If you have ever been to downtown Miami, the Freedom Tower looms large as an iconic landmark. But…read moredo you know its history? Come along with me as we check it out. Admission is normally $18 for adults, but on the first weekend of each month, Bank of America account holders can visit for free through the Museums on Us program. You can also park for free in the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus Garage, located just a block from the tower. The story of the Freedom Tower begins with James Middleton Cox, a former Ohio congressman, governor, and presidential candidate who came to Miami in 1923. He built the tower in 1925 to house his newly purchased newspaper, The Miami Daily News and Metropolis, which later became The Miami News. With 17 floors, the tower became Miami's first skyscraper. It was designed by the prestigious New York architectural firm Schultze and Weaver, which also designed the Waldorf Astoria New York, The Breakers, and the Hotel Sevilla-Biltmore. The Miami News Tower was modeled after the Giralda bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville in Spain. It was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style, which was popular during Florida's land boom years of the 1920's. In 1957, Miami News moved out of the tower. From 1962 to 1974, it was the home of the Cuban Refugee Center, which opened following the Cuban Revolution. Enacted during President John F. Kennedy's administration, the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 authorized aid for the large number of Cubans fleeing the island in search of political asylum. The U.S. government leased the building to process, document, and provide medical and dental care for the influx of Cuban exiles. During this period, the building became known as "El Refugio" ("The Refuge"), or the Freedom Tower. Nicknamed the "Ellis Island of the South," the Freedom Tower became a symbol of hope and freedom for those seeking democracy. After the refugee center closed, the tower was sold, fell into neglect, and was nearly demolished. Community leaders stepped in to save it, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 1997, the tower was purchased by Jorge Mas Canosa, founder and leader of the Cuban American National Foundation. He passed away only two months after purchasing the building, but his family continued with his restoration plans. In 2004, they sold the tower to another Cuban American family, the Pedro Martin family. In 2005, the building was donated to Miami Dade College, the largest Hispanic-serving institution of higher education in the United States. The tower was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 6, 2008. In July 2025, the Freedom Tower celebrated its 100th anniversary. As part of the centennial celebration, the tower underwent significant renovations, including several new exhibits. These include Libertad, a permanent exhibition on the first and second floors that tells the story of how Miami was shaped by immigration through digital installations, personal testimonials, and historic artifacts. Another exhibit, El Refugio in Context, examines the Freedom Tower's role as a Cuban Refugee Center during the 1960s. One room has been recreated to look as it did when the tower served as a Cuban processing center. Another exhibit, Unidad: The World's Game, was created by the FIFA Museum and showcases how soccer, or fútbol, inspires and connects billions of people around the world. Visitors can explore historic artifacts, interactive stations, and immersive installations. I expect this exhibit to be especially popular when the FIFA World Cup comes to Miami in June. The tournament is the most prestigious competition in international soccer, bringing together the world's best men's national teams every four years to compete for the sport's highest honor. I also enjoyed viewing Languages of Migration in the Kislak Center. This exhibition explores global migration through rare maps, colonial-era artifacts, and contemporary art. The Freedom Tower is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. I very much enjoyed my visit and highly recommend adding this historic landmark to any itinerary that includes downtown Miami. The exhibits bring Miami's rich history to life. Freedom is not free, and the tower stands as a powerful reminder of that through the stories and memories of those who have left their mark on this important cultural landmark.

Such a beautiful space. Went to and event for the Miami film festival and didnt know what to expect…read morewhen I walked in. The decor was minimal but beautiful. Very spacious and parking was very easy

Coral Gables offers a charming blend of history and architecture for visitors to enjoy. The tower…read morestands out as a true masterpiece, capturing the attention of photography enthusiasts looking for the perfect subject.

in a sophisticated residential area, this attraction may seem modest at first glance, yet it…read moreundeniably offers a tranquil and exquisite setting. The ambiance is calming and inviting, making it well worth a visit. On this particularly gorgeous day, the clear blue skies served as the perfect backdrop for capturing stunning photos, some of which I have shared for you to appreciate. If you enjoy what you see, feel free to show your approval by liking this post!

I love discovering old places, and if they are abandoned even better for me! It is surely worthy of…read morea trip - lets hope they GET ON WITH RESTORING IT, and stop wasting money on just maintaining it!! (its been owned by the state since 2007 after all!!!) Here is some more information and history about this house (sourced from https://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/things-to-do/arts-history/marjory-stoneman-douglas-house.html) Almost 68 years after Marjory Stoneman Douglas' "The Everglades: River of Grass" changed the popular conception of the Everglades from worthless swamp to treasured ecosystem, the Stoneman Douglas house in Miami's leafy Coconut Grove neighborhood will be designated a national historic landmark. During his first visit to Everglades National Park in April 2015, President Barack Obama declared the protective designation for the conservationist's modest 1926 cottage at 3744 Stewart Ave. No plans have been announced yet for opening the stucco-covered, wood-frame Stoneman Douglas house to the public, although fans still can go by the historic one-story home, now surrounded by million-dollar mansions. Preservationists and environmentalists have argued for years with neighbors over the fate of the bungalow and concerns that turning it into an education center or attraction would overwhelm the area with traffic and violate residential land use codes. A plan to move the house three miles from its South Grove location to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden was scrapped in 2006. The Stoneman Douglas house and property have been owned by the State of Florida and since 2007 has been maintained by the Florida Park Service as a lasting memorial to a remarkable "woman who saved the Everglades." As a 34-year-old divorced woman living with her father, buying her own house represented independence to Douglas. In her autobiography, "Voice of the River," she wrote about her desire to have a place of her own. I didn't need much of a house, just a workshop, a place of my own. All I wanted was one big room with living quarters tacked on. I knew an architect, George Hyde, who drew up some plans. He mostly built factories, which was fortunate, because I hoped my little house would be as stout and as sparse as a factory with not much to worry about. Because she never learned to drive, the house had no driveway (or air conditioning, electric stove or dishwasher). Part Tudor Revival and part Medieval Revival in design, the house, created by well-known architect George Hyde, is noted for its hip roof, half-timbering, post-hurricane wood floors, elegant detailing, and cast bronze hardware. Starting out as a young writer working for her father at The Miami Herald in 1915 following her brief marriage, Marjory Stoneman Douglas eventually produced more than 100 short stories for popular magazines. "River of Grass," published in 1947, was her most influential work. Later in life, she became a relentless crusader for the natural preservation and restoration of the nature of South Florida. She recognized that the Everglades was a system that depended not only on the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee into the park, but also upon the Kissimmee River which feeds the lake. To add a voting constituency to her efforts, in 1970 she formed the Friends of the Everglades, and was active as the head of the organization. Dubbed the "Grande Dame of the Everglades," she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Upon her death at the age of 108 in 1998, The Independent in London stated, "In the history of the American environmental movement, there have been few more remarkable figures than Marjory Stoneman Douglas." Today, Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, protects over 1.5 million acres. It's the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states, behind Yellowstone National Park and Death Valley National Park. There are three ways to access the park by car. The main entrance in Homestead connects visitors to the Royal Palm Area and the Flamingo Area of Everglades National Park. The Shark Valley entrance is in Miami and the Gulf Coast Entrance is in Everglades City.

Marjorie Stoneman Douglas lived in this home in Coconut Grove. It was built in 1926 by George Hyde…read moreand is designed to look like an English Cotswolds country cottage. The house looks like it is out of a fairy tale. The house is extremely small, barely 900 feet. Marjorie considered it more of a workshop than a home. It is a single story wood frame T shaped structure with a stucco, brick, and half-timbered exterior walls and a sloping roof covered in wood shingles. The interior has hardwood flooring, plaster walls, and plaster ceilings with exposed beams. The interior has one large room that used to be dominated by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas's desk. The other rooms are a little bedroom and a tiny kitchen that only held a hot plate and toaster. Furnishings in the home were very simple. The house didn't have a driveway because she never learned to drive or central air conditioning. Marjorie did much of her writing in the home including the 1947 book The Everglades: River of Grass which spawned a movement to save the Everglades from development. The state of Florida purchased the house in 1991. Marjory was allowed to live out the rest of her life in her home which she did until she passed away at the age of 108 in 1998. The house was designated a national landmark in 2015. The house sits vacant as the people in the neighborhood have fought any attempts at turning the house into a museum fearing the traffic it would bring to the area. With the shooting that took place at the high school named in Marjorie Stoneman Douglas's honor in Parkland her name has been thrust back in the spotlight and there is renewed interest in finally doing something with the house. It seems like the neighbors may finally be coming around to allowing access to the house on a limited basis. Before that can happen the state needs to repair termite damage and mold caused by an air conditioner leak. Some of the ideas for the house are to turn it into a museum to honor Marjory or to allow a writer to live there in residence. A plan that has been scraped is to move the house to Fairchild tropical Gardens where there is a statue of Marjory Stoneman Douglas sitting on a bench. I am a long time Marjory Stoneman Douglas fan. As someone who loves the Everglades I appreciate her and everything she did to save it from development. I have seen many lovely pictures of her outside her home usually with a cat. Visiting her house was a thrill. I especially loved discovering the seahorse on the outside fireplace and the hand shaped doorknocker on the front door. I truly hope the neighbors and the state can come to an agreement to allow people access to the property. Right now you can easily park in front of the house and take a peek in the windows. Marjory Stoneman Douglas created a lasting environmental legacy and her home deserves to be protected and maintained. Maybe even more so after what happened in Parkland. The house belongs to all of us and we should be able to pay our respects to her there.

Hialeah Entrance Plaza is one of the landmarks in the City of Hialeah. I have to say when it was…read morefirst restored in 2005 (for a whopping $411,000), I didn't like it. It grew on me as time progressed and I always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. Then again that exemplifies my whole experience being a born and bred Hialeahan. Hialeah's motto is the "city of progress", but being born and raised here I can tell you that the city and its people can get a bad rap from the rest of the county, state and heck even sometimes the rest of the country. Sometimes to be fair to the detractors, rightly so, other times very unfairly. Its to the point that the city is mocked as the land of "agua, fango y factorias", or water, mud and factories. There have been times where I have been judged for being from Hialeah. Its a working class/poor area of Miami-Dade County, heavily minority, with a large percentage of its residents who do not speak English. Still, I was born and raised in Hialeah and it has shaped who I am and who I became. In the end, this structure shows Hialeah is more than what its detractors say it is. It is beautiful, well maintained, with a cascading fountain. As an aside, one of my fondest memories of this place was when back in September 10, 2009 some high school student spiked the fountain with soap just before rush hour. I laughed so hard right on my way to work! Like to the story: https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/hialeah-fountain-throwing-a-suds-party/2051397/?amp=1 I took pictures myself that I found which are attached. Ahhh sweet memories!

It's not the Arc de Triomphe but it is the monument that serves as the entrance way to Hialeah. In…read morethe 1980s and 1990s, a coral rock fountain on a grassy patch at SE Fourth Street and Okeechobee was all that stood here. In 2005 the city built the that pale yellow Mediterranean style building that features two sentry towers and a stone fountain on the ground floor at a cost of a $411,848.56. In 2011 the Miami New times listed it as "the worst public works projects in Miami-Dade, where bureaucrats and elected officials take pride in wasting millions in taxpayer dollars on crap residents have little-to-no use for." They site the lack of parking, no sidewalk, and the inability to climb up to the top although there is a staircase on the inside. On occasion pranksters will fill the fountain with soap causing the suds to spill out onto the roadway. Although the New Times may have a point that the fountain was an expensive cost to tax payer, it's final price tag came in twice as much as it's budget, I still like it. It fits nicely in with the Mediterranean Revival theme that was popular in the 1920's when Hialeah was founded. It would however be better if it was more accessible for public use like the entrance ways to Coral Gables.

Hialeah is a city northwest of Miami. Since I lived in South Florida for a total of Forty Years I…read moredefinitely know the recreational activities and demographics of the city. My happiest memories are of the historic Hialeah Park Race Track. Naturally when I had visitors from the North I usually found entertainment here. At one time it was a definite city that drew the tour buses full of tourists. I had Four Years of Spanish in Middle and High School but when I visit Hialeah I'm sorry to say I still have trouble communicating. This city has areas where they do not speak English. I recommend you visit this city that's rich in Florida History. Visit the race track at least!

Glenn H. Curtiss, aviation pioneer, inventor, and land developer Glenn H. Curtiss moved to Miami in…read morethe 1920's where he partnered with James Bright who made his fortune in cattle. Curtiss and Bright purchased 17,000 acres of scrub and pasture land that years later would become Miami Springs, Hialeah, and Opa-Locka. The city of Hialeah, located in north west Miami was named by a Seminole Indian named Willie Willie, When developer James Bright asked him to describe the property, he called it Hi-ale-ah, translating to pretty prairie or high prairie. The Seminoles used to dock their canoes in Hialeah and sell their wares. Bright dug the Miami Canal to drain the submerged land and Hialeah was incorporated in 1921. One million dollars of land was sold by the developers within 10 days. Bright built his home and cattle ranch at the corner of Hialeah Drive and East Second Avenue and Curtiss built an airfield in the Deer Park Creek neighborhood. G.R. Milliard, Hialeah's first resident, built a home at Okeechobee Road and Hialeah Drive where he operated the town's first post office, first real estate office, first general store, first car repair shop. and the first headquarters for the bus line to Miami. In 1921 his daughter Leah was the first child to be born in Hialeah. In the next two years the town had a dog track and a race course laid out by Glenn Curtiss. In the ensuing years Hialeah became the place where the working people settled buying inexpensive wood frame houses with canvas roofs. The September 1926 Hurricane struck destroying most of the town. This signaled the end of Florida/s land boom years followed by the Great Depression. In 1937 famed aviator Amelia Earhart set off for her doomed final flight from Hialeah. Hialeah and Florida bounced back with the return of GI's seeking a warmer climate after WWII. Hialeah is now the sixth- largest city in Florida with an estimated population 6,198,782 people. Homestead and Hialeah are the only places in Miami Dade County to have its own street grid numbered separate from the rest of the county. Hialeah is primarily Hispanic with the largest population of people of Cuban decent. Many exiles from Cuba who were fleeing Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution settled here. As a resident of Broward County I never gave Hialeah much thought. It was just an exit you passed by on your way to Miami. After taking some time to explore Hialeah I see I have been missing out on art, culture, shopping, architecture, and food. Hialeah has the ornate Mediterranean Revival architecture I love. Start your tour at the Hialeah entrance plaza. Some of the places I have recently discovered and enjoyed include Flamingo Plaza, Garden of the Arts, and the Leah Arts District. I put a collection up on Yelp for anyone interested in exploring Hialeah. Hialeah may not have a beach that draws the tourists but when you take the time to look it is filled with its own charm.