Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Overview

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is the former winter estate of industrialist James Deering, overlooking Biscayne Bay in the north Coconut Grove area of Miami. A National Historic Landmark and accredited museum, Vizcaya welcomes more than 385,900 visitors a year. The estate is owned and supported by Miami-Dade County and operated by Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc., a nonprofit organization.

James Deering and the Estate

James Deering (1859–1925), of International Harvester, was a retired millionaire and a bachelor in his early fifties when he set out to build an elaborate estate in South Florida. He built Vizcaya between 1914 and 1922, with as many as 1,000 workers. Construction on the Main House began in 1914, and Deering arrived for his first winter there on Christmas Day, 1916. He spent his winters at Vizcaya until his death in 1925 and left the estate to his half-brother, Charles.

The Main House was designed by architect Francis Burrall Hoffman with artistic director Paul Chalfin, and the gardens by landscape architect Diego Suarez. The statues, busts, vases, and urns throughout the gardens range from antiquity to the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

From Private Retreat to Public Museum

Vizcaya opened as a public museum in 1953. At its opening, visitors paid a dollar to explore the gardens and an additional $1.23 to see the Main House.

Vizcaya Village

Across South Miami Avenue from the Main House and gardens, Deering built Vizcaya Village, which supported the estate. Eleven of its original buildings survive, and the Village now hosts a weekly Sunday farmers market and community events.

Visiting Vizcaya

Vizcaya is open daily except Tuesdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Parking is free: turn from South Miami Avenue into the lot marked Vizcaya Village & Parking. Accessible parking spaces are in the main lot and in the service area on the south side of the Main House. The museum is also a short walk from the Vizcaya Metrorail station.

Vizcaya is a historic estate with steps, stone paths, and uneven garden terrain, so closed-toe, low-heeled shoes are recommended. Bathing suits and sheer clothing are not permitted, large bags are not allowed in the Main House, and there is no bag check. Only service animals are allowed on the property.