If you are anything like me, you were researching things to do in Miami, and found the Wynwood Walls – immediately, I was excited to go and see the beautiful artwork! But what else is there to do in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami? For such an artsy neighborhood, everything seemed quite focused on the walls. However, while I was there I found plenty of fun things to do in Wynwood other than the walls (or, you know in addition to)!
Where is Wynwood?
Wynwood is a neighborhood just north of Downtown Miami and in between the two freeway bridges to South Beach. Wynwood is roughly divided by North 20th Street to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west, and the Florida East Coast Railway to the east.
It was an industrial area for years, but developers revamped the place and now the warehouse buildings draw tourists in from all over the world to see the beautiful art. It was previously known as Little San Juan (El Barrio) because many people from Puerto Rico lived there, but since the area has been gentrified, it is less so. There are still some areas that haven’t been developed, but who knows how long that will be the case.
The Design District of Miami is just north of Wynwood and also has some wonderful places to stop and unique things to do in Miami!
Getting to Wynwood
Getting to Wynwood really just means getting to Miami, so most people fly into Miami International Airport. Some people even start in Key West or the Florida Keys and drive up to Miami for a longer trip. Once you get into Miami, I personally would ditch the car, at least for the bulk of each day, because parking is incredibly expensive.
Tons of tourists drive in Miami, but I would recommend parking your car somewhere safe and either walking or taking public transportation – then again, I hate driving in cities and unfamiliar places. (A lot of people do complain about the public transport in Miami, so to each their own.) The City of Miami Trolley is a free way to travel around Miami’s urban core, including Wynwood where it stops on NW 2nd Avenue (by the Wynwood Walls) in the geographic heart of the Wynwood Arts District. There’s also bike sharing, moped sharing, and of course the bus and driving.
Parking in Wynwood, Miami
If you are going to drive, there is paid street parking all around. A lot of it has a maximum time, like two hours, so your best bet is probably the Wynwood Garage for about $11 (prices vary, so check here before quoting me). Plus, you get to park in a cool art-y building in nearly the center of Wynwood.
Address: 321 NW 26th St, Miami, FL 33127
Hours: 24/7
Things to do Nearby
- Superblue Miami – Superblue wasn’t open when I went, but it sounds very interesting. It provides a space for large-scale immersive installations. It reminds me of the immersive Van Gogh exhibits that have been so prevalent.
- Visiting Vizcaya Museum and Gardens – an incredible old looking home in Miami, but actually quite modern
- Everglades National Park Trails – which trails should you visit?
- Huge Guide to Everglades National Park – all your questions, answered
- Everglades National Park Itineraries – from one day to several, you have option in the Everglades
- Big Cypress National Preserve – even if you only have one day to explore this beautiful area, you should go
- Things to do in the Florida Keys – tons of things to do (probably the biggest list on the internet!)
- One Day Road Trip to Key West – some highlights and places I stopped driving to Key West
Wynwood Walls
I need to start off by pointing out the Wynwood Walls are no longer free to visit. Throughout the internet, even places like TripAdvisor are claiming the Wynwood Walls are free and open to the public, but that is not the case – general admission is $10 (with discounts), plus more for different tours (Official, Deep Dive, or Early Access). On the plus side, if you wait to purchase tickets in person you may get a discount by going to the Museum of Graffiti as well (this was only advertised in person, so I have no way of knowing how long this deal will be offered).
Anyway! The Walls were initially conceived when developer Tony Goldman saw El Barrio as a “failing neighborhood” (read up on gentrification if you are curious why I use quotations). He saw it and wanted to turn the area into an open air art gallery. His vision spilled out into the whole neighborhood, but the walls remain a central part of the area.
Wynwood Walls – arguably THE thing to do in Wynwood – feature incredible artists known around the world like Lady Pink, Aiko, and Maya Huyak (the murals change relatively often, so these artists might not always be featured). There are typically over 40 pieces of art to see in the fenced in district, but I do want to mention it’s smaller than expected. I didn’t spend as much time as I thought I would because of the size, but there is a gallery to see other works by the artists as well as a gift shop (available to visit without admission to the walls).
If you aren’t into art of street art, you might want to skip the paid area and just walk around the neighborhood. However, if you really like it (and like information like I do), then take at least a basic tour to get information on the artists and the murals – it’s cheaper than the books you’ll find in the shop. Depending on how many photos you take, you might visit for 30 minutes to an hour.
Address: 266 NW 26th St, Miami FL 33127
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11am – 8pm, Friday and Saturday until 9pm
Museum of Graffiti
Just around the corner from Wynwood Walls is it’s unofficial partner, the Museum of Graffiti. It celebrates the pioneers of graffiti while telling the story of it’s evolution towards the more modern street art. It also usually has a featured artist, and when I was there it was Lady Pink. She was the first female graffiti considered to be “worthy of competing with the boys.” I’m sure the other featured artists will be impressive too.
While there is paid admission to this unique thing to do in Wynwood, if you wait to purchase tickets in person you may get a discount by going to the Wynwood Walls as well (this was only advertised in person, so I have no way of knowing how long this deal will be offered).
In addition to the indoor exhibit space, art gallery, and gift shop, there are 11 exterior murals for people to enjoy. What really sticks out here is the art gallery and getting to know and see some background for graffiti art. It may have started out on train cars with names (it still sometimes is), but it’s grown and shaped many lives in interesting ways. I spent between an hour and an hour and a half here.
Address: 299 NW 25th Street, Miami, FL 33127
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11am ‒ 6pm, Friday to Sunday until 7pm
See the Free Art & Sculptures
Like I mentioned, Wynwood is no longer just the famous Walls. The art and pop expands into the surrounding area and has created a haven for art, so much so that there’s a free self-guided walking tour (this map may or may not be updated as well, but it doesn’t have info). The murals may have since changed (many of them have), but reading some background and even following the outlined path will provide a fun thing to do in Wynwood.
On top of the murals, there are sculptures scattered throughout town that you might find interesting. There’s little information and resources for the murals, but the area isn’t large, so it makes for a fun time to just wander and explore.
Address: everywhere in Wynwood, Miami
Hours: technically 24/7, but I would stick to daylight
Or Take a Tour
While there are tours offered at the Wynwood Walls, there are also external tours that visitors might like. From golf cart tours and general art walks to food + art tours, Wynwood’s got a lot to offer. Even if you choose not to take the tour from people at Wynwood, you’ve even got external options to learn more from outside companies.
The food and art tour sounds pretty cool, but as someone with food restrictions, I’d probably stick to the art. The golf cart tour is amazing for accessibility, too! Keep in mind that your experience is usually tapered to your questions an interests, so if you are interested in gentrification, ask. Brunch and cocktails? Ask that too. History vs. inspiration? The guides have your back (and if they don’t, let someone know).
Address: varies
Hours: varies
Wynwood Marketplace
Wynwood Marketplace is a lot larger than it looks on the outside at 75,000+ square feet. It’s an open air venue with art, music, food, shopping, and places for drinks all combined. It’s a cute pop-up-y type thing to do in Wynwood that’s actually not a pop-up at all. There is lots of food and vendor options for visitors to see and experience, so if crowds don’t bother you, it really seems like a fun time. When I was there it started raining and I didn’t have a camera case, so I left immediately!
If you are looking for even more shopping and less transient vendors, there’s also a mini shopping district in the area around Northwest Fifth Avenue. A lot of major retailers are in that area, but some locals businesses are too.
Address: Northwest Fifth Avenue
Hours: Thursday 4pm-2am, Friday 4pm-3am, Saturday 12pm-3am, and Sunday 12pm-2am
Wynwood Art Walk Block Party
A huge collection of artists, vendors, food trucks, musicians, and participants flock to Wynwood on the second Saturday of each month. (Yes, there’s even games and dancing.) The Art Walk is like so many in cities all over in which galleries and businesses open their doors late into the night for people.
The coolest part of the block party (to me) is the live art, from painting to musicians and performances. In some cases, there may even be interactive art or art you can’t see many places like art cars (think Burning Man)! For the general public, a big draw is the free drinks offered by many of the galleries.
Address: throughout Wynwood, Miami
Hours: Every second Saturday. Different events/businesses have different hours, but it’s generally 12pm-late late (6pm for events, but certain places open earlier)
Miami Selfie Museum
Located just a minute away from the Wynwood Walls, there’s a photography studio – you’ve probably seen similar ones pop up all over the country (and maybe the world?), but it’s a “museum” dedicated solely to taking selfies/photos. There are rooms full of art installations designed to be “Insta-worthy” (or you know, just nice pictures?) that you can spend an hour in having fun.
As much as I don’t like the term “Insta-worthy,” I still think places like this one are fun because you get to take a lot of pictures, silly or not. From cool lighting, cute kiwi rooms, complimentary colors, and the quintessentially IG wing walls, there’s lots of options for photos.
I didn’t go because I was alone, and it didn’t seem like I’d have as much fun alone, honestly! But if you are comfortable being alone, it is a selfie museum after all. Tickets are priced for an hour inside, so plan for that long. Let me know if you’ve been somewhere like this place and what you thought in the comments!
Address: 179 NW 25th St, Miami, FL 33127
Hours: Monday to Thursday 11am–8pm, Friday until 9pm. Saturday 10am-10pm. Sunday 10am–8pm
Bakehouse Art Complex (& Galleries)
The Bakehouse Art Complex is a cool thing to do in Wynwood because it’s a gallery in an old Art Deco bakery. Not only that, but the Bakehouse provides emerging and mid-career artists with affordable studio spaces and exhibition opportunities, which can be hard to come by for new people (it is jury selected). There’s seriously so much to see hear with 70 studios, two galleries, a project room, print room, photo lab, ceramic kiln area, and woodworking and welding areas.
Bakehouse Art Complex isn’t the only gallery in Wynwood you’ll want to check out – see them all, if possible, as I have only highlighted a few here! The Locusts Projects, Oliver Cole Gallery, and the Rubell Family Collection (Museum) are cool places to stop too.
The Locust Projects, which opened in a dilapidated warehouse back in 1998, now serves as a free non-profit exhibition space. The gallery encourages artists to create site-specific installations unburdened by the constraints of more conventional galleries, and it’s not the only one in the area serving fresh, authentic art.
The Oliver Cole Gallery features a wide variety of artists running the gamut from emerging to internationally known.
The Rubell Museum (charges entry) is the first gallery in Wynwood, calling it home for more than 20 years. The Rubell family started collecting modestly in 1965, but their collection has now grown to encompass over 7,200 works by more than 1,000 artists. (Note: The Museum has moved to the Allapattah neighborhood slightly inland.)
Address: varies
Hours: varies
Vegan in Wynwood
I am happy to report most places in Wynwood have vegan options, including the popular Joey’s Italian Café (Beyond burger and soup). If you are going with picky eaters or omnivores, you should do pretty well, but there are some places that stand out!
- Plant Miami is just outside the “bounds” of Wynwood and offers some very refreshing and fancy sounding food like truffle noodles. Most of their food is fresh and local, which is amazing.
- Nabati is a vegan ice cream shop with production completely visible. there’s classic flavors like cookie dough and vanilla, but there’s also pitango (pitaya and mango), rose goji pistachio, and lavenberry (lavender blueberry) to name a few. It was closed when I was there, so please tell me if you go!
- Love Life Café claims to be home to the best veggie burger in America (they were actually awarded the title in 2016 at the Seed Food & Wine Festival). They have tons of tasty vegan options like arepas, an “egg and cheese” croissandwich, and Cuban burritos.
- Panther Coffee is more of a snack and pastry place, but they do have non dairy milk options and a rotating list of vegan treats from Pamela Wasabi including cookies, brownies, and blondies. They also sometimes have a vegan savory empanada.
- Charly’s Vegan Tacos opened it’s first US location in Wynwood to serve authentic Mexican food, vegan. It was also closed when I visited, and still says temporarily closed.
- Zak the Baker is very popular, but I wasn’t super impressed with their options outside of bread. That being said, definitely stop and try the bread if you get a chance (it’s a rainbow-y building with “BAKERY”).
Of course there’s plenty of breweries and bars (as with most places), but since I don’t drink I don’t have any personal suggestions! Places with the local name are always great choices like Wynwood Brewing, Miami’s first craft production brewery. Wynwood’s first kava bar, Roots, might also be fun to try.
Where to Stay Near Wynwood
I stayed in downtown Miami because the hotel I booked (Miami Sun) implied there was free parking – but let me tell you from experience, that’s not true at all. “Parking available” in Miami hotel-speak is just saying there is parking nearby, and it requires you to pay. While my hotel was nice enough, I wouldn’t recommend it because the WiFi was horrible, and WiFi is one of two reasons I chose to stay in a hotel instead of driving somewhere to camp (with that said, I did have a nice shower, which was my other reason). For the price compared to other places, I guess it was reasonable? But I’m still bitter about not having good internet the one time I stayed in a hotel!
Great places to find hotels include Booking.com and Hotels.com (I prefer Booking). There are cheap hostels on Miami Beach, but they aren’t near Wynwood at all, so the best price you’ll get for near Wynwood is $100 minimum, usually more (once in a while you’ll see cheaper). I’m not leaving any specific recommendations here because I haven’t stayed in any, plus most of the amazing rated places are in different parts of Miami.
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I’d never heard of Wynwood Miami before, but now it’s on my list. The art is just incredible, and I appreciate the political statements as well. Thanks for this great post!
No, problem, hanks for reading!