A photograph of Miami

City guide · United States

Museums in Miami, United States

Miami is a dispersed waterfront destination rather than one compact centre. Downtown and Brickell form the urban core on Biscayne Bay; Miami Beach lies across t...

Photograph · Marc Averette · CC BY-SA 3.0

1,102 Places
Suggested stay
Not recorded
Getting around
Metrorail, Metrobus, Metromover and local trolleys

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Miami

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Miami is a dispersed waterfront destination rather than one compact centre. Downtown and Brickell form the urban core on Biscayne Bay; Miami Beach lies across the causeways, while Wynwood, the Design District, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Little Havana are separate districts with distinct identities. Plan by area and avoid assuming that places sharing a Miami address are within an easy walk of one another.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+1
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
911
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 120 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Water quality is regulated locally; check the current notice for the destination

Planning a visit

September · September contains the Atlantic hurricane season's September 10 climatological peak, a recurring severe disruption risk for Miami.

  1. January: best time to visit
  2. February: best time to visit
  3. March: best time to visit
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  6. June: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: recurring difficult conditions
  9. September: recurring difficult conditions — current month
  10. October: recurring difficult conditions
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  12. December: best time to visit

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
    02 1 hr 30 min

    Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

    Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science

    Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is a Downtown Miami complex that brings together a science museum, aquarium, and planetarium. Its subjects include biology, physics, technology, space, and South Florida ecology.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  2. Coral Castle Museum Coral Castle Museum
    03 1 hr 30 min

    Coral Castle Museum

    Coral Castle is a limestone sculpture garden in Naranja, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. Latvian-American Edward Leedskalnin single-handedly built the structure over nearly three decades, from 1923 until his death in 1951.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  3. History Miami History Miami
    04 1 hr 30 min

    History Miami

    HistoryMiami Museum

    HistoryMiami Museum is the region's leading history museum in Miami, Florida. It operates as a Smithsonian Affiliate institution dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of South Florida and the Caribbean.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  4. The Bass Museum of Art The Bass Museum of Art
    05 1 hr 30 min

    The Bass Museum of Art

    The Bass is a contemporary art museum located in Miami Beach, Florida. It occupies a distinctive Art Deco building originally constructed in the 1930s as a public library.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  5. The Wolfsonian - FIU The Wolfsonian - FIU
    06 1 hr 30 min

    The Wolfsonian - FIU

    The Wolfsonian-FIU is a Miami Beach museum and research centre affiliated with Florida International University. Its exhibitions explore the persuasive power of art and design, especially between 1850 and 1950.

    • Must see
    • Museum

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Biscayne Bay separates mainland Miami from Miami Beach. Downtown and Brickell sit on the mainland waterfront; Wynwood and the Design District are north, Little Havana is west, and Coconut Grove and Coral Gables are southwest. South Beach occupies the southern end of Miami Beach and is a destination in its own right. Causeways and waterways shape every cross-city journey, so combine attractions on the same side of the bay.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Use Metrorail for selected mainland corridors, Metrobus for broader coverage and the free Metromover within Downtown, Omni and Brickell. Miami Beach, the City of Miami and Coral Gables also operate local trolley services. Walking is practical inside individual districts but not between most of them. Check Miami-Dade Transit and municipal service notices before travelling, especially when moving between the mainland and the beach.

Checked 2026-08-26

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Miami?

A fixed stay length is not recorded. Build the visit around separate district days for Downtown and Brickell, Miami Beach, and the mainland neighbourhoods that interest you.

Are Miami and Miami Beach the same place?

No. Miami is on the mainland and Miami Beach is a separate city across Biscayne Bay. Causeways connect them, but they should be planned as separate areas.

Is the Metromover free?

Yes. Miami-Dade operates Metromover as a free elevated service linking stations in Downtown, Omni and Brickell, with connections to other transit services.

Can I explore Miami entirely on foot?

No. Individual districts can be walkable, but the destination is spread across the mainland, islands and causeways. Use transit or another connection between districts.

Where should I group mainland sightseeing?

Combine Downtown with Brickell, pair Wynwood with the Design District, and treat Little Havana, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables as separate mainland clusters.