9 iconic Miami landmarks (and sights) you can't miss

Miami is a beach paradise with iconic landmarks that blend glamour, culture, and natural beauty. Admire million-dollar mansions on Star Island, stroll past candy-colored Art Deco facades on Ocean Drive, or explore Little Havana, Miami's vibrant Cuban neighborhood. This guide to 15 famous landmarks in Miami will help you experience the best of Miami's historical, cultural, and natural landmarks.

Historic and architectural landmarks in Miami

1. Art Deco Historic District

In Miami's Art Deco Historic District, over 800 pastel-painted buildings line the streets of South Beach, flaunting curved corners, neon signs, and porthole windows that capture the optimism of the Jazz Age and 1930s glamour.

Highlights:

There are so many great restaurants and bars on Ocean Drive to explore. If you fancy a spot of culture, go to The Bass, an Art Deco museum showcasing contemporary art and one of the best museums in Miami.

Address:

Miami Beach, Florida, USA.

2. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens brings Renaissance Italy to Miami's shores. This 1912 waterfront villa, once industrialist James Deering's winter escape, dazzles with 34 rooms filled with European treasures and 10 acres of manicured gardens.

Highlights:

The stone barge jutting into Biscayne Bay offers Miami’s most iconic photo spot.

Address and opening hours:

3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129, United States. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 9:30 AM-4:30 PM. Closed on Tuesdays.

3. Wynwood Walls

What started as a few blank warehouse walls in 2009 has exploded into Miami’s most vibrant outdoor museum. Wynwood Walls transforms six industrial blocks into a kaleidoscope of color and is a famous landmark where you can see the best street art in town.

Highlights:

Beyond the official walls, the whole Wynwood Arts District pulses with creative energy. Duck into galleries housed in former factories, sip craft beer at artsy breweries, and grab Cuban coffee from window-side ventanitas.

Address and opening hours:

2516 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33127, United States. Open daily 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM. Closed Mondays and public holidays.

4. Calle Ocho in Little Havana

The heart of Cuban Miami beats along Calle Ocho, where domino tiles click-clack in Maximo Gomez Park, and the scent of Cuban coffee drifts from ventanita windows. Little Havana offers several important landmarks, including the Calle Ocho Walk of Fame and Ball & Chain, a historic 1930s venue with live salsa music.

Highlights:

Watch master cigar rollers practice their craft in weathered wooden chairs, while the sound of son cubano spills onto streets lined with rooster sculptures and Cuban art galleries.

Address:

762 A SW 18th Ave, Miami, FL 33135, United States.

5. Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College

Freedom Tower, set in the heart of downtown Miami, is a prime historic landmark that stands as a powerful symbol of hope. Built in 1925 as the Miami News headquarters, this Spanish-style building earned its nickname "Ellis Island of the South” in the 1960s. Here, thousands of Cuban refugees fleeing Castro’s regime found their first taste of American freedom, receiving medical care and crucial documentation.

Highlights:

Though temporarily closed for renovations until early 2025, the tower's majestic Mediterranean Revival architecture still commands attention. Today, the tower houses the Cuban Diaspora Museum, honoring the journeys of those who passed through its doors seeking liberty.

Address and opening hours:

600 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132.

6. Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach

In 1984, a small group of Holocaust survivors joined together to develop a permanent memorial in Miami for the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis. One of the results of the private non-profit organization was a Holocaust museum with a memorial wall & a huge human hand sculpture.

Highlights:

The centerpiece is a 42-foot bronze arm reaching skyward that emerges from the earth surrounded by haunting sculptures. Pay your respects by viewing the memorial wall engraved with 9,000 names.

Address and opening hours:

1933-1945 Meridian Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States.

7. HistoryMiami Museum

Inside downtown’s Cultural Center, the HistoryMiami Museum has shared stories of Miami's history for more than 80 years. This landmark institution houses over 30,000 treasures that map Miami’s transformation – from Tequesta Indian artifacts to Cuban exile mementos.

Highlights:

The museum itself occupies a historic 1940s building, where permanent exhibits showcase the city's defining moments, from early Seminole settlements to the Art Deco boom and beyond.

Address and opening hours:

101 W Flagler St, Miami, FL 33130, United States. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. Open on Sunday, 12:00 PM-4:00 PM.

8. Coral Castle

Coral Castle, in Homestead, stands as one of America’s most mysterious landmarks. This stone sculpture garden was carved by Edward Leedskalnin, who single-handedly moved 1,100 tons of coral rock under cover of night. His masterpiece features a 9-ton revolving door that moves with a gentle push, coral rocking chairs, and celestial telescopes – all built without modern machinery.

Highlights:

Come explore new archaeological discoveries in this modern megalithic structure, which is considered one of the wonders of the world.

Address and opening hours:

28655 S Dixie Hwy, Homestead, FL 33033, USA. Open Thursday - Saturday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM. Open Sunday and Monday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Scenic and natural landmarks in Miami

9. Bayside Marketplace

Where downtown Miami meets the bay, Bayside Marketplace serves up waterfront buzz with spectacular views. This open-air shopping hub has been a Miami must-see since 1987, mixing retail therapy with waterfront dining and endless people-watching.

Highlights:

Stroll past bobbing yachts while sampling Cuban coffee, or grab a seat at a waterfront restaurant to watch cruise ships glide by.

Address and opening hours:

401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States. Open Monday - Thursday 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM. Open Friday and Saturday 1:00 AM - 11:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 - 9:00 PM.

10. Biscayne Bay

Biscayne Bay’s waters offer panoramic views of Biscayne National Park and Boca Chita Key. This natural landmark stretches 35 miles along the coast, wrapping around exclusive islands and mangrove forests. Spot celebrity mansions on Star Island or cruise past Port Miami’s massive ships.

Highlights:

Explore Biscayne Bay on a speed boat tour for thrills and to see the surrounding beauty.

Address:

Florida, USA.

11. Cape Florida Lighthouse

Standing tall since 1825, the Cape Florida Lighthouse is Miami-Dade's oldest structure and a survivor of storms, wars, and even a gunpowder explosion. Perched at Key Biscayne's southern tip, this white lighthouse rises above swaying palms.

Highlights:

Climb 109 spiral steps to the top for stunning views of the Atlantic, Miami Beach, and Stiltsville’s floating homes in the distance.

Address and opening hours:

Cape Florida Lighthouse, 1200 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne, FL 33149, United States. Open Thursday - Monday 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

12. Miami Beach Botanical Garden

The Miami Beach Botanical Garden was founded in 1962 and is a 2.6-acre urban tropical paradise in Miami Beach, Florida. It was transformed in 2011 with a $1.2 million landscape renovation designed by South Florida landscape architect Raymond Jungles.

Highlights:

Highlights include a native plant trail, a meditation bridge and a butterfly garden.

Address and opening hours:

2000 Convention Ctr Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States. Open daily, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Closed Monday.

13. Star Island

Miami is an A-lister’s paradise, so its million-dollar mansions are landmarks in their own right. You can see these spectacular homes on a boat tour of Star Island, a man-made island in Biscayne Bay.

Highlights:

See the Miami skyline, the third largest in the US in the golden tones of dusk.

Address and opening hours:

Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA. Tour times vary.

14. The Kampong

Hidden in Coconut Grove's lush streets, The Kampong is Miami's secret garden with a scientific soul. Once home to famed plant explorer David Fairchild, this 9-acre botanical wonderland introduced mangos, avocados, and countless tropical fruits to American plates.

Highlights:

Have a chance to spot 50+ varieties of mangos and Baobab trees.

Address and opening hours:

4013 Douglas Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

15. Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel

The Miami Observation Wheel lets you view the city’s best landmarks in the luxury of a glass gondola. One VIP gondola features leather bucket seats and a glass-bottom floor for a special experience.

Highlights:

Ascend 200 feet above the ground, far away from the bustle of the crowds.

Address and opening hours:

401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States. Open Monday - Wednesday 12:00 PM - 9:30 PM. Open Thursday - Sunday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM.

FAQs

What is the oldest historic landmark in Miami?

Cape Florida State Park’s oldest structure is the Bill Baggs lighthouse, but the Miami-Dade County Warehouse is almost as old. The structure was erected in 1904 and was once the tallest building in the city. Freedom Tower was built two decades later and currently serves as the office for Miami’s Film Festival.

What are some free landmarks to visit in Miami?

The Holocaust Memorial on Miami Beach is an exquisite example of contemporary sculpture and will immerse you in its history for an hour or more. You can also view the wacky Wynwood Walls without spending a cent. This is street art Mecca attracts art enthusiasts from all over the world.

Are there any guided tours that focus on the architecture of Miami landmarks?

The 800-strong cluster of buildings in the Art Deco District is one of Miami’s core neighborhoods and the perfect site for a guided architectural tour. This colorful architectural style was all the rage in the Thirties, giving Miami its iconic aesthetic.

How can I get the best views of scenic landmarks in Miami?

Miami’s Skyviews Observation Wheel is undoubtedly the finest spot for panoramic views of the city and a great activity to do in Miami as a couple. Its climate-controlled Gondalas look towards downtown, Biscayne Bay, and Bayside Marketplace.

What are some natural landmarks near Miami worth visiting?

Everglades National Park is, perhaps, Miami’s most beautiful natural landmark. It’s America’s biggest subtropical wilderness and contains three important biomes. You’ll sail past coastal mangroves, sawgrass marshes, and pine forests. Big Cypress National Preserve is 35 miles away and is home to the elusive black panther.