Located in the beautiful and historic Coconut Grove neighbourhood of Miami, The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens are elaborately landscaped European inspired gardens and features a stunning Italian villa which now houses the museum. The museum is dedicated to preserving the estate and artwork of its original owner, James Deering. Due to its lovely setting and inspiring architecture, the estate has been used in scenes for many movies and music videos and has even been the site for important occasions of state.
The Spanish province of Vizcaya was the inspiration in the naming of the estate during its construction in 1914. Deering thought the name was both attractive to say and evocative of Spanish explorers who played a significant role in Florida’s history, an area that Deering took a great deal of interest in. The handsome estate, furnishings and gardens were purchased by Dade County in 1952 and in 1994 the site was designated as a national historic landmark.
The museum consists of the main house made up of 34 rooms, each beautifully decorated with much of Deering’s original furniture and art work of over 2,000 pieces. Outside, the magnificent 10 acre gardens are reminiscent of seventeenth and eighteenth century French and Italian gardens which are filled with native Floridian plants, trees and flowers. Inviting pathways take visitors on a journey of exploration with stunning statues, vases, busts and other decorative features adorning the gardens.
The museum and gardens are located just a quarter of a mile east of U.S. Interstate 95, one mile from downtown Miami. Metrorail serves the gardens at the Vizcaya Station.
