Visiting Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is an incredible place in the heart of the Coconut Grove neighborhood in Miami – but if you don’t know to look for it, you are sure to miss it. It’s nestled between neighborhoods – for houses! But it’s a top thing to do in Miami and I’m sharing all the top tips for visiting Vizcaya Museum and Gardens here. You’ll also want to make sure to dress comfortably because you’ll take some of the best photography in Miami at Vizcaya, too.

Why Visit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens?

If you are anything like me (a budget traveler who has seen a lot of fancy houses/estates/castles), you are hemming and hawing about whether to add Vizcaya Museum and Gardens to your Miami itinerary. It’s on the expensive side (not for Miami, but for a budget traveler), and if you’ve seen other historic houses, it seems like it isn’t that special.

However, it is special. The house itself is pretty nice, but it’s the plants, décor, gardens, and ambiance that made it worth it. It feels like a hidden paradise. It’s also a really nice step in another culture/country because it pulls from so many other places and styles. If you haven’t been to Europe in a while or aren’t planning on going, it’s a nice place to get an idea of what you’d see (or relive an experience if you’ve been).

Furthermore, the audio tour is well done. There are transcriptions of it so you can read the info as well, but I found the tour equally as important as actually experiencing the grounds (then again, I really like info).

Take a look at the photos in this post, and then let me know if you were on the fence but are convinced (and what more you are looking for to convince you (or not!)).

Also in the area…
A Guide to Visiting Everglades National Park (only an hour away!)
Trails in the Everglades: Ranked From Best to Worst
How to Have an Amazing Adventure in Everglades National Park
One Day in Big Cypress National Preserve (less than two hours away)
Things to Do in the Florida Keys (Key Largo is less than two hours away)
Where to Stop on the Way to Key West

Vizcaya Information

Address: 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, FL 33129
Hours: Thursday through Monday beginning at 9:30 a.m.; last admission at 4:30 p.m. Visitors may enjoy select areas on the first floor of the Main House until 5:00 p.m. and the gardens until 5:30 p.m.
Price: Adults (13+) $22. Online tickets required. There are various discounts and promotions you can review as well.
Getting here: Either use the Metrorail, which stops at the Vizcaya station and is a short ten minute walk to the museum, or drive in hectic Miami.
Parking: Free in two lots – if the first fills (follow the signs), you will be directed to the second.
Accessibility: They have a variety of accommodations available.

Notes: Vizcaya Village across the street is also another beautiful historic area visitors may be able to experience when they visit.

Tips for Visiting Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Visit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Early

No matter when you go, you will have others to contend with. Luckily, if you go early, it will not be as bad – especially if you want to take photos. I started in the house and only had to wait for photos/to walk to a certain area twice. Then, I went outside and the wait increased significantly, but it still wasn’t awful. However, by the time I was leaving a few hours later, there were three other professional photographers (that I saw), plus at least twice the number of people – I can’t imagine (well, I don’t want to) having to wait (or deal with) all of that congestion, even outside.

I went back inside before I left and it still wasn’t too busy, so you might want to start outside in the gardens when you first arrive as well – unfortunately, that’s not the order the tour goes in, but it depends what your priority/preference is.

Take the Tour of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

The 90-minute audio tour I’ve mentioned a few times is temporarily free to visitors upon arrival. It’s available in English and Spanish and includes many areas of interest ranging from the main house to the gardens, the bay, and the pool. I recommend it because you get background and context for the things you see as you explore – it enriches the experience rather than just seeing “cool things.”

Another positive is being able to walk around, take pictures, and just see the room/area while the tour is talking, until a person-guided tour. I do want to note – I didn’t bring headphones, but no one had an issue with me having to play it quietly to myself. Regardless, I do wish I had brought headphones for my own comfort, so keep that in mind.

If a 90 minute tour isn’t of interest, Vizcaya does offer a general overview guidebook for $3 in English.

Dress Comfortably

If you are visiting Miami, you probably know it’s hot. You also walk around a decent-sized estate, and most of it is not shaded. Therefore, make sure to dress comfortably, whatever that means to you. I certainly wouldn’t go in a coat/jacket – in fact, I wore exercise clothes. Keep in mind Vizcaya has strict rules for photography, so if you plan on bringing a change of clothes or anything they have listed, you need a permit. I didn’t require a permit despite my obvious camera because I didn’t bring my tripod to take photos of myself.

Don’t Skip Anywhere

There were a few spots I considered not walking towards because there were so many people, or because I thought I had seen something similar – but everywhere is really cool, and you shouldn’t skip anything in Vizcaya. For example, I thought looking at the stone barge (dock area) from afar would be “good enough,” but I pushed through and explored from different angles – and thought it was much cooler! I also found a tiny orchid garden area that I would’ve missed.

Prepare to Wait

If you want to take photos, or even if you want to experience certain areas, there’s a good chance you’ll need to wait (sometimes even if you go early, but not always). Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is an incredible place for photography of all kinds, so you are guaranteed to run into wedding/engagement shoots or quinceañera shoots.

Don’t Bring an Animal

I know, I know – but they are quite strict about no animals being allowed on the grounds. The couple who came in behind me actually got flagged down because their dog was small enough to hide – they were informed of the rules, and one of them just said it was a service animal. I walked away at this point, but being chased after being let in was enough to show me how serious they are about animal friends! If you do have a service animal, make sure it’s clearly marked as always, and probably be prepared to answer questions if it looks atypical. (Basically not a sight/sound service animal. Upon reflection, the level of ability privilege/lack of scope was uncomfortable.)

Fun Facts About Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

• It’s been in tons of movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bad Boys II, and Iron Man 3.
• It’s been in some tv shows like Four Weddings and Days of Our Lives.
• Despite Vizcaya Museum and Garden’s historical appearance, it’s quite modern – it’s built largely of reinforced concrete and has generators and a water filtration system. It also has heating, ventilation, two elevators, a dumbwaiter, and partly automated laundry.
• in 2008, Vizcaya was included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation list of America’s Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places based on the threat of proposed high rise development nearby – these were blocked by court rulings and in 2010 the City of Miami passed a zoning code to protect historic properties.
• Miami’s climate and flooding has made preservation difficult, most notably by environmental and hurricane damage in 1926, 1992, and 2005.
• Vizcaya houses one of two Robert Winthrop Chanler murals left in the public world today (on the ceiling of the pool area).
• The estate was originally 180 acres, but Deering’s nieces began selling parcels of land because of the increasing maintenance costs and damage.
• The whole estate is 50 acres, and the formal gardens, house, and village reside on 10 of them. The other 40 acres are jungle forest or circulation spaces.
• On March 22, 1971, three New York City individuals stole about $1.5 million of art and silver from Vizcaya. One item included a priceless silver bowl that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte – the people were arrested on March 25, but the majority of items were never recovered.
• The main house has 34 rooms, 12 of which were for the servants.

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