HistoryMiami is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through exhibitions, city tours, education, research, collections and publications, HistoryMiami advocates for helping everyone understand the importance of the past in shaping Miami‘s future.

HistoryMiami connects people by telling the stories of Miami’s communities, individuals, places and events.

HistoryMiami, formerly known as the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, was founded in 1940 as a historical association comprised of famous Miamians including George Merrick, Charlton Tebeau and Marjory Stoneman Douglas. The Association established the first museum for regular public use in 1962 and ten years later, moved to a larger facility within the Miami Science Museum, expanding its exhibition and educational programs. From 1974 to 1979, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida focused on developing storyline exhibitions and its professional staff. In 1984, the Historical Museum moved to downtown Miami, the site of its present facility in the Miami-Dade Cultural Center. On April 29, 2010 the Historical Museum of Southern Florida was officially renamed to HistoryMiami. The new brand direction and name was unveiled during the annual membership meeting attended by board members, community leaders, staff and members, as well as area residents. The rebranding was a direct result of a year-long effort to encompass the past history which defines the region as well as the future direction of our community more suitably. On July 28, 2011 HistoryMiami was formally received as a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate. The institution's Certificate of Affiliation was presented by Assistant Secretary for Education and Access for the Smithsonian Institution Claudine Brown in a gathering which included Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami-Dade County School Board Vice-Chairman Dr. Lawrence Feldman. As an affiliate, HistoryMiami will have access to Smithsonian resources—including collections, scholarship, traveling exhibitions and the opportunity to extend membership benefits. The new Smithsonian membership benefits provided to supporting members may include subscriptions to publications, discounts at Smithsonian Museum stores and online stores, or travel and study opportunities.

Tropical Dreams explores South Florida history from prehistoric times to the present day. Topics explored include First Arrivals, International Rivalry, Southward Expansion, New People - New Technology, and Gateway of the Americas. The history of South Florida is the story of humans in a unique environment. It began more than 10,000 years ago with the arrival of prehistoric Indians and continues to the multi-cultural metropolis of today. Throughout the ages, the story has been characterized by arrivals--the immigration of people from many different places and cultures into the region. These varied peoples brought their dreams with them, and remade South Florida over and over again to fulfill those dreams. They also adapted to the region’s subtropical environment, interacted with other cultures in South Florida, and, in the process, changed into something new and unusual. This is their story.