Things to Do in Miami: Top Attractions & Activities

Miami’s attractions span Art Deco architecture, international-standard museums, one of the best urban beach environments in the world, and a street art district that draws visitors from across the globe. The city is also a practical launch point for the Everglades, the Florida Keys, and the Dry Tortugas. This guide covers the full range, with current prices and opening hours as of 2026.

Beaches

South Beach (Miami Beach) The most famous beach in Florida and one of the most photographed in the world. The beach itself is free; the Art Deco buildings that line Ocean Drive behind it form one of the most concentrated examples of 1930s Streamline Moderne architecture anywhere. Paid beach service (lounger and umbrella) is available from concessionaires along the beach; approximately $35–$50 for a set of two loungers and one umbrella as of 2026. The beach is widest and least crowded north of 14th Street and south of 5th Street.

Haulover Beach (10800 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour) A county beach approximately 8 miles north of South Beach with a section designated as clothing-optional (the northernmost section). The main beach is free; paid parking approximately $8–$10/vehicle as of 2026. Far less crowded than South Beach on weekends and genuinely beautiful — wider sand, cleaner water, and less commercial development behind it.

Key Biscayne — Crandon Park Beach (6747 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne) A barrier island 7 miles from Downtown Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway (toll approximately $3.00 each way as of 2026). The beach at Crandon Park is consistently rated among the best in Florida; parking approximately $8/vehicle. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (at the south end of Key Biscayne, approximately $8/vehicle) has the Cape Florida Lighthouse (climbing tours Saturday–Monday at 10am and 1pm, approximately $2/person) and a less developed beach with shallow water.

Art and Culture

Wynwood Walls (2520 NW Second Avenue, Wynwood) Free during daylight hours. The 50+ murals on the exterior walls of warehouse buildings make this the most significant open-air mural collection in North America. The surrounding Wynwood Arts District extends several blocks in every direction; the best secondary murals are on NW 24th Street and the streets between NW 1st and 2nd Avenues. The WYNWOOD WALLS Shop and Museum (ticketed indoor component, approximately $10) includes rotating indoor exhibitions. Most surrounding galleries are open Tuesday–Sunday 11am–6pm.

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) (1103 Biscayne Boulevard, Downtown) Approximately $20/adults, $12/students, free for members as of 2026. Open Monday–Tuesday and Friday–Sunday 11am–6pm; Thursday 11am–9pm; closed Wednesday. The building by Herzog & de Meuron (2013) cantilevers over Biscayne Bay on stilted concrete piers hung with vertical gardens. The collection focuses on post-1945 art; Hernan Bas, Kara Walker, and Jorge Pardo are among the strongest holdings. Free Thursday evenings from 6–9pm.

Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA Miami) (61 NE 41st Street, Design District) Free admission. Open Tuesday–Sunday noon–7pm; closed Monday. A newer museum (opened 2017) in the Design District with a focus on international contemporary art. The ICA Miami has a reputation for ambitious programming on a smaller budget than PAMM; admission-free access makes it worth including.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (3251 South Miami Avenue, Coconut Grove) Approximately $25/adults, $18/children 6–12 as of 2026. Open Wednesday–Monday 9:30am–4:30pm; closed Tuesday. The 1916 Italian Renaissance villa on Biscayne Bay built by International Harvester vice-president James Deering. The 10-acre formal gardens are the main draw; the coral stone grottos, fountains, and bay-facing terraces have a scale unusual in Florida. The interior preserves approximately 70 rooms of European antiques and decorative arts. Allow 2–3 hours minimum.

Coral Gables Venetian Pool (2701 De Soto Boulevard, Coral Gables) Approximately $20/adults, $15/children 3–12 as of 2026. Open Tuesday–Friday 11am–5:30pm; Saturday–Sunday 10am–4:30pm; closed Monday (hours vary seasonally). A 1923 public swimming pool carved from a coral rock quarry and decorated with Venetian-inspired loggias, caves, and waterfalls. The 820,000-gallon pool is drained and refilled with fresh water from a natural aquifer weekly. One of the most unusual historic swimming facilities in the United States.

The Bass (2100 Collins Avenue, South Beach) Approximately $15/adults as of 2026. Open Wednesday–Sunday noon–5pm; closed Monday–Tuesday. A contemporary art museum in a 1930 Art Deco building on South Beach. The collection includes Flemish and Baroque paintings alongside contemporary work. The location makes it easy to combine with a South Beach morning.

Wolfsonian–FIU (1001 Washington Avenue, South Beach) Approximately $12/adults as of 2026. Open Friday–Tuesday noon–6pm; Thursday noon–9pm; closed Wednesday. A museum of design and propaganda art focusing on the period 1885–1945. One of the most focused and distinctive museum collections in Florida; the Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Bauhaus holdings are particularly strong.

Nature and the Everglades

Everglades National Park (Main entrance at 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead — approximately 35 miles southwest of Miami) Entrance fee approximately $35/vehicle as of 2026, valid for 7 days. Open daily 24 hours (visitor centre hours vary). The largest tropical wilderness in the US covers 1.5 million acres. The Anhinga Trail (0.8-mile loop from the Royal Palm Visitor Center) reliably produces alligator, anhinga, and wading bird sightings at close range. The Pa-hay-okee Overlook (a 0.3-mile boardwalk through the sawgrass prairie) provides the quintessential Everglades panorama. Airboat tours from private operators along the Tamiami Trail run approximately $35–$60/person for 30–60 minutes.

Biscayne National Park (9700 SW 328th Street, Homestead — approximately 40 miles south of Miami) Entrance fee approximately $25/vehicle as of 2026. Open daily. 95% of the park is underwater; the main way to experience it is by boat. Snorkel tours from the Dante Fascell Visitor Center dock run approximately $40/adults as of 2026; glass-bottom boat tours approximately $35. The shallow-water reef system is one of the northernmost living coral reefs in the continental US.

Neighbourhoods Worth Exploring

Little Havana — Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street between SW 12th and 27th Avenues) is the main street. Domino Park at SW 15th Avenue has been the neighbourhood’s living room since the 1970s. The first Friday of each month is the Viernes Culturales street fair (6–11pm, free), with live music, art vendors, and food along Calle Ocho.

Design District (NW 36th to 42nd Streets, NW 2nd to 4th Avenues) — Miami’s luxury retail and cultural district. The architecture is worth seeing: the Louis Vuitton store has a facade designed by Dror Benshetrit; the Hermès building is designed by Renzo Piano’s firm. ICA Miami, described above, anchors the cultural component.

Coconut Grove — One of Miami’s oldest neighbourhoods, with a cluster of waterfront restaurants on Bayshore Drive and McFarlane Road, the CocoWalk shopping centre, and the Coconut Grove Sailing Club (public regattas are watchable from the waterfront for free on weekend afternoons).

Day Trips

Florida Keys — Key West — Approximately 160 miles southwest via US-1 (The Overseas Highway). Driving time 3.5–4 hours without stops. The drive itself (crossing 42 bridges over open water) is an attraction. Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon each offer different stops. Key West charges no park entrance fee; the Dry Tortugas National Park (accessible by ferry from Key West, approximately $195/person round-trip as of 2026 via Yankee Freedom III) contains Fort Jefferson, one of the largest 19th-century fortifications in the country.

Palm Beach — Approximately 70 miles north via I-95. Worth the drive for the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum (Whitehall mansion, approximately $25/adults as of 2026, open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–5pm) and Worth Avenue, the most refined shopping street in Florida.