.