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Caroline in the City Travel Blog

Responsible travel for millennials

You are here: Home / Florida / Photo Essay: Miami’s Villa Vizcaya

Photo Essay: Miami’s Villa Vizcaya

May 27, 2013 by Caroline 1 Comment

villa vizcaya

I’ve seen many remnants of America’s Gilded Age, of a time when Northern robber barons made their summer homes down south. You might have heard their names before, particularly the Vanderbilts of Asheville’s Biltmore Estate. And then there’s Villa Vizcaya.

Villa Vizcaya

Agricultural tycoon John Deering made his way to Florida, specifically a suburb of Miami, to build his Italian influenced mansion in 1916. He only spent the winters here, as the summer months are entirely too humid. Nearly 10% of Miami’s population at that time had a hand in building the home.

villa vizcaya
villa vizcaya

The interior, which doesn’t allow photos, is decorated in an ornate, over-the-top style with artwork and antiques covering nearly all of the 34 rooms. A hurricane after Deering’s death in 1926 left the home in a state of disrepair that his small staff could not adequately maintain.

villa vizcaya
villa vizcaya

Deering’s heirs had the house restored in 1933 before being hit with another hurricane two years later. In the 1950s they sold the property and original furnishings to Dade County to function as a museum. It now is a popular site for weddings and local field trips.

villa vizcaya
villa vizcaya

While the villa itself is stunning, the 180 acres of sprawling gardens are reminiscent of Braga’s Bom Jesus. It’s easy to spend the majority of your visit outside, as long as the weather cooperates. Thankfully it was agreeable the morning of my visit and I saw at least two wedding photoshoots and a handful more quinceañera shoots.

villa vizcaya
villa vizcaya

 Getting There

Villa Vizcaya Museums and Gardens are located at 3251 South Miami Avenue and open daily except Tuesdays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is $15 for adults. The museum is accessible by highway and by the Vizcaya Metrorail station.

Filed Under: Florida, MIami, museums, photo friday, USA Tagged With: Florida, Miami

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tiana Kai says

    June 5, 2013 at 9:07 am

    I love the history of this place. I have been to a few Bacardi Halloween parties there and once as a child during their Renaissance fair. A Roman friend restored it with his special lime based paint, I looove that paint!

    Reply

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About Caroline

Hi, I'm Caroline. I'm a professional storyteller, sharing experiences from life abroad and my own backyard. This blog began as a way to document my twenties as I lived in a city I adored and attended college. But from there, it developed into a journal of my travels as well as my ideas about life … Read more about About Caroline

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