Museum sights in Miami
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House of Elián Gonzalez
The surreal House of Elián Gonzalez, subject of one of the most bitter international custody battles of the 1990s, is a shrine, a time capsule and an exercise in the creation of public iconography. Since 2001 the house has become a temple to the symbology of the most anti-Castro Cuban exile politics. The little property is scattered with homages to Jesus, American flags and images of Elian himself, who is all but explicitly labeled a little saint of his people. Elián’s great-uncle Delfin bought the house in late 2000 and then froze time inside: Elian’s clothes hang in the closet, the inner tube that saved his life at sea hangs on the wall and his Spiderman pajamas are lai…
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A
Jewish Museum of Florida
Housed in a 1936 Orthodox synagogue that served Miami’s first congregation, this small museum chronicles the rather big contribution Jews have made to the state of Florida, especially this corner. After all, while Cubans made Miami, Jews made Miami Beach, both physically (in a developer’s sense) and culturally (in an ‘anyone is welcome’ attitude). Yet there were times when Jews were barred from the American Riviera they carved out of the sand, and this museum tells that story, along with some amusing anecdotes (such as seashell purim dresses). The mainstay is Mosaic: Jewish Life in Florida, a mosaic (imagine that) of photographs and historical bric-a-brac. Also no…
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B
Bass Museum of Art
The best art museum in Miami Beach has a playfully futurist facade, a crisp interplay of lines and bright white wall-space, like an Orthodox Church on a space-age Greek Isle. All designed, by the way, in 1930 by Russell Pancoast (grandson of John A Collins, who lent his name to Collins Ave). The collection isn’t shabby either: permanent highlights range from 16th-century European religious works to Northern European and Renaissance paintings. The Bass forms one point of the Collins Park Cultural Center triangle, which also includes the three-story Miami City Ballet and the lovingly inviting Miami Beach Regional Library (which is a great place to pick up free wi-fi).
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C
Wings Over Miami
Plane-spotters will be delighted by this Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport museum, which chronicles the history of aviation. Highlights include a propeller collection, J47 jet engine, a Soviet bomber from Smolensk and the nose section of Fertile Myrtle, the aircraft used to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An impressive exhibit on the Tuskeegee Airmen features videos of the black pilots telling their own stories. Historic bombers and other aircrafts drop in for occasional visits, so you can never be sure what you’ll see.
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D
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
Primarily of interest to serious train buffs (but also fun for kids), this museum was set up in the 1950s by the Miami Railroad Historical Society. It displays more than 30 antique railway cars, including the Ferdinand Magellan presidential car, where President Harry Truman famously brandished a newspaper with the famously erroneous headline ‘Dewey Defeats Truman.’ The car was also used by US presidents Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan (for whom it was outfitted with 3in-thick glass windows and armor plating).
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Black Heritage Museum
This roving museum presents rotating exhibits in many areas of Miami, Chapman and Deering. It is the brainchild of teachers Priscilla S Kruize, Dr Paul Cadby and Dr Earl Wells; the three set out in 1987 to establish a center that celebrates the cultures of African Americans, Bahamians, Haitians and other black cultures in Dade County.
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E
Coral Gables Museum
Opened in October 2010, this museum is an excellent, well-plotted introduction to the oddball narrative of the founding and growth of the City Beautiful. The collection includes historical artifacts and mementos of succeeding generations of this tight-knit, eccentric little village.
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F
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
The Italian Renaissance-style villa has 70 rooms full of centuries-old furnishings and art. The formal gardens, fountains and grottos make a gorgeous backdrop - expect to see at least one bride with a photographer in tow.
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G
Miami Museum of Science & Planetarium
The Miami Museum of Science & Planetarium is a Smithsonian affiliate with a planetarium and wildlife center. Most of the museum is usually taken up with one major exhibit; call to see what's current.
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H
Wolfsonian
The Wolfsonian has a fascinating collection that spans transportation, urbanism, industrial design, advertising and political propaganda from the late 19th to mid-20th century.
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World Erotic Art Museum
The World Erotic Art Museum, with an amazingly extensive collection of naughty and erotic art, decorative items and even furniture depicting all sorts of parts and acts.
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Miami Children's Museum
The Miami Children's Museum is a hands-on museum with fun music and art studios, as well as some branded 'work' experiences that make it feel a tad corporate.
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Bay of Pigs Museum & Library
History buffs can stop by the Bay of Pigs Museum & Library to learn more about the ill-fated Cuban invasion and pay tribute to the 2506 Brigade.
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Historical Museum of Southern Florida
The Historical Museum of Southern Florida has exhibits spanning Native American culture to the 1930s tourism.
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Haitian Heritage Museum
The Haitian Heritage Museum. which showcases Haitian art and history.
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