🏆 What to Do · Miami & Miami Beach, FL
Things to Do in Miami & Miami Beach
48 real, currently-operating attractions — Art Deco architecture, world-class museums, mangrove state parks, and Everglades day trips.
🏖️ South Beach to the Everglades
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🏖️ Beaches & Outdoor
🏙️ Neighborhoods & Districts
🐆 Family & Animal Attractions
🎷 Live Music & Nightlife
🚤 Water Activities & Tours
🐊 Day Trips
Miami rewards spreading out — the museums and Art Deco architecture of South Beach, the murals of Wynwood, the bayfront gardens of Coconut Grove, and the Everglades just west of the city all feel worlds apart. We checked each attraction directly against its own official site (or the appropriate state/national park authority) and confirmed a major closure worth knowing about before you plan around it.
15 Places
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)
Waterfront modern & contemporary art museum in Downtown Miami with rotating international exhibitions.
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Downtown Miami science museum with an aquarium, planetarium, and rotating exhibitions.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Early-1900s Italian Renaissance-style villa and formal gardens on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove.
Wynwood Walls
Outdoor museum of large-scale murals by internationally known street artists in the Wynwood Arts District.
Museum of Miami
Miami-Dade’s history museum (formerly HistoryMiami Museum), covering the region’s Native, Cuban, Caribbean, and immigrant heritage.
The Bass Museum of Art
Contemporary art museum in a landmark Art Deco building on Miami Beach’s Collins Park.
ICA Miami
Free-admission contemporary art museum in the Miami Design District.
Coral Castle
Unusual limestone sculpture garden in Homestead built single-handedly by Edward Leedskalnin.
Deering Estate
Historic waterfront estate and nature preserve in Palmetto Bay with archaeological sites and trails.
Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College
Historic 1925 landmark that processed Cuban refugees in the 1960s, now a museum/cultural center.
Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach
Sculptural memorial and museum honoring victims of the Holocaust.
Venetian Pool
Historic 1924 public pool carved from a coral rock quarry in Coral Gables.
New World Symphony / SoundScape Park
America’s orchestral academy for young musicians; free outdoor “Wallcast” concerts at adjacent SoundScape Park.
The Biltmore Hotel
1926 National Historic Landmark hotel in Coral Gables with Miami’s largest hotel pool.
Pinecrest Gardens
14-acre botanical garden and cultural venue (former Parrot Jungle site) with festivals and performances.
10 Places
South Beach / Ocean Drive
Miami Beach’s famous stretch of sand, Art Deco hotels, and oceanfront promenade.
South Pointe Park
Waterfront park at Miami Beach’s southern tip with a pier, splash pad, and skyline views.
Haulover Beach Park
County park with a marina, dog beach, and a clothing-optional beach section, north of Bal Harbour.
Crandon Park Beach
Wide, family-friendly beach on Key Biscayne with nature center and picnic areas.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
State park at the southern tip of Key Biscayne with a historic lighthouse and beach.
Oleta River State Park
Florida’s largest urban state park, with mangrove kayaking and mountain bike trails in North Miami.
Matheson Hammock Park
Historic Coral Gables park with a tidal atoll pool and marina on Biscayne Bay.
Hobie Beach (Windsurfer Beach)
Popular Key Biscayne beach for windsurfing, kiteboarding, and paddleboarding.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
83-acre tropical botanical garden in Coral Gables with rare palms and a butterfly conservatory.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2.6-acre public garden with a Japanese garden section near the Convention Center.
7 Places
Little Havana / Calle Ocho
Historic Cuban-American neighborhood with cigar shops, Cuban coffee windows, and Domino Park along SW 8th Street.
Wynwood Arts District
Former warehouse district turned mural-covered arts, dining, and gallery neighborhood.
Miami Design District
Upscale shopping and design neighborhood with flagship luxury stores, galleries, and public art.
Coconut Grove
Miami’s oldest neighborhood, a leafy bayfront enclave with shops, restaurants, and marinas.
Lincoln Road
Mile-long pedestrian shopping and dining promenade in Miami Beach.
Brickell City Centre
Open-air luxury shopping, dining, and entertainment center in Miami’s Financial District.
Bayside Marketplace
Waterfront shopping and entertainment complex in Downtown Miami with harbor cruises and an observation wheel.
3 Places
Zoo Miami
Florida’s largest zoo, with cageless, moated habitats across 750 acres.
Jungle Island
Eco-adventure park with exotic birds, animal encounters, and shows on Watson Island.
Monkey Jungle
Historic wildlife park where visitors walk through caged trails while primates roam free.
4 Places
Miami Design Preservation League Art Deco Walking Tour
Guided walking tour of Miami Beach’s Art Deco Historic District, run by the nonprofit that preserves it.
Check Miami Design Preservation League Art Deco Walking Tour →
Ball & Chain
Historic Little Havana live-music venue and bar for salsa, Cuban jazz, and dancing.
LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau
High-profile nightclub inside the Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort.
The Fillmore Miami Beach
Historic concert venue at the Jackie Gleason Theater, hosting major touring acts.
2 Places
Biscayne National Park Institute
Official concessionaire-run snorkeling, sailing, and island tours in Biscayne National Park.
Miami Watersports
Jet ski rental, parasailing, and other watersports operator on Biscayne Bay.
7 Places
Everglades National Park
UNESCO World Heritage subtropical wetlands park, the largest in the eastern U.S.
Coopertown Airboats
Family-run airboat tour operator on the Tamiami Trail, about 30 minutes from Miami.
Everglades Safari Park
Airboat eco-tours, wildlife shows, and gator exhibits on Tamiami Trail near Miami.
Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours
Airboat tours, swamp buggy rides, and animal sanctuary in Ochopee, near Everglades City.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
First underwater state park in the U.S., with snorkeling and diving on living coral reefs in Key Largo.
Jungle Queen Riverboat
Since-1935 riverboat sightseeing and dinner cruises on Fort Lauderdale’s New River.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
Historic 1920s estate and subtropical gardens on a Fort Lauderdale barrier island.
Planning Tips for This Area
- Miami Seaquarium is permanently closed. It shut down in October 2025 after roughly 70 years — if a guide or map still lists it, that’s outdated information.
- Pair the Everglades with a swamp/airboat tour operator, not a generic booking site. Coopertown, Everglades Safari Park, and Wooten’s are all real, independently-run operators about 30-45 minutes from Downtown Miami.
- Take the Art Deco walking tour early in your trip. The Miami Design Preservation League’s official guided tour gives context that makes the rest of South Beach’s architecture click.
- Little Havana, Wynwood, and Coconut Grove are each worth a half-day on their own — don’t try to combine more than one or two neighborhoods per day.
Is Miami Seaquarium still open?
No — it permanently closed in October 2025 after about 70 years of operation. The site is being redeveloped; do not plan a visit around it.
How far is the Everglades from Miami?
The closest airboat tour operators on the Tamiami Trail (Coopertown, Everglades Safari Park) are about 30-45 minutes from Downtown Miami by car, making it an easy half-day trip.
How does NME choose which attractions to feature?
We verify each attraction directly against its own official site or the relevant park authority rather than relying on aggregator lists, and we exclude anything we can’t confirm is currently open. Read more on our methodology page.
Know an Attraction We Missed?
If you know a great thing to do in Miami or Miami Beach we’re missing, email us and we’ll take a look.
Heading to Miami?
See the full trip guide — where to stay and where to eat, organized the same way, by category.
