Aloft Miami Doral

Situated on 83 sprawling acres of lush, colorful tropical gardens, rainforests and coastal habitat, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables is one of the premier botanic gardens in the country. With a mission to share the joy and beauty of tropical gardening, it was founded in 1938 by famed plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild. Today, the garden’s collection includes more than 3,400 species, including tropical fruit, orchids, butterflies and native and exotic plants throughout its Uplands and Lowlands ecosystems and exhibits.

The 750-acre Zoo Miami, located in South Dade, is one of the country’s top zoos – it’s the largest zoo in Florida, the fifth-largest in the country and a major draw for Greater Miami & Miami Beach. Zoo Miami (officially the Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens) claims bragging rights as the only subtropical zoo in the continental United States, taking advantage of Miami’s climate to provide large, open-air exhibits that re-create animal habitats, from Florida’s Everglades to the Amazon, Africa, Australia and Asia. Stroll along Zoo Miami’s four miles of winding walkways to see 2,500-plus amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals including koalas, tigers and elephants – more than 500 species in all. Come for the animals, but don’t forget to take in the scenery; Zoo Miami has more than 1,000 species of trees, palms and other plants.

Wynwood Walls is the world’s largest outdoor street art museum and serves as the epicenter of creativity for Miami’s Arts District. It is often referred to as “the Olympics of Street Art.” Curated by Jessica Goldman Srebnick, the museum elevates the genre of street art with a rotating collection of murals and sculptures by more than 120 artists representing over 25 countries.

Spark Wonder at The Frost Science Museum The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Maurice A. Ferré Park includes a world-class planetarium and aquarium, and is situated on four acres of beautiful bayfront land. Frost Science stands out as one of only a few institutions worldwide to have both an aquarium and a planetarium in one museum. The North and West wings provide six floors of interactive exhibitions dedicated to the ecosystem of the Everglades. The museum is located next to Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), completing the vision of Maurice A. Ferré Park as a hub dedicated to science, art and culture in the heart of Downtown Miami. The PAMM made the move from a former location in Downtown Miami to its 200,000-square-foot landmark building designed by award-winning architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron. Frost Science, conceived by Grimshaw Architects, cuts an equally impressive silhouette on Miami’s skyline with a free-standing, spherical planetarium, the 500,000-gallon, cone-shaped aquarium and an indoor-outdoor campus offering ample views of both Biscayne Bay and the sparkling city surrounding it.

Named after one of the most captivating shorelines on the Spanish coast, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens captures jaw-dropping European extravagance in an enchanting American context. The home’s builder, James Deering, was a prolific industrialist who explored uncharted territory in the creation of this ambitious home, building his Renaissance-inspired estate at the heart of Miami’s tropical hardwood hammock. Although inspired by the earlier architectural style, the home was very innovative in its incorporation of the modern technology available at the time of its construction (1914), including everything from details on how the structure itself was built to the incorporation of modern touches such as a telephone switching system and a central vacuum system. Though he only wintered at Vizcaya from 1916 to 1925, upon James’s departure, the estate was left to several nieces and nephews.

With its vibrant lineup of exhibits, hands-on workshops, educational programs, lectures and community events, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) takes center stage as one of Downtown Miami’s most prominent cultural destinations. The museum’s critically acclaimed building designed by Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, houses an impressive collection of 20th and 21st century art with an emphasis on works that relate to Miami’s ethnically rich community as well as Latin America, the Caribbean and the African diaspora. Art lovers can explore the museum’s three floors of galleries comprised of nearly 3,000 permanent collection pieces plus additional rotating exhibits, then head outdoors to marvel at the lush hanging gardens and large scale sculptures amidst the native hammock garden. Once you’ve worked up an appetite from all the art browsing, complete your visit with seasonal contemporary cuisine and spectacular views of Biscayne Bay at Verde, PAMM’s onsite casual eatery. Or stop by the PAMM shop for a curated selection of decorative objects, handmade accessories and art books.

Pops of color plus the style’s notable architectural lines, curves and fountains can be found throughout Miami Beach, but especially in the historic district. The styles of the 1920s and 1930s remain vibrant in the Art Deco Historic District in Miami Beach, home to the nation’s largest concentration of the sleek and bright architectural style. The district, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, contains some 800 designated historic buildings, though some of them represent other modern architectural styles from different eras of Miami’s history.