When you visit Miami, there is a lot to explore. Miami’s architecture is unique, and there are so many different styles and influences behind the buildings in this oceanside city.
Are you ready to learn about the most iconic buildings in Miami?
Keep reading as we discuss the top buildings to visit in Miami if you love Art Deco, Latin, Modern, and Classic architecture. Miami boasts gorgeous buildings in a wide range of architectural styles.
Learn All About These 35 Best Miami Iconic Places to Visit
To plan an exciting Miami trip, check out these beautiful and inspiring buildings littered across the city! Make the most of your trip and visit these stunning sites.
1. One Thousand Museum Residences
Located on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, the One Thousand Museum residential building is named after the One Thousand Museum on the same street. This high-rise building is a feat of art and architecture. The beautiful swirls cascading the building create an elegant and unique look. If it’s within your budget, you might also consider checking out the luxury apartments inside! The building boasts a state-of-the-art fitness center, private movie theater, helipad, and extraordinary spa.
2. Art Deco District
This historic Miami Art Deco district can be found at the heart of South Beach. The buildings are adorned with beautiful striped canopies. If you visit the Art Deco district at night, you’ll get the most out of your visit. The buildings are lit up by beautiful colorful lights, giving you a better view of the beautiful Art Deco structures. The colorful Art Deco buildings are still just as impressive in the day, too!
3. Olympia Theater
This concert hall and theater venue is a sight to behold—especially if you love the dramatic arts. John Eberson designed the theater itself and it reflects his unique and atmospheric style. Whether you’re catching a show or wish to explore, the Olympia Theater should be on your Miami architecture bucket list!
4. Park Grove
The curved edges of the Park Grove building are genuinely fascinating and have a Logarithmic spiral feel. When you look at this building, you’ll think of the spirals on a snail’s shell or a goat’s horns. The building is home to luxury condos with stunning views on all sides. If you’re searching for an elegant and impressive home in Miami, it’s worth checking out any listings at Park Grove.
5. Ingraham Building
If you like elegant and archaic architectural styles, you’ll be blown away by the stunning Ingraham Building. The beautiful arches in this 1985 high-rise building are reminiscent of much earlier styles.
6. Venetian Pool
The Venetian Pool was built in the 1920s as part of the Venetian Casino in Miami. The pool has a unique origin, carved into the stone quarry in Coral Gables. Back then, plans for the town included a focus on building Mediterranean-style homes for a truly tropical hometown feel. The pool now boasts grottos and waterfalls galore and can be a fun place for a day trip in Miami for you and your family. Who knew a quarry could be turned into something so beautiful?
7. Miami-Dade County Courthouse
The courthouse in Miami-Dade County is truly unique and has a classic feel. When it was built, the courthouse was the tallest building in both Miami and Florida. The slender tower is enclosed in historical tiers and enclaves and has a genuinely stately feel, perfect for a courthouse. The building is 27 stories tall and when it was built, sailors said they could see the building’s lights from over 100 miles out at sea!
8. Palazzo Del Sol
Palazzo Del Sol is situated on an Island off the coast of Mainland Miami. It is a condo building with natural elements in the design. From the apartments inside the Palazzo De Sol, you can see the gorgeous blue jewel waters of Biscayne Bay. And, if you’re a golf lover, you might enjoy stopping at the golf course nearby for a few holes when you visit this stunning building!
9. Central Baptist Church
The Central Baptist Church in Miami is a monument worth visiting. It has Greco-Roman influences, with stunning pillars and statues at the building’s entrance. The pointed roof truly creates an ancient and temple-like feel. If you like Classic architecture, you should visit this church in Miami.
10. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was once the estate of a regarded businessman called James Deering. The museum is built in a gorgeous Mediterranean beaux-arts style, with a red slate roof. If you love the Mediterranean revival style, you will enjoy visiting this museum and exploring the relics stowed away inside!
11. Lincoln Road
This building is a parking garage and event space in Miami and has Modern architecture to die for! The building was designed by a Swiss architectural firm called Herzog & De Meuron. The facility can house 300 cars, and harsh zig-zagging lines and protruding elements complement the open-air architecture.
12. Coral Castle
If you want to see where some of the limestones dug up at the Venetian Pool went, you should visit Coral Castle. The beautiful crescent moon structures and interesting limestone shapes will leave you in awe. The limestone castle is between Leisure City and Homestead in Miami Dade County and is in an unincorporated territory.
13. Pérez Art Museum Miami
This contemporary art museum is located on Biscayne Boulevard and is another modern Miami building designed by Herzog & De Meuron, the famous and award-winning Swiss architects. At the front of the building are beautifully landscaped terraces that enclose an open and transparent building front. If you’re looking for contemporary art, visit this unmissable architectural building!
14. Alfred I. Dupont Building
From the outside, this building isn’t much to behold. However, stepping inside, you’ll see beautiful gilded metalwork and Classic interior architectural styles. It is an Art Deco-style high-rise building that is typically used for weddings and events. If you’re on East Flagler Street in Miami, it’s worth poking your nose inside!
15. Kaseya Center
The Kaseya Center is formerly known as the American Airlines Arena and is located at the heart of downtown Miami. If you’re interested in large-scale Modern architecture, this is truly a feat. And, while you’re there, you might be able to catch one of the various events they host at this location!
16. La Época
If you love shopping and exploring new architectural styles, you’ll have a ball at La Epoca. The building used to be a Walgreens store, and that’s what it’s still known as today. The building has an interesting curved shape and is built in the Streamline Modern architecture style. The Art Deco staircase in the rear is worth a look, and the interior of the building has three stories to explore.
17. Grove at Grand Bay
The Grove at Grand Bay is a truly decadent condo building. The high-rise building gives the appearance of being twisted, with brise-soleil style balconies and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The building in Coconut Grove offers stunning views of the marina and Atlantic Ocean sunsets.
18. History Miami Museum
This minimalist Mediterranean revival style architecture is worth a look—and you can learn more about the history of Miami while you’re inside. You can find this historic building in Downtown Miami—so stop by while you’re there!
19. The Brickell Avenue Bridge
The Brickell Avenue Bridge is named for the Brickell family—who once operated a trading post on the South Bank. This bridge is a grand sculpted masterpiece designed by architect Portuondo Peretti. The bas-reliefs on the bridge depict the rich history of Florida, telling the observer a story.
20. The Miami Circle
The Miami Circle is a remnant of a historic civilization on the Miami coast. If you’re interested in learning about the rich history of the Miami area before it was an American city, you’ll love taking a tour of the Miami Circle. The strange holes carved into the limestones were uncovered during a construction project in the late 1900s.
21. Adrienne Arsht Center
The Adrienne Arsht Center is one of the largest performing arts centers in the world. The building was designed by Cesar Pelli and was finished in 2006. The building is reflective of the Art Deco style that is so prominent in Miami.
22. Royal Palm Cottage
The 1897 Royal Palm Cottage building is one of 30 buildings that Henry Flagler built across Miami. The building was painted in the architect’s favorite color—bright yellow. The building is the last remaining cottage and was moved by the Miami design preservation league and given historic building protections.
23. Rubell Museum
New York architect Selldorf Architects designed the Rubell Museum. The building is an excellent example of adaptive reuse in action and is intentionally minimalistic, allowing visitors to appreciate the art within and the surrounding neighborhood.
24. McCrory’s
The history of this Miami building is quite significant regarding the civil rights movement. The McCrory building was one of many department stores scattered across the US. As you enter the building, you’ll see McCrory engraved on terrazzo floor plates.
25. New World Center
The New World Center is a 365-seat performance hall for the New World Symphony America’s Orchestral Academy. The building was designed by the Gehry Partners and had the architect’s well-known bends and folds inside. On the outside, the building is a white rectangular structure, and you’ll often see different images projected onto it during the nighttime.
26. The Old Federal Building
The architect behind the Old Federal Building, James Knox Taylor, completed construction in 1915. Until the 1930s, the building was used as a courthouse and post office, and then it became the first Federal Savings and Loan Association of Miami. It is a Neoclassical building worth visiting during your time in Miami.
27. Wynwood Walls
The Wynwood Walls in Miami can be found in Wynwood as part of the Miami Street Art Museum. The architecture consists of multiple walls coated in a layer of vibrant graffiti. If you love street art and architectural styles, it’s worth visiting the Wynwood Walls.
28. The Ralston Building
Now known as the Carrion jewelry store, the Ralston Building was built in 1917. When it was built, it was the tallest building in Miami—with only 8 stories! If you appreciate skyscrapers and their history, this is a significant building to add to your list, the first skyscraper in Miami.
29. Gesu Church
This building has some very interesting influences. It is a Neoclassical design with Arabic architectural influences. The pale peach building was constructed in 1922, and it can be an interesting place to visit, light a candle, and admire the beautiful architectural style.
30. Delano South Beach
The Delano in South Beach was initially designed by architect Robert Swartburg and has a brilliant white cladding. At the center of the structure’s roof is a geometric accent that creates a modern architectural feel. The building is currently part of a resort in South Beach—why not book a stay for your trip?
31. Capital Building
The capital building reflects early 1920s Second Empire architecture and is an earlier skyscraper in the city. Still standing today, it is used as the Congress building. If you’re in downtown Miami, it’s worth stopping by.
32. Freedom Tower
This building has a rich history. At first, it was home to the Miami News, a prominent Miami newspaper. It was given the name Freedom Tower after the building was used to house Cuban refugees and provide assistance. If you visit the building today, you’ll find that it is used as part of the college campus.
33. Huntington Building
Built in 1925, the Huntingdon building is a monument to the fast-paced construction that was happening at the time. The gritty architecture can provide some inspiration for those who enjoy a unique rooftop. The jutting architecture makes an interesting imprint on the Miami skyline.
34. Monad Terrace
The Monad Terrace building has an interesting U-structure and is clad in stunning, clean glass and metal. There are currently condo units for sale in this building, with truly luxurious balcony space. The architectural style is designed to blend indoor and outdoor spaces to provide a truly unique living experience.
35. Shoreland Arcade
This building perfectly exemplifies Neoclassical, Mediterranean, and Art Deco architectural styles with masonry vernacular details. If you’re in Miami, you should check out this architectural relic—there is plenty of inspiration here!
Takeaway
Whether in Miami Beach or Downtown Miami, there are plenty of architectural amuse bouches to tickle your fancy. Some are relics of Miami’s rich history, while others are functional buildings like condos and hotels.
If you want to move to Miami and live amongst the Art Deco buildings, why not check out the condos and homes available with Chatburn Living? We know Miami real estate best!
