Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Review

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Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Fodor's Review:

Of the 10,000 people living in Miami between 1912 and 1916, about 1,000 of them were gainfully employed by Chicago industrialist James Deering to build this Italian Renaissance-style winter residence. Once comprising 180 acres, the grounds now occupy a 30-acre tract that includes a native hammock and more than 10 acres of formal gardens with fountains overlooking Biscayne Bay. The house, open to the public, contains 70 rooms, 34 of which are filled with paintings, sculpture, antique furniture, and other fine and decorative arts. The pieces date from the 15th through the 19th century and represent the Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical movements. So unusual and impressive is Vizcaya that visitors have included many major heads of state. Guided tours are available. Moonlight tours, usually offered once a month on the Wednesday nearest the full moon, offer a magical look at the gardens; call for reservations.

  • Cost: $12
  • Open: Daily 9:30-4:30
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