Miami Hotels near Miami Seaquarium

Deering, wanting to give Vizcaya a lived-in-for-generations look, furnished it with period European antiques spanning the 15th to 19th centuries. The 56-hectare Vizcaya estate was practically self-sufficient, with a greenhouse, citrus orchards, dairy, vegetable and flower gardens, and poultry house. The grounds also contained a belt of mangrove and hardwood trees edging the Bay, pastures, formal gardens, a tennis court, and a village from which the staff managed it all.

Vizcaya suffered hurricane damage in 1926, and again in 1935. The Deering Family sold much of its grounds for development, and what are now the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens became the property of Miami-Dade County in 1952. The property often hosts important international events and visitors; the Free Trade Agreement was signed there and both Queen Elizabeth and Pope John Paul II are among the dignitaries who have graced its rooms.

Twelve hectares of the original grounds and thirty-four of the home’s rooms, with their collections of artwork and antiques, are open to the public. Four hectares of the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens’ grounds are a remnant of the magnificent formal gardens, including the Maze and Secret Gardens, the Mound with its romantic two-room marble pavilion called The Casino, and the Orchidarium. Renovations of the village are ongoing.

The Vizcaya Museum is open evdry day except Christmas from 9:30 to 4:30; the gardens remain open until 5:30. The admission, $12 USD for adults and $5 USD for children 6-12, covers both.

Miami Hotels near the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

The four-star British Colonial Mutiny Hotel in the heart of Miami’s colourful Coconut Grove District is a mere 3.7 kilometers south of the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens along Bayshore Drive.