Nearby places

Planning a day around Miami's art venues

The places listed above cluster into a few natural routes, which makes it easier to see more without spending the day in traffic. Downtown and the waterfront pair well: Pérez Art Museum Miami sits in Museum Park on Biscayne Bay, and the Adrienne Arsht Center is a short walk north, so an afternoon in the galleries can turn into an evening concert, ballet or theater performance. The Metromover's free downtown loop is useful for getting around this area.

Wynwood and the Design District form a second cluster. Wynwood Walls and the surrounding streets are best known for large-scale murals and street art, while the Rubell Museum, a few blocks west, shows a major private collection of contemporary art. ICA Miami, in the Design District to the north, has a sculpture garden and rotating contemporary exhibitions. Mornings tend to be calmer and cooler for walking between murals, and the neighbourhood gets busy on weekend evenings.

Across the causeway, The Bass in Miami Beach is easy to combine with a walk through the Collins Park area and the Art Deco streets further south. To the south of downtown, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens rewards a slower visit: the historic villa and formal gardens are as much about architecture, landscape design and photography as about the collections inside. The Frost Art Museum is on Florida International University's campus in west Miami-Dade, so it usually needs its own trip by car.

Practical tips

• Check each venue's official website before you go; opening days, ticketing, free-admission programmes and special exhibitions change regularly.
• Book timed tickets ahead for popular shows, and allow extra time during Miami Art Week in early December, when the city is at its busiest.
• Bring water and sun protection for outdoor sites like Wynwood and Vizcaya's gardens.
• Ask about photography rules, especially for temporary exhibitions.

For thoughts on exhibitions and performances we have seen, browse our reviews, or find more planning ideas in the guides section.