Miami Design Preservation League

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Home Guided Tours

Guided Tours

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The best way to understand and appreciate the buildings of the Art Deco District is to view them at close-range. We offer a number of opportunities to experience the structures in context, and to learn more about the history of the City of Miami Beach, the history of the Miami Design Preservation League, and the buildings themselves.

 

Conducted by local historians, architects, and trained guides, these tours provide an introduction to the Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival styles found throughout the Miami Beach Architectural Historic District.


 

All tours (unless otherwise indicated) depart from and return to the Art Deco Gift Shop, located at 10th & Ocean Drive in the Ocean Auditorium's Art Deco Welcome Center.

 

Ocean Drive and Beyond

This ninety-minute walking tour provides an introduction to the Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, and Miami Modern (MiMo) styles found within the Miami Beach Architectural Historic District. Explore hotels, restaurants, and other commercial structures with a visit to a number of interiors.

Tours depart from the Art Deco Gift Shop on the following schedule:

 

Mondays at 10:30 am
Tuesdays at 10:30 am
Wednesdays at 10:30 am
Thursdays at 6:30 pm
Fridays at 10:30 am
Saturdays at 10:30 am
Sundays at 10:30 am
 

You do not need to make advance reservations - simply arrive at the Art Deco Gift Shop (located at 1001 Ocean Drive - 10th Street & Ocean Drive) within 10-15 minutes of the scheduled departure time in order to purchase your ticket.

 

 

 

The following tours are offered on special occasions, or may be booked for a private tour. (Please review information on booking a private tour.)

 

Lincoln Road

Learn about the early history of Miami Beach, when Carl Fisher's Lincoln Road was "the Fifth Avenue of the South." From a deserted mangrove swamp, Fisher cleared and dredged to create a fabulous winter playground, and Lincoln Road today tells the story of Fisher's dream. This ninety-minute walking tour examines structures both on and off the Road.

 

Tours depart from the Mercantile Bank Buidling at 420 Lincoln Rd (Just west of Washington Av - there is a Starbucks next door.)

 

Collins Park

The Collins Park neighborhood is the newest of Miami Beach's local historic districts, and contains excellent examples of Mediterranean Revival, Art Deco, and contemporary architecture. Learn about the grand hotels of Collins Avenue that epitomize the glamour of the 1940s, and visit the new "cultural campus" surrounding the Bass Museum, the Miami City Ballet, and the Miami Beach Regional Library on this ninety-minute walking tour.

 

Tours depart from the lobby of the National Hotel, 1677 Collins Av.

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Parking

While there may be parking available on the street, we recommend visitors park in one of the City of Miami Beach parking facilities at:

 

  • 7th Street Garage: Between Washington & Collins on 7th Street.
  • 12th Street Garage: Just West of Washington Avenue on 12th Street.
  • 13th Street Garage: Just East of Collins Avenue on 13th Street.
  • 17th Street Garage at Convention Center Drive.

 

 Additional Handicapped Parking available on Ocean Drive at the 5th Street entrance to Lummus Park.

 

The charge for parking at on-street meters or in a municipal garage is the same—$1.25 per hour. The advantage of the garage is that you can pay for your entire stay (via cash, credit, or debit card) when you leave, without the worry of your parking receipt expiring.

 

Please note: there are some additional garages in the Art Deco District, operated by private companies. Their rates may vary, but they are likely to be more expensive than city-owned facilities.


Driving Directions

From Miami International Airport

Upon exiting airport, follow signs to Highway 836 East 

Pay toll ($1.25) at toll plaza and follow signs to I-395 East to Miami Beach

I-395 becomes the MacArthur Causeway and passes the Port of Miami

As the Causeway reaches Miami Beach, it becomes 5th Street; continue straight ahead on 5th Street

5th Street dead ends at Ocean Drive; turn left, going north

The Art Deco Gift Shop is located at 1200 Ocean Drive (Entrance on 12th Street, just west of Ocean Drive)

 

From Ft. Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport

Upon exiting airport, follow signs to I-595 West 

Follow signs to I-95 South to Miami 

Exit I-95 at I-395 East to Miami Beach 

I-395 becomes the MacArthur Causeway and passes the Port of Miami

As the Causeway reaches Miami Beach, it becomes 5th Street; continue straight ahead on 5th Street

5th Street dead ends at Ocean Drive; turn left, going north

The Art Deco Gift Shop is located at 1200 Ocean Drive (Entrance on 12th Street, just west of Ocean Drive)

 

From North / South I-95

Exit I-95 at I-395 East to Miami Beach 

I-395 becomes the MacArthur Causeway and passes the Port of Miami

As the Causeway reaches Miami Beach, it becomes 5th Street; continue straight ahead on 5th Street

5th Street dead ends at Ocean Drive; turn left, going north

The Art Deco Gift Shop is located at 1200 Ocean Drive (Entrance on 12th Street, just west of Ocean Drive)


Public Transportation

MDPL can be reached from many parts of the county via the following Miami-Dade Transit routes:

 

  • Route C
  • Route H
  • Route K
  • Route M
  • Route 51 - Flagler MAX
  • Route 236 - Night OWL
  • Route 246 - Airport OWL
  • South Beach Local

 

Most of these routes have stops at or near Washington Avenue and 12th Street, which is less than two blocks from the Official Art Deco Gift Shop.

 

For more information on these routes (including route maps and schedules), please visit Miami-Dade Transit.

 

Coming from elsewhere in South Florida? Tri-Rail is a commuter train that is operated by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, and is integrated into the public transit systems of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. For route maps and schedules, please visit SFRTA.