Things to do in
Miami - Attractions & Tours in Miami Beach
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Ancient Spanish Monastery
16711 West Dixie Highway / North Miami Beach,
FL / (305) 945-1462
 The
St. Bernard de Clairvaux Monastery
was built in Spain in the XII century and
purchased by William Randolph Hearst
in 1925. The structures were dismantled and shipped
to the United States where they remained
in a Brooklyn, NY warehouse until Hearst's financial
problems necessitated their sale. They were later
donated to the parish of St. Bernard
de Clairvaux. The monastery remains very
popular for high-end wedding ceremonies. Open Mon.-Sat,
9am-5pm; Sunday 2pm-4pm (may close early on the
weekends if there are special events). Adults $5;
seniors (65+) and students with ID are $2.50; children
under 12 are $2.
Art Deco District Guided Tours
1001 Ocean Drive / Miami Beach, FL / (305) 672-2014
 The
Miami Design Preservation League offers walking
tours (approx. 90 minutes) of Ocean Drive and beyond
to introduce guests to the Art Deco, Mediterranean
Revival, and MiMo styles found in South Beach. Tours
depart the Art Deco Welcome Center Wednesdays, Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30am, and Thursdays
at 6:30pm. $20/person: $15 for seniors 65+ and children
under 15; free to members of Miami Design Preservation
League. Private tours can also be arranged. Deco
Underworld Tours: An overview of Prohibition, Gambling
and Al Capone in Miami Beach.
Coral Castle Museum
28655 S. Dixie Highway / Homestead, FL / (305)
248-6345
Over a period of twenty years, one individual carved
1,100 tons of coral rock using only homemade tools.
Thirty minute state of the art audio tour in English,
Spanish, French or German. Open daily, 7am to 8pm.
$9.75 adults; children 7-12, $5; 6 and under 7 are
free; seniors 62+ $6.50.
Deering Estate
16701 SW Old Cutler Road / Miami, FL / (305)
235-1668
This unique park includes Indian Burial grounds
areas where 50,000 year old fossils have been discovered,
historic buildings and the most famous winter estate
of industrialist Charles Deering. Try a guided walking
tour, canoe tour, or explore on your own. Open daily
(except Christmas and Thanksgiving) 10am to 5pm
(box office until 4pm). Adults, $7; children 14
and under, $5; ages 3 and under, free. Admission
includes three guided tours and parking.
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More Things to See &
Do in Miami...
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These articles give
you a synopsis of the many activities available
to Miami visitors.
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Duck Tours Miami
1665 Washington Avenue / Miami Beach, FL 33139
/ (786) 276-8300
This tour is a 90 minute land-sea adventure conducted
in an amphibious vehicle. The tour departs from
South Beach/Miami Beach and hits the Art Deco District,
downtown Miami, Biscayne Bay, Star Island, Millionaire's
Row and more. Lots of fun for the whole family.
Everglades National Park
40001 State Road 9336 / Homestead, FL / (305)
242-7700
 From
the moment visitors enter this unique Federal reservation,
about an hour's drive south of Miami, they are amazed
at this fascinating 1,400,533-acre nature sanctuary.
There's a world of difference for tourists here
in the country's third-largest national park.
This sub-tropical wilderness
is covered with broad expanses of sawgrass dotted
with hammocks (isolated clusters of trees and associated
vegetation), bald cypress, pinelands and dense mangroves.
Some one thousand species of flowering plants grow
undisturbed here. Branches of trees are adorned
with orchids and ferns. Intricate waterways, many
of which remain unexplored, lace their way throughout
the region.
Accommodations are also available
at Flamingo Lodge. Main entrance (Homestead) is
open 24 hours, everyday. $ 10/car; $10 at Shark
Valley entrance (Highway 4, also known as the Tamiami
Trail), open 8:30am-5:30pm.
Everglades Safari Park
26700 Tamiami Trail (SW 8th St.) / Miami, FL
/ (305) 226-6923
 Airboat
tours, eco-adventure tours, alligator and wildlife
nature shows. Observe South Florida's delicate ecological
system with breath-taking airboat ride through nature's
wildlife. See alligators, crocodiles and other exotic
wildlife in their natural habitat. Park also has
jungle walking trails, observation platforms and
exhibits, and a restaurant, souvenir-gift shop.
Open everyday 9am-Spm. $20 adults; $10 children
5-11.
Admission to Everglades Safari
Park also includes an Eco-Adventure Airboat ride,
and Alligator Wildlife Nature show. Tours and excursions
introduce visitors to Everglades flora and fauna,
wildlife and natural surroundings. Canoe and kayak
tours, snorkeling, tours to the Everglades and bird
watching.
Fairchild Tropical Garden
10901 Old Cutler Road / Coral Gables, FL / (305)
667-1651
Fairchild Tropical Garden is an 83 acre botanical
garden containing one of the world's most comprehensive
collections of rare, tropical plants. The Garden
also contains a display conservatory; a sunken garden
and a rain forest display. A cafe and bookstore
are also available. Open daily (except Christmas)
9:30am-4:30pm. Adults, $10; children 3-12, $5; children
under 3, free; seniors $9. Admission includes narrated
tram tours. Special events during the year. Disabled
access available.
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
12450 SW 152nd Street / Miami, FL / (305) 253-0063
Located next to Miami's MetroZoo, the Railraod Museum's
exhibits include the Ferdinand Magellan, a private
railroad car built for President Franklin Roosevelt,
and other historic trains. Open weekdays, 10am-4pm;
weekends, 11am-4pm. Adults $5; children under 11,
$3 (under 3, free). Train rides (Sat. & Sun. only),
noon, I pm, 2pm, 3pm, $2 additional; cab train every
1/2 hour, $10 additional and you can ride iwith
the conductor. Every second weekend, the coach train
runs, $5 additional.
Jungle Island
Watson Island on the MacArthur Causeway / Miami,
FL
Jungle Island is now established in its new home
on Miami's Watson Island in a lush jungle setting
of orchids, bromeliads and heliconias. There are
more than 1200 animal types, from crocodiles and
flamingos to orangutans and over 1,000 parrots.
Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruise
A1A, North of the 17th St. Causeway / Ft. Lauderdale,
FL / (305) 947-6597
From Ft. Lauderdale's Bahia Mar Yacht Basin the
Jungle Queen sails at 7pm through the "Venice of
America" area to a tropical island for an all-you
can-eat dinner and variety show ($30.95). Daily
sightseeing cruises at 10am and 2pm to Miami Beach's
"Millionaire's Row" and the Jungle Queen island
($13.50). Miami Cruise, 9:15am-5pm: Day trips to
Bayside Marketplace return at 5pm and includes the
Millionaire's Row cruise ($16.95) Reservations are
required for all cruises.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2000 Convention Center Drive / Miami Beach, FL
/ (305) 673-7256
Colorful bromeliads, orchid, vine and heliconia
collections. More than 80 varieties of tropical
palms, trees and plants. Garden and walking tours
available. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm. Free. Visitors
of all ages are encouraged to play together, learn,
imagine and create.
Miami Culinary Tours
Miami Beach, FL / (786) 942-8856 /
www.miamiculinarytours.com
 Grace
Della invites you to join her and her dedicated
staff of foodies on a Miami Culinary Tour around
South Beach or the Cuban restaurants at Calle Ocho
in Downtown Miami. Depending upon your particular
interests, small groups walk with a guide through
the streets of South Florida to experience the tastes,
sounds and fascinating aromas of the city's best
restaurants. Meet the chefs, see the sights and
encounter a unique group of professional restaurateurs
who work each day to bring their passions to the
table.
Miami is the melting pot of
Latin American cultures. South Beach attracts some
of the biggest names in the culinary scene. Miami
Culinary Tours bring those distinct elements together
so diners can experience both 5 star gourmet cuisine
and the "Mom & Pop" ethnic bites that comprise the
full gamut of South Florida food. Walking from place
to place, tour members consume a multi-course meal
one restaurant at a time.
Miami MetroZoo
2400 SW 152nd Street / Miami, FL 33177 / (305)
251-0400
Miami MetroZoo contains more than 1,200 animals
in a cage-less setting that approximates the animals’
natural habitats and provides visitors the feel
of a safari. Large open air exhibits, a children’s
zoo, tram rides, family cycles, a monorail and interactive
exhibits make Miami Metrozoo, also named one of
America’s Best Zoos and the number one Zoo for Pachyderms
in 2008 by The Intrepid Traveler, a unique experience
for visitors of all ages. General Zoo Admission
is: $15.95 per Adult and $11.95 per Child (3-12),
plus tax. Hours are 9:30 am – 5:30 pm; ticket booths
close at 4 pm.
Miami Seaquarium
4400 Rickenbacker Causeway / Key Biscayne, FL
/ (305) 361-5705
 The
Miami Seaquarium is South Florida's largest marine
aquarium and is home to Lolita, the killer whale,
dolphin superstar Flipper, and more than 10,000
creatures of the sea. Scores of Tiger, Bull, Nurse
and Lemon Sharks cruise the shark channel. Grouper,
Sawfish Moray Eels and Sea Turtles pack the tanks.
Open daily 9:30am to 6pm (including
holidays), box office closes at 4:30pm. Shows continue
throughout the day. Adults $24.95 + tax, children
ages 3-9, $19.95 + tax, under age 3, free. The Miami
Seaquarium's WA.D.E. program allows guests to interact
with dolphins and observe their training and care.
Miccosukee Indian Village
25 miles West of Miami on Tamiami Trail / (305)
223-8380
The Miccosukee Indian Village is located 25 miles
west of Miami on the Tamiami Trail (US 41), and
presents visitors with an actual Miccosukee village
where tribal craftsmen exhibit patchwork and basketry.
Alligator wrestling, Airboat rides, along with shopping
and dining are also available. Special events at
the Village include an Indian Arts & Crafts festival
and a music festival. Open daily gam-4:30pm. Adults
are $5, children 6-12 are $3.50, children 5 and
under are free.
Vizcaya
3251 South Miami Avenue / Miami, FL / (305) 250-9133
 Built
in 1916 on 10 acres of prime South Florida land,
Vizcaya is an Italian Renaissance-style villa and
includes a formal garden on Biscayne Bay. Guided
tours of the stunning 34-room house are available
in several languages. Open daily (except Christmas
day) 9:30am to 5pm (gardens close 5:30pm; ticket
booth, 4:30pm). Adults, $12; children 612, $5; under
6, free.
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