Is Miami your next destination? Then be sure to visit the Art Deco district of Miami Beach, a landmark of this city open to the world!
Popularized and made famous by the TV series « Miami Vice » or « Deux flics à Miami » in French, the Art Deco district in Miami Beach should be your first visit to flamboyant Miami! Mainly located on Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue in South Beach, Miami Beach’s southern district is the only place in the world with so many buildings in this Art Deco style, also known as Tropical Art Deco for its Floridian specificity! This is the city’s most fashionable and luxurious district, so don’t hesitate to don your finest attire for this visit.
To help you organize your discovery, we’ve prepared a mini-guide with all the important information. Then you’ll be ready to visit the Art Deco district of Miami Beach!
The history of Miami Beach’s Art Deco district
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons – Reinhard Jahn
The Art Deco district was built at the turn of the 1930s on the beachfront of Miami Beach. In 1926, a fire ravaged the district, which was quickly rebuilt in the Art Deco style. This coincided with the arrival of the first tourists on the golden sands of the famous Miami Beach! From then on, real estate developers had all the fun, and with money pouring in along with the tourists, architects gave free rein to their boundless imagination!
Unfortunately, by the end of the 60s, new generations had tired of these buildings, erected between the 30s and 40s. Demolition projects were even being considered! Fortunately, the Miami Preservation League was formed in 1976, with the aim of raising funds to renovate and restore Miami’s magnificent architectural heritage! Initiated in Paris in 1925, the Art Deco style was futuristic and adapted to local culture and specificities. In Miami, renovations resulted in the distinctive Floridian style known as Tropical Art Deco, characterized by its multitude of pastel tones.
This Art Deco style, which became Tropical Art Deco thanks to Floridian influences, became one of Miami’s true treasures, its personal and unique touch in the eyes of the world, which was largely relayed by the television series « Miami Vice », known as « Deux Flics à Miami » in France! The series forged the legend of Miami, attracting a younger and increasingly trendy tourist clientele. Today, with over 800 Art Deco buildings, Miami is the city with the most Art Deco buildings in the world.
What to see and do in the Art Deco district?
Photo credit: Flickr – Maciek Lulko
The Art Deco district is first and foremost the place’s eponymous style. Walls, facades, terraces and buildings all bear the distinctive imprint of one of Miami’s symbols. Mediterranean Revival » meets « MiMo » and « Miami Moderne » in the neighborhood’s 200 buildings, from vintage motels to luxury hotels, residences, cafés, restaurants and shops.
So, where to start? What are the must-sees in this famous district? There isn’t really a « compulsory » itinerary other than those suggested by guided tours. So, to give you a few ideas, here are a few places not to be missed on your stroll (preferably on foot or by bike, as is the tradition) through the district.
- Ocean Drive
– Art Deco Welcome Center
– The Carlyle and The Leslie Hotels
– Celino South Beach
– Winterhaven Hotel
– Colony Hotel
– Winterhaven Hotel
– Majestic Hotel
– Cardozo Hotel
– Avalon Hotel
- Collins Avenue
– Raleigh Hotel
– Delano Hotel
– Dream South Beach
– Essex House Hotel
– Le Hotel
– Jerry’s Famous Deli
- Washington Avenue
– Post Office
– Jewish Museum of Florida
– Wolfsonian/Florida International University
– Licoln Road Mall
- Lincoln Road
– Lincoln Theater
– Sterling
– Colony Theater
– Stores
How to visit Miami Beach’s Art Deco district?
The Art Deco district of Miami Beach stretches from Lincoln Road to 5th Street. Most of the buildings are in the South Beach section, which can be visited with or without a guide. However, to learn more about the history of the district, this surprising and emblematic Miami style, and to discover some of the buildings’ interiors, we recommend that you book a guided tour of the Art Deco district.
Many guided tours are led by historians or architects who will reveal the secrets of Miami Beach’s Art Deco district. The Miami Design Preservation League organizes 1.5-hour tours for $25 per person. They take place once a day at 10:30 a.m., with an additional session at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays.
For more information, visit the Miami Beach Visitors Center. It’s even possible to obtain an audio guide or MP3 audio guide, in French or English, with a map of the neighborhood, so you can discover the buildings for yourself. Please note that most guided tours are limited to hotels, shops and restaurants. The residential district is not included in the tour.
To deepen your visit to Miami Beach’s Art Deco district, we recommend a tour of this residential part of South Beach as a complement to your guided or audio tour. You’ll be able to admire the magnificent Art Deco homes and buildings, far from the traditional tourist trails!
How do I get to Miami Beach’s Art Deco district?
To visit Miami Beach’s Art Deco district, head to the Visitors Center on Lincoln Street. This tourist office is the perfect starting point for discovering this famous district. To get to Lincoln Road, you can :
- By bus: stop at 17 St & Meridian Avenue on routes 113 and 119.
- By trolley: stop at Washington Ave & Lincoln Road station on the MB-MID and MB-SBL lines.
- By cab: to reach the Visitors Center, give the following address: 530 17th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139, U.S.A.
- By car: The nearest pay parking lot is at 640 17th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA. Charge $2 per hour and $20 maximum per day.
To plan your route, you can visit the Miami public transport website and consult the detailed map of the different lines. You can also use Google Maps to plan your route directly. The application integrates all Miami’s public transport lines and timetables.
After your visit to the Art Deco district
Photo credit: Flickr – Ines Hegedus-Garcia
Once you’ve discovered the magnificent architectural heritage of Miami Beach, which is so emblematic of Miami, you’ll be able to enjoy more of the neighborhood’s charms. We recommend, for example, a trip to South Pointe Beach to soak up the blazing Miami sun, then on to South Pointe Park and its pier, which juts out straight into the Atlantic. A superb panorama of Miami Beach and the buildings that line it awaits you! You can also admire the luxurious residences of Fisher Island, ranked by Bloomberg as the postal address with the highest average income in the United States.
Before heading back to City Center or your Miami accommodation, take the opportunity to admire the superb Art Deco buildings by night and dine at one of the excellent Cuban restaurants in the area!