Miami has an amazing history, and Villa Vizcaya is one of them. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark is located just outside Miami’s downtown district, Villa Vizcaya will transport you to a different time and place entirely.
Villa Vizcaya is a National Historic Landmark that provides visitors an insight on how the rich lived in the early 20th century. The style is Mediterranean Revival and Italian Renaissance. It’s like a typical Italian villa, with beautiful gardens and is located on Miami’s beautiful Biscayne Bay.
Vizcaya, was the winter residence of James Deering. The beautifully maintained 34-room mansion was built between 1914 and 1922 in the Coconut Grove area of Miami.
Miami visitors approach this hidden architectural treasure by turning off South Miami Avenue on to a winding driveway through a forest of native trees and brush known as the Rockland Hammock. This spate of dense tropical woods essentially hides the grandeur of Vizcaya from public view.
At the end of the drive there is a parking lot, and it’s a short walk from the lot to the ticket booth, and on to the entry drive leading to the impressive circular driveway in front of the main house.
The house is structured around a center courtyard with an entrance loggia and ground level arcades to the left and right decorated with fine pieces of Renaissance furnishings.
Mr. Deering was captivated by the extraordinary European splendor of the 15th through early 19th centuries, and spent a great deal of money acquiring period artifacts from all over Europe and Asia. When he built his dream residence in Miami, the rooms were designed around his extensive collection of furnishings, rather than the other way around.
At one time, the courtyard was open to the weather, but today it is protected by a glass roof. Air-conditioning was installed in 1986 to help preserve the many treasures inside the mansion.
The house was designed to take full advantage of its location on Biscayne Bay. Deering wanted Vizcaya to be approached and seen from the sea, and the east façade on the bay is the most monumental and the only symmetrical one—it opens onto a wide terrace that descends toward the water.
The signature architectural statement of Vizcaya is the amazing Stone Barge to the east of the house. The barge functions as a breakwater in the estate’s cove between the boat landing and the lattice topped Tea House.
The gazebo also created a scenic doorway to Biscayne Bay, while poles rose up out of the water depicting Venetian moors. Tropical flowers laced the walkways around the gardens.
Once replete with dense tropical plants and trees – long since vanquished by decades of storms and hurricanes – the stone barge remains a lasting testament to James Deering’s love of the sea. Deering maintained two yachts at Vizcaya and he wanted to make certain that the water entry to his estate would not be forgotten by his guests. It would certainly be difficult to forget the elaborate stone barge.
The other sides of the house have unique surrounding grounds. The north façade, which has greeted visitors since Deering’s time, is simple and contrasts with Vizcaya’s elaborate interiors. The north façade accommodates one of Vizcaya’s most delightful inventions—the swimming pool that emerges from vaulted arches at the lower level of the house.
On the first floor, several reception rooms, the Library, the Music Room, and the Dining Room surround the Courtyard.
The second floor housed Deering’s personal suite of rooms and guest bedrooms as well as a Breakfast Room and the Kitchen.
In old European villas, many of the sleeping rooms and the kitchen are located off a gallery on the second floor, and so it is at Vizcaya.
The south facade of the house is one of my favorite with Vizcaza gardens. The grounds alone are worthy of five stars. Impressive stonework as far as the eye can see, make sure you get up close and personal with the delicate masonry. The massiveness of the house and its attachments are gardens straight out of a European travelogue. Stairs, greenery, hiding spaces, turrets, flowers, fountains, shrubs, statues, and more create a lattice-like landscape fit for exploration, romance, day dreaming, imagination, and contemplation.
At Vizcaya, the reference to the past was coupled with an enthusiastic embrace of technology, modernity and comfort. Regardless of its Baroque appearance, Vizcaya was a very modern house. Many are surprised to learn that it was built largely of reinforced concrete, with the latest technology of the period, such as generators and a water filtration system. Vizcaya was also equipped with heating and ventilation, two elevators, a dumbwaiter, a central vacuum-cleaning system and a partly automated laundry room.
If Vizcaya looks familiar to you, it is because it has provided the setting for many films, such as Tony Rome, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Any Given Sunday, Bad Boys II, Airport ’77, Haunts of the Very Rich, The Money Pit, and Iron Man 3. The music video for The Cover Girls’ song “Promise Me” from 1988 was filmed at Vizcaya. The music video for New Edition’s song “I’m Still In Love With You” from 1996 was also filmed at Vizcaya.
Plan to arrive early, just as they are opening. You will need 2-3 hours to see everything but you can easily spend a day there. If you want an in depth explanation, the “audio tour” is useful. You can simply punch a number of the place you are and hear interesting tidbits, like the fact the gorgeous pool was used by the owner only once.
Vizcaya is a great place to host a party and a very popular venue for a Vizcaya Gardens Wedding.
Hours and Admission
Vizcaya welcomes visitors every day except Tuesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Admission
- Adult – $18
- Child 6-12 – $6
- Children 5 and under – Free
- Seniors 62 and older with ID – $12
- Students with ID – $10
- Visitors using wheelchairs – $10
- Veterans and active duty military personnel only with ID – Free
Chris Boothman
February 20, 2015 at 4:05 pmWhen you think about Miami, culture and history is not really the first thing that springs to mind at least in terms of these types of attractions worth visiting. However, after reading this post and seeing your amazing pictures Carmen I am well and truly sold on Vizcaya Museum and definitely think this would be worthwhile exploring.
Carmen
February 21, 2015 at 3:46 pmHi Chris,
Vizcaya is normally one of my first stops in Miami when we have guest in town. You feel like you’re traveled back in time and are in an Italian villa. It’s hard to believe this exist in Miami. The botanical gardens are worth the visit alone. It’s a photographers dream.
Ruth
February 22, 2015 at 4:53 amWhat a place! This should be a must on a visit to Miami.
Carmen
February 23, 2015 at 2:13 amHi Ruth,
We had such a great time strolling the gardens and viewing this historical gem! You could spend an hour or spend a half a day learning about this home.
RobRob
February 22, 2015 at 5:45 pmWow – that’s gorgeous! Good timing, as we’ve just started planning another trip to Miami and this was not on our radar. You can bet we’ll be going! I think the trick will be getting the gang to leave once they see that seafront. Think anyone would mind if we moved in? 😉
Carmen
February 23, 2015 at 2:21 amHi Rob,
My kids always enjoyed going to Vizcaya and pretending like they lived there. They would fight over which room each of them was going to have. It’s definitely worth the trip and spending a few hours.
Lyn (aka) The Travelling Lindfields
February 22, 2015 at 7:56 pmWOW – such luxury. I wonder why we are so often drawn as tourists to see the trappings of lifestyles which we can never enjoy. Is it envy or just plain curiosity?
Carmen
February 23, 2015 at 2:32 amHi Lyn, What a great question! I think it’s true that the views of how the rich and famous live remain a huge draw. Think about the popularity of sites like the Palace of Versailles, Windsor Castle, the Hearst Castle, Bonnet House, the Hollywood Star Tours, and Gilette Castle.
It’s also true on TV where programs such as the The Lives of the Rich and Famous is a big draw.
Personally, I like Viscaya because of the vision of a different era, the architecture and art, and the sheer escapism of seeing such a site.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
February 28, 2015 at 2:08 amI visited Vizcaya when I was a teen, and it’s one of my standout memories of that Florida trip. I remember being fascinated that it just looked old but actually wasn’t. It’s still such a gorgeous place, and I’d love to return.
Carmen
March 12, 2015 at 8:28 pmHi Michele,
I really enjoy going back often. They do such a great job of keeping up with the place and taking care of the grounds. I hope you get to return soon. 🙂