The Florida Historical Marker Program is one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular…read moreand valued public history programs. It raises awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of churches, schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, and historically important buildings. The U.S. Coast Guard Hanger is one of eight historical markers installed by the City of Miami Public Works in 2015. Joyce E. Nelson, president of the Coconut Grove Civic Club was inspired to get the markers installed after seeing a similar program during a trip to Charleston. What is unique and really nice about the Coconut Grove markers is that they include historic photos. During World War I and II Coconut Grove was a US naval base. In 1932 this seaplane hangar became a part of the first permanent United States Coast Guard Air Station in the country. Planes from the Dinner Key Coast Guard rescued people from the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. During World War II, planes flew missions to spot U Boats off the coast and rescued sailors on ships targeted by the Nazi Navy. In the 1960's, the Coast Guard rescued Cuban migrants during mass immigration. This US Coast Guard hangar site was the busiest Coast Guard station in the country until operations were moved to Opa-locka Airport in 1965. In 1972 the hangar was turned into a gymnasium used for boxing and sailing programs. It was named in honor of local activist Elizabeth Virrick. The historic Coast Guard hangar suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. It was restored with a grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Historic marker F-892 was added in 2015 by the Coconut Grove Civic Club and the Florida Department of State.

Another piece of Coconut Groves History can be found at the US Coast Guard Station Hanger…read more This seaplane hangar was a part of the first permanent United States Coast Guard Air Station in the country. Built in 1932, the hangar served as a crucial center for Coast Guard aviation in Florida. Planes from Dinner Key carried out rescue and evacuation missions alongside planes from other Coast Guard air stations in the Florida Keys following the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. During World War II, aviators provided anti-submarine patrol and convoy support. In addition to aiding in the protection of the nation's coasts, aviators conducted rescue missions to help sailors from merchant ships targeted by the Nazi Kriegsmarine. The Dinner Key Coast Guard maintained an active presence in the community after the war and played an important part in search-and-rescue missions during the mass Cuban immigration rescue in the 1960s. By 1965, when the Coast Guard air station unit moved its operations from Dinner Key to the Opa-locka Airport, the station had evolved into the busiest air-sea rescue facility in the world. The U.S. Coast Guard Station Hanger is the oldest building associated with the air station. After the air station on Dinner Key was decommissioned, the City of Miami purchased the hangar in 1972 for use as a gymnasium. Named for local activist Elizabeth Virrick, the gymnasium originally hosted a boxing program for young men but has since been used for other activities including sailing and other water sports. After suffering severe damage from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the building was restored with the assistance of a grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources. The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Hangar/Virrick Gym was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

The Florida Historical Marker Program is one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular…read moreand valued public history programs. It raises awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of churches, schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, and historically important buildings. I discovered this historic marker in the median across from Regatta Park on Dinner Key in Coconut Grove. Through the years Dinner Key was used as a base of operations for the U.S. Navy, Pan American World Airways, and the U.S. Coast Guard. During WWI Dinner Key was used as a Naval Air Base. In 1929, Pan American Airways began seaplane service from the United States to Latin America, on the site of the Miami Naval Air Station. The first passengers left from a houseboat used as a terminal. In 1931, Pan American World Airways built their first terminal. In the 1930's this was the one of the nation's busiest commercial seaplane airports. This Art Deco style building was constructed in 1934 as the most modern marine air terminal in the world with both air and land views. The entry drive with median was designed to look like an airplane's fuselage while the angled maintenance hangers on each side represented the wings of a plane. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first President in office to travel by air when he passed through the base on his way to Casablanca. The last Pan Am flight left the terminal in 1945. In 1975 the terminal was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The City of Miami received a historic preservation grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources in 2007 for assistance with their restoration of the building. The site was sold to the City of Miami in 1946. Miami City Hall that was created from the Pan American terminal in 1954. The terminal's main waiting room is now the Miami City Commission's chambers. One of the Pan American hangers was turned into the Dinner Key Auditorium where Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested in 1969 for indecent exposure. Today three of the four Pan American hangars are used for boat storage and Dinner Key is now a marina.

While exploring the 36th Street park, I noticed this historic sign explaining the Collins…read moreWaterfront Architectural District that encompasses Miami Beach and the various architectural styles along the beach. I was walking on the boardwalk with my dog on a Saturday early morning when I discovered it. Wikipedia says this about the Collins Waterfront district: Collins Waterfront Architectural District is a historic district in Miami Beach, Florida, that includes 110 contributing buildings and structures built in the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, centering on Collins Avenue. The predominant styles include moderne, Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival architecture, as well as the local Miami Modern style. The chief contributing resources are large resort hotels. The district is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and by 24th Street, Indian Creek Drive, Pine Tree Drive and the Collins Canal. The district is part of Mid-Beach. Since I was not raised in Miami Beach, it was nice to learn more about it from reading the sign and researching more about it. This is a popular place for locals and tourists of all ages and physical capabilities. There is a large parking lot available for access there.

The Florida Historical Marker Program is one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular…read moreand valued public history programs. It raises awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of churches, schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, and historically important buildings. I discovered this marker in the 36th Street Park providing information on this historic district in Mid Beach in Miami Beach. In 1916 the Miami Beach Improvement Company, founded by John Collins, platted the Oceanfront Subdivision on a two mile isthmus. The Company named the area Miami Beach. Today the Collins Waterfront Architectural Historic District includes 110 buildings and structures near Collins Avenue. The earliest dates to 1922 and the majority were built in the late 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. Architectural styles include moderne, Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival architecture, and the local Miami Modern style called MiMo, a type of mid century modernism architecture style that developed after WWII from the 1940's to the 1960's. Its hallmark is modern simplicity of form influenced by South Florida. Many of the buildings in this district are large resort hotels. The district is defined by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and 24th Street, Indian Creek Drive, Pine Tree Drive, and the Collins Canal. The Collins Waterfront Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 2011. Buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in this district include the Casa Faena, the Cadillac Hotel, designed by Roy France, and Ocean Spray Hotel.

I love stumbling on historic markers that give insight into the history of Florida. I found this…read moregreen marker on the side of the road in Pinecrest next to Dixie Hwy in front of the Pinecrest Town Center. The Miami Serpentarium is a lost Florida roadside attraction. William E. Haast was born on Dec. 30, 1910, in Paterson, N.J. He bought his first exotic snake, a diamondback rattler, from a catalog selling snakes from Florida. After WWII, Bill Haast who has been described as herpetologist, medical researcher, dreamer, humanitarian, and saver of lives came to what is now Pinecrest. When he arrived the area was known for avocados and mangos but he saw the potential for a medical venom research facility and tourist attraction. Some of his research centered around using snake venom to cure Alzheimer's, lupus, cancer, arthritis, polio, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis. Haas injected himself with a cocktail of venom from 5 snakes every week. Haast claimed he was bitten 173 times by poisonous snakes, 20 times almost fatally. Immune to venom, he donated his blood to snake bite victims. Venezuela made him an honorary citizen after he went deep into the jungle to give a boy a pint of his blood. The Miami Serpentarium opened in 1947 and it was famous for its 35 foot concrete cobra towering over the entrance. Inside visitors could see and interact with snakes, lizards and alligators. At its height, it drew 50,000 visitors annually. The shows Haast put on were a guest favorite. Sadly in 1977, six year old Mark Wasson fell into the crocodile pit and was killed by 14 foot Cookie, a Nile crocodile. A young employee working there at the time was Ron Magill who would go on to become the face of Zoo Miami. Haast was never interested in the tourist aspect of the Serpentarium. He only used it to fund his medical research. The accident prompted him to eventually close the Serpentarium for good in 1984. Hasst lived to be 100 and he passed away in 2011. He attributed his long life to snake venom. After closing down the Serpentarium, Haast and his wife Nancy moved to Salt Lake City where he continued his research at the University of Utah. In 1990 they returned to Florida, opening Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a research only facility and venom producer in Punta Gorda. After the Serpentarium closed, the giant Cobra head was moved to the South Miami High "Cobras" high school where it was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The land where the Serpentarium used to be is now a shopping plaza, Pinecrest Town Center. It was built on top of the reputed grave of Cookie. The Miami Serpentarium Marker was installed by the Village of Pinecrest. .

In front of the building that houses the Miami Design Preservation League's Art Deco Museum is this…read morehistoric marker that is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, historic districts, forts, and historic buildings like this one. Historic marker F-1001 was installed in 2018 by the City of Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State. This marker honors Barbara Baer Capitman (1920-1990). The history of South Beach dates back to 1910 when Carl Fisher began to transform the community into a world class resort destination. In the 1920's during Florida's land boom years, many hotels and mansions were built. The 1930's and 40's were the height of the art deco design movement inspired by Paris and many of the hotels were built in this style. By the 1970's South Beach was run down by neglect and salt water damage. Things were so bad that the movie Scarface used to South Beach to stand in for a drug infested ghetto neighborhood. Barbara Baer Capitman and a group of activists banded together to preserve the Art Deco buildings of South Beach. Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976 with Leonard Horowitz which started a movement to place one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. Their efforts enabled 800 of the historic Art Deco buildings to be saved. Formerly run down hotels on Ocean Drive were refreshed in pastel colors chosen by Horowitz. In the late 1980's South Beach had a resurgence. Models and the fashion industry moved in. Barbara Baer Capitman saved the Art Deco treasures of South Beach by taking a local movement to save important architecture and spreading it nationally and internationally. Her impact on South Beach can not be understated. An area that once had people thinking twice about driving through became home to the wealthy. Today it is walking friendly and generally low crime. You can find a bronze bust of a 19 year old Barbara Baer Capitman next door in Lummus Park.

I like learning more about the history of Miami and I found this historic marker at the base of the…read moreSW 1st Street bascule bridge. Marker F-1125 was erected in 2020 by The Florida Department of Transportation District 6 and the Florida Department of State. This area of Miami is the South River Drive Historic District which was the first neighborhood developed on the west side of the river. The South River Drive Historic District contains six frame vernacular houses built before 1915. They were built as rooming houses for new residents and tourists in the early part of the twentieth century. The SW 1st Street bascule bridge was completed in 1929 and provided the access to the downtown that allowed the neighborhood to thrive. This district also has four apartment buildings from the 1940's. The South River Drive Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

In front of the building that used to be home to Fleischer Studios in Miami is one of the states…read morenewest historic markers. It is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, historic districts, forts, and historic buildings like this one. Historic marker F-1278 was installed on October 15, 2025 by Fleischer Studios, The Animation Education Association, and the Florida Department of State. Fleischer Studios was founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer. After conflict with unions in New York, the brothers moved the studio to the Grapeland Heights neighborhood of Miami where it operated from 1938 to 1942. In the 1930's its primary competition was Walt Disney Studios. Fleischer Studios studio was known for creating popular cartoons like Koko the Clown, Popeye, Betty Boop, and two full feature films Gulliver's Travels (1939) and Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941). It was the first studio to bring Superman to film. In its hey day they employed 760 artists. Fleischer studio cartoons dealt with adult themes, surrealism, and expressionism. The studio building was one of the first fully air-conditioned commercial buildings in Florida. In 1942 the studio was acquired by Paramount Pictures who closed it. In 2000 the building was the Dade County Child Development Center. Today it serves as a Miami Police Department substation. The building has been officially designated a historical landmark.

Don't come here looking for a park. There is no park. Instead you will find a historical marker in…read morethe middle of a residential neighborhood in Coconut Grove. The marker is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, forts, historic buildings, and historic districts like this one. Historic marker F-1112 was installed in 2020 by the Coconut Grove Village Council, and the Florida Department of State. The sign details the history of Cocoanut Grove Park, one of the area's oldest planned residential communities established in the 1910's for a mix of residents, including wealthy Northerners and the Bahamian community. The Cocoanut Grove Development Company was formed in 1910 by Miami's first registered architect, Walter C. DeGarmo and partners Franklin C. Bush and John C. Gramling. In 1911, the company platted the subdivision west of the bay front estates of wealthy industrialists like William J. Matheson, John Bindley, and Arthur Curtiss James. A three acre portion was deeded along Plaza Street to the public for a park. The bohemian and sailing community was a mixture of cultural arts and high society that thrived and co-existed with prominent American business figures, artists, writers, and politicians. You can still see some of Cocoanut Grove Park's original bungalows alongside homes designed by prominent architects Richard Kiehnel and Clinton McKenzie.