Historic Treasures in Homestead

Once a rural part of South Dade filled with farmers, homesteaders and Florida’s native scrub palmetto trees, Homestead – the second-oldest city in Miami-Dade County – entered its next chapter with the construction of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway in 1904. Giving farmers much-needed transportation to sell their produce all over Florida, the railway allowed Homestead to become a key agricultural economic hub in Greater Miami & Miami Beach. Since its incorporation in 1913, Homestead has grown into a thriving community, adding a charming downtown area, boutique shopping, family-friendly activities, excellent restaurants and everything residents could need. But the early days of Homestead are still celebrated with historic sites spread across the city. See the city’s intriguing history for yourself when you explore its historic treasures.

Coral Castle Museum & Sculpture Garden

Coral Castle Museum & Sculpture Garden, nicknamed Florida’s Stonehenge, is one man’s unique monument to his fiancée, who broke off their engagement just one day before their wedding. Without any assistance, and using only hand tools, 100-pound Ed Leedskalnin spent 28 years cutting and moving more than 1,100 tons of coral rock to build the castle. The attraction has a sculpture garden, a nine-ton gate that moves with the touch of a finger, a Polaris telescope and usable rocking chairs, all made entirely out of coral rock. 28655 S. Dixie Hwy., Homestead, FL 33033

Dr. James Archer Smith House

Dr. James Archer Smith served the Homestead community’s patients until 1982, and his house – aptly named Dr. James Archer Smith House – is regarded as one of the most significant examples of masonry vernacular-style limestone architecture in existence. Built out of native oolitic limestone sourced from Dr. Smith’s own lime grove in the Redlands, this two-story building housed the Smith family from 1919, when he finished his duty in World War 1, until the 1960s. 38 NE 9th St., Homestead, FL 33033

First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church is the oldest church in South Dade and a true example of neoclassical architecture in Downtown Homestead. Although planning for the building itself started in 1925 and it was erected in 1944, First Baptist Church was founded in 1909 with just six members. Today, this historic structure, marked by its towering white frame and majestic columns, is unoccupied and can be viewed from the outside. 240 N. Krome Ave., Homestead, FL 33033

Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum

Homestead’s first Town Hall, now the Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum, was designed by Miami architect H. Hastings Mundy and built in 1917. The original building held many of the newly incorporated city’s municipal services, such as a fire department, fire engines, a hose-drying room, the local police station, jail cells, leadership offices and a meeting room. It functioned as the town hall until 1975. In 1980, the local council voted to tear down the original building and replace it with a parking lot. Its efforts came to a halt after passionate Homestead residents and town preservationists protested and won a state-funded grant to restore the building and keep it standing. Today, the Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum has photographs, artifacts and exhibits celebrating major events in Homestead’s past, like its early years, Hurricane Andrew, the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway and a 1924 American LaFrance fire truck. 41 N. Krome Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

The Hotel Redland

Homestead’s oldest building opened in 1904 as the Homestead Inn and functioned as a general supply store, rooming house and the city’s first post office until it burned down in 1913. It later reopened and became The Hotel Redland in 1934. In 1992, the hotel underwent a total renovation to restore its original glory, then was renovated again in 2023. Visit the hotel today and you’ll see that it retains the same look and feel of its humble 1904 beginnings, with early wood frame vernacular architecture, a large wraparound porch and delicate gingerbread detailing. You might even stumble upon some of those guests from 1913. Ghost hunters have confirmed that ghosts still “visit” the haunted hotel. 5 S. Flagler Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

Knaus Berry Farm

After Miami’s first real estate boom ended in the mid-1920s, brothers Jess and Harley Knaus, who had moved to Florida from Missouri for construction work, brought their farming roots to Miami. Their 80-acre vegetable farm was quite successful. Fast-forward to 1956, when Jess’s two sons, Russell and Ray, took an interest in the family farm and started picking and selling strawberries. When one of their brokers tried Ray’s wife’s cookies, he told her she should try to sell them. With that, a bakery was born. Officially opened in 1959, Knaus Berry Farm is nationally recognized for its gooey, delicious cinnamon rolls, homegrown vegetables, delectable baked goods, and milkshakes made with fresh strawberries. It is currently run by Ray’s daughters, Rachel and Susan, and their husbands. Knaus Berry Farm is only open from November to mid-April, and it’s not uncommon to see guests lining up around the block to get in. 15980 SW 248th St., Homestead, FL 33031

Landmark Hotel

Built in Miami in 1912, the Landmark Hotel building was known in its early years as the Airdome Theatre, an open-air movie house where patrons watched silent films at night on outdoor benches. Later renamed the Colonial Theater, it was disassembled in 1916 and brought by railroad to Homestead. From 1919 to 1936, it served as the original Seminole Theatre until a full-scale renovation turned the building into a 26-room hotel and restaurant. It was named the Landmark Hotel in 1965, when new owners bought the historic property. The hotel can be viewed from the outside. 55 S. Flagler Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

Lily Lawrence Bow Library

When the new location of the Homestead Library was built in 1939, it was renamed the Lily Lawrence Bow Library in honor of Homestead’s first librarian, who was also a policewoman and accomplished musician, artist and poet. The building is made out of native oolitic rock and hand-hewn Dade County pine and was dedicated by United States Senator Claude Pepper. Today, this building houses the offices of Homestead’s Community Redevelopment Agency. 212 NW 1st Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

The Royal Palms on Krome Avenue

The Royal Palm trees along Krome Avenue between Avocado Drive and Flagler Avenue are more than just trees – they’re a South Dade landmark. Originally planted by the Rotary Club of Homestead in 1925, they became the signature entrance to the City of Homestead and gave cyclists shade during a time when Homestead was nicknamed the “City of Bicycles.” When Hurricane Andrew destroyed these iconic examples of Mother Nature in 1992, the Rotary Club made sure they were replanted in 1998. In 2001, those palms became an important part of Homestead’s recorded history, as the Homestead Historic Preservation Board recognized them as a symbol of a past era and worthy of preservation.

Seminole Theatre

This historic performing arts venue and movie theater has a storied past. Originally built in 1921, it burned down in 1940 and was rebuilt with an Art Deco façade. Financial troubles caused it to close its doors in 1979, and in 1992, Hurricane Andrew left the theater in ruins. Following a complete renovation and expansion in 2015, the restored Seminole Theatre is now a cherished performing arts center in Downtown Homestead. It has since added a new north wing, a south building and a completely renovated interior. Visitors can enjoy a robust calendar of music and theater performances and educational opportunities for all ages. 18 N. Krome Ave., Homestead, FL 33030