Last updated: 11/18/2022
3251 South Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33129
Last admission is at 4:30 p.m. Visitors may enjoy select areas on the first floor of the Main House until 5:00 p.m. and the gardens until 5:30 p.m.
Sunday - Monday, Thursday - Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday - Wednesday
closed
Vizcaya is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The current pricing is temporary until the 2nd floor of the Main House restoration is complete.
United States Military Veterans and Active Duty US Military Personnel with ID: Free
All online admission purchases now include a FREE audio tour, which can be streamed from your own mobile device.
Adults (13 and over): $18
Children (6-12): $8
[Children 5 and under]: Free
[Visitors using wheelchairs]: $8
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Katie Kapczynski
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Dr. Joel M. Hoffman
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Wendy Wolf
phone:
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Charlotte Donn
phone:
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Karen Urbec
phone:
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Jeffrey Guin
phone:
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Diana Pena
phone:
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Elgin Grey
phone:
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Rebecca Peterson
phone:
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Bruce Williams
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Helena Gomez
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Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a National Historic Landmark that preserves the Miami estate of agricultural industrialist James Deering to engage our community and its visitors in learning through the arts, history and the environment.
Vizcaya was the winter residence of American industrialist James Deering from Christmas 1916 until his death in 1925. Deering was a Vice President of the International Harvester Company, which produced agricultural equipment for a worldwide market. He chose a bayfront site in Miami for his tropical winter home because of the location’s temperate winter climate and his appreciation of the native hardwood hammock. In addition, his father, William, had already settled in Coconut Grove and his half brother, Charles Deering, would soon develop an estate at Cutler, in what is now south Miami-Dade County. The latter is now operated as The Deering Estate at Cutler.
At the time of Vizcaya’s construction, Miami’s population was around 10,000. More than 1,000 workers were employed in the Vizcaya project, including laborers and craftsmen from the Caribbean and Europe. In addition to the house and gardens, the complex included a farm, livestock, and a variety of other service facilities covering 180 acres on both sides of South Miami Avenue.
When he began building his winter home, Deering engaged the assistance of Paul Chalfin, a young New York painter, to supervise the entire project. Deering and Chalfin traveled throughout Europe surveying residential architecture for ideas and obtaining components such as doors, wall panels, mantels and ceilings that would be incorporated into the proposed home. Also working on the project were architect F. Burrall Hoffman and Colombian landscape architect Diego Suarez.
The house was intended to appear as an Italian estate that had stood for 400 years and had been occupied and renovated by several generations of a family. It has 34 decorated rooms with 15th through 19th century antique furnishings and art objects. The house appears to be only two stories high but between the main public rooms and the bedrooms, there is an intervening level with 12 rooms for servants and service. Vizcaya intends to open these rooms to the public in the near future, thereby introducing new stories about those who lived and worked at the house.
The expansive gardens combine elements of Renaissance Italian and French designs. Future programs will place greater emphasis on interpreting and presenting these gardens. Suarez and Chalfin worked for seven years, perfecting the design of the gardens as one vast outdoor room with the elements serving as complementary parts of an integrated area. Key features include the many fountains, a central pool surrounding an elevated island, the elevated Mound with its small house, or “Casino,” statuary, and several themed gardens.
After Deering’s death in 1925, a minimal staff maintained the house. The hurricane of 1926, which devastated much of Miami, extensively damaged the house, surrounding grounds and formal gardens. Deering's heirs, Marion Deering McCormick and Barbara Deering Danielson, contacted the estate's original designer, Paul Chalfin, who oversaw the first restoration of Vizcaya in 1933-4. The McCormicks and Danielsons attempted to operate the estate as an attraction, but another major hurricane in 1935 overwhelmed their efforts. Eventually most of the land was sold for development. In 1952, Deering’s heirs generously conveyed the main house and formal gardens to Dade County, for a sum below the actual value. In 1955, the County exercised an option to acquire the village as well. Deering's heirs donated the estate's substantial furnishings and art to the County on condition that Vizcaya be used as a public museum in perpetuity.
Over the years the effects of South Florida’s humid climate and salt air have taken their toll on Vizcaya, necessitating continuous restoration. Although the house’s design allowed the free flow of breezes through the open courtyard, the need to preserve the building and contents required the installation of a climate and humidity control system, including enclosing the open courtyard in glass.
Public board of Miami-Dade County
With its majestic architecture and magical gardens on Biscayne Bay, Vizcaya is a stunning venue for weddings, corporate affairs and social events. Those who have enjoyed an evening at Vizcaya with family, friends, colleagues or clients know there is nothing quite like it!
Vizcaya is available for rent every day of the year except for certain major holidays. Our experienced staff in the facility rental program is eager to work with you to make your special event memorable.
Gift Shop
Special Event Rental
Accessibility
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens welcomes all visitors and their service animals, and is committed to offering accessible facilities and full and rich experiences.
Vizcaya was built as a private home nearly a century ago. Because of its significance and integrity, Vizcaya is designated a National Historic Landmark—the highest honor bestowed on historic buildings in the United States. It is both our challenge and opportunity to determine how we can best preserve Vizcaya, while welcoming visitors with diverse interests and needs.
All visitors should be aware and cautious of the many steps and uneven floors and terrain throughout Vizcaya’s Main House, Gardens, and grounds.
Guide books in English, Spanish, Braille, and large print format are available for purchase for $3.00 at the Ticket Booth or Shop. Maps in various languages are available at no charge at the Ticket Booth.
Wheelchair Access
A map of the property indicating the location of ramps and lifts is available, and you can request it from the Ticket Booth attendant or a security officer. Wheelchairs are available for loan on a first-come, first-served basis. When you arrive, please inform the ticket booth attendant of your desire to borrow a wheelchair. He or she will notify a security officer, who will bring the chair to you. If you decide that you would like or need a wheelchair during the course of your visit, please inform the security officer at the main entrance to the House.
Restrooms
Vizcaya has two men’s and two women’s wheelchair-accessible restrooms. They are located on the south side of the Main House (near the accessible entrance).
Main House
The first floor of the Main House is mostly accessible to visitors using wheelchairs, with the exception of the East Loggia and the Entrance Loggia. Please enter through the ramp and lift on the south side of the House (to the right of the main entrance, through the arched gateway), with assistance from a security officer.
Access to the seco
Wheelchair Accessible
Parking
Restrooms
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