Don’t just visit Miami. Find your Miami.
Miami 1908 sits at a fascinating crossroads.
The crossroads
- The river.
- Downtown.
- Brickell.
- Little Havana.
The neighborhoods, restaurants, markets, music and people that make the city more than a skyline.
We’ll help you find the Miami that isn’t necessarily on the first page of a guidebook.
The city, from here
We’ll tell you where to go.
Not necessarily where everyone else goes. Where we go.
You are here
437 SW 2nd St
East
The river & Downtown
The working river, the bridges, and a downtown that is finally worth walking.
East
The river & Downtown
The working river, the bridges, and a downtown that is finally worth walking.
The local guide
Where we send our friends.
Why go, how far, when, and what to know first. Hours and prices checked October 2026 - they change, so check before you set out.
On foot10
Parks & beaches
José Martí Park
- Why go
- The riverfront park next door - a ball field, a playground, an outdoor gym and an aquatic centre.
- How far
- About 5 min on foot
- When to go
- Daily, 6 am - 10 pm.
- What to know
- Leashed dogs are welcome. Restrooms on site.
History & architecture
Fort Dallas & the Wagner House
- Why go
- Miami's only two surviving pioneer-era buildings, across the river in Lummus Park: the William Wagner House, about 1855, and Fort Dallas, a limestone building of about 1844 - built as slave quarters on William English's plantation and moved here in 1925.
- How far
- About 10 min on foot
- When to go
- The park is open daily, 8 am - 9 pm.
- What to know
- This is Lummus Park in Miami, not the one on Miami Beach. The buildings are seen from the park; going inside is not guaranteed.
History & architecture
Museum of Miami
- Why go
- The city's history museum (formerly HistoryMiami). Its First Arrivals gallery includes artifacts from the Miami Circle.
- How far
- About 10 min on foot
- When to go
- Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 5 pm. Last entry 4:30 pm.
- What to know
- Adults $15; under 6 free. Validated $5 parking at the Cultural Center Garage, 50 NW 2nd Ave.
Eat & drink
Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish Market
- Why go
- A family-run fish market and seafood restaurant on the river, with its own fishing fleet.
- How far
- About 10 min on foot
- When to go
- Sunday - Thursday 11 am - 9 pm; Friday and Saturday until 10 pm.
- What to know
- Buy fresh fish to take away, or book a table on 305-375-0765.
History & architecture
Miami Circle
- Why go
- A National Historic Landmark where the river meets the bay: a 38-foot ring of post holes cut into the bedrock, believed to be a Tequesta structure.
- How far
- About 25 min on foot
- When to go
- Open 24 hours.
- What to know
- Free. The circle itself is buried to protect it - you get interpretive panels, an audio tour and the mouth of the river.
History & architecture
Freedom Tower
- Why go
- A downtown landmark, now run by Miami Dade College, with exhibitions on Miami's history and cultural heritage.
- How far
- About 25 min on foot
- When to go
- Wednesday - Sunday, 10 am - 6 pm.
- What to know
- Tickets online or at the door. It can close for college holidays and events, so check the day before.
Parks & beaches
Bayfront Park
- Why go
- 32 acres on the bay, with amphitheaters designed by Isamu Noguchi, the Challenger Memorial and the Torch of Friendship.
- How far
- About 30 min on foot
- When to go
- Daily, 7 am - 11 pm.
- What to know
- Free.
Eat & drink
Los Pinareños Frutería
- Why go
- A Calle Ocho fruit stand for fresh juice and guarapo - sugar-cane juice pressed while you wait.
- How far
- About 30 min on foot
- When to go
- Daytime. The stand does not publish its hours.
- What to know
- Cash only.
History & architecture
Domino Park
- Why go
- Máximo Gómez Park, where Little Havana's older residents have played dominoes and chess since 1976.
- How far
- About 35 min on foot
- When to go
- Daily, 9 am - 6 pm. On the last Friday of each month, Viernes Culturales fills Calle Ocho from noon, with a free walking tour at 7 pm.
- What to know
- The tables are for members - city residents over 55 - but visitors are welcome to watch.
Music & nights
Ball & Chain
- Why go
- A Calle Ocho bar first opened in 1935 and revived in 2014, with live Latin music and salsa every night.
- How far
- About 35 min on foot
- When to go
- From 11 am daily; until 3 am on Friday and Saturday.
- What to know
- All ages until 8 pm, 21+ with photo ID after. For visitors from abroad, a passport is the only ID accepted.
Worth the drive8
Art
Pérez Art Museum Miami
- Why go
- Miami's museum of modern and contemporary art, on the bay.
- How far
- About 1.4 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- Monday and Friday - Sunday 11 am - 6 pm; Thursday until 9 pm. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
- What to know
- Adults $18; free on Thursdays after 5 pm. Buy online - it can sell out.
History & architecture
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
- Why go
- James Deering's 1916 Italian Renaissance-style estate and formal gardens on the bay.
- How far
- About 2.0 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- 9:30 am - 4:30 pm; closed Tuesdays. Check vizcaya.org before you go.
- What to know
- Buy tickets online.
Art
Wynwood Walls
- Why go
- The outdoor street-art museum, founded in 2009, that the rest of Wynwood grew up around.
- How far
- About 2 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- Daily, 10:30 am - 6:30 pm. Doors close 30 minutes earlier.
- What to know
- Paid entry; buy ahead to skip the queue. Open rain or shine. Under 6 free.
Eat & drink
Versailles
- Why go
- The Cuban restaurant on Calle Ocho since 1971. Order a cafecito at La Ventanita, the walk-up window.
- How far
- About 3 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- Monday - Thursday 8 am - midnight; Friday and Saturday until 1 am; Sunday from 9 am.
- What to know
- Tables can be reserved online.
History & architecture
The Barnacle
- Why go
- Commodore Ralph Munroe's 1891 bayfront home, from the years when Coconut Grove could only be reached by boat.
- How far
- About 4 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- Thursday - Monday, 9 am - 5 pm. House tours at 10, 11:30, 1 and 2:30.
- What to know
- $2 for the grounds, $3 for the house tour. Metered street parking only.
Parks & beaches
South Pointe Park
- Why go
- The southern tip of South Beach - beach access, a splash pad, a dog park and a playground.
- How far
- About 4 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- Sunrise to sunset.
- What to know
- Paid parking. Restrooms by the concession stand.
History & architecture
Art Deco Historic District
- Why go
- More than 800 preserved buildings in Miami Beach - on the National Register since 1979.
- How far
- About 4 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- The Art Deco Welcome Center is open daily, 9 am - 5 pm.
- What to know
- The official walking tour takes about two hours: adults $50, seniors $40, under 12 free. Book ahead.
Parks & beaches
Crandon Park
- Why go
- Two miles of beach on Key Biscayne, with calm water behind an offshore sandbar, a nature centre and a historic carousel.
- How far
- About 6 miles - car or rideshare
- When to go
- Daytime, during park hours.
- What to know
- Parking $7 + tax Monday - Thursday, $10 + tax Friday - Sunday.
Four Miamis
The city outside the garden gate.
Brickell
Miami's financial district begins at the end of our street. Shopping, restaurants, bars and the towers that grew up around the garden - a few minutes on foot, and easy to walk back from.
Little Havana
Calle Ocho, ventanita coffee, dominoes in Máximo Gómez Park and the cigar rollers. The inn sits at the seam between Brickell and Little Havana, which is the most interesting place in Miami to stand.
Bayside & Downtown
The Bayfront marketplace, boat tours on Biscayne Bay, the arena and the museums. Close enough that guests routinely walk one way and take a car back.
Ocean Drive
The Art Deco strip, the sand and the Atlantic - twenty minutes across the causeway. Go for the day, come back to the garden for the evening.
From the gate
How far is anything, really.
Approximate, and dependent on traffic. The airport time is the property’s own.
- Miami International Airport (MIA)Direct connections to Europe and Latin America15 minby car
- Brickell City CentreShopping and dining in Brickell15 minon foot
- PortMiamiCruise terminals10 minby car
- Little HavanaCalle Ocho, cafés, cigar rollers10 minby car
- Wynwood Arts DistrictWalls, galleries, studios12 minby car
- Downtown & BaysideBayfront Marketplace and the bay8 minby car
- Pérez Art Museum MiamiWaterfront contemporary art5 minby car
- Miami Beach & Ocean DriveArt Deco district and the Atlantic20 minby car
Some places are better in real life
Explore all day. Come back to the garden.
The best way to see Miami is to have somewhere quiet to come back to. Stay here, or just meet us at River House when the day is done.