Vizcaya Museum & Gardens : Miami Florida 2003

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Vizcaya Gardens : Miami, Florida 2003

While we were in Miami Beach we visited the nearby Vizcaya Gardens. Our first reaction was, what took us so long to visit? This place is great! The house is amazing, the gardens even more so, and it's just minutes from Miami Beach.

Vizcaya was built in 1916 by James Deering, a vice president of International Harvester. It was obviously built to resemble an Italian villa and was filled with real European antiques. Deering sent out teams of "buyers" to scour Europe for interesting pieces to fill it with. The property was purchased in 1952 by Miami-Dade County and is now maintained as a museum and site that can be rented for special events. As we were leaving we found workers setting up a large tent on the waterfront for an event that evening.

Photography was not allowed inside the building so you won't find any of those below but there are plenty of shots of the gardens. There are also photos from a more recent trip to Vizcaya also available on-line.

Click on thumbnail for a full-size picture

The path to the mansion.
Viewed: 743 times.
Cool fountains lined the path.
Viewed: 644 times.
Wow, looks nice, but not that big.
Viewed: 748 times.

Checking out the gardens to one side.
Viewed: 497 times.
Looking back at the side entrance of the mansion.
Viewed: 672 times.
Viewed: 818 times.

Viewed: 837 times.
Statues also lined the garden.
Viewed: 684 times.
Looking back.
Viewed: 791 times.

The coral wall of the grotto absorbed sound.
Viewed: 823 times.
Another cool fountain.
Viewed: 914 times.
Viewed: 696 times.

Bubbling fountain.
Viewed: 762 times.
A ramp to another part of the gardens.
Viewed: 650 times.
Viewed: 613 times.

Viewed: 594 times.
Viewed: 738 times.
Viewed: 671 times.

Viewed: 608 times.
Viewed: 584 times.
This looked like a boat and that's also the only way to get there.
Viewed: 953 times.

Looking back from the water front.
Viewed: 592 times.
Back at the water from the steps.
Viewed: 637 times.
Susan and Lily pose.
Viewed: 500 times.

Swimming pool on the north side of the mansion...
Viewed: 817 times.
..and of course a cafe and gift shop.
Viewed: 469 times.
More modest gardens on the north side.
Viewed: 742 times.

Looking back from the mansion down the drive way.
Viewed: 617 times.

Comments From People Like You!
Vizcaya Gardens : Miami, Florida 2003 add a comment
Crissy-Crossy
06-Mar-2006 21:26

Yes - there is a picture of inside water and pool. I have it in beautiful color of inside sea shell designs on the walls with trickling water working down through the shells - with curved steps from the pool floor into the water with rope hand-aids. There are decorated walls of stone and shells with a ceiling curved with decorative designs and wall lighting. To me- it was one of the most impressive areas of practicality that I had the good fortune of seeing. C.C.
lauren
22-Jul-2005 18:50

One of the few tourist places I wanted to see while in Miami was the Vizcaya Gardens! It was like being in one of the beautiful gardens of Europe with all it's splendors. It is too bad that the "vizcaya"'s official site does not promote what the place is all about! Thank you for your pictures! I was able to show my friends the beauty of the estate's gardens!
Cindy W. from CaliFornIa
26-Jun-2005 17:13

These are wonderful photo's of Vizcaya Gardens. It is quite a shame people were unable to photograph the inside grounds, but I agree with the preservation of antiquities therein. I was in Miami on June 2005 and I loved visiting here in it's entirety, but beware of the nasty mosquitoes this time of year. It is surely infestation time and I had to literally run through the garden to photograph before becoming engulfed by these creepy crawlers. Nevertheless, a place worth seeing on your journey through Florida :).
Sabrina
11-Feb-2005 07:29

If you think that Vizcaya is beautiful now, you should have seen it at its full glory before hurricane Andrew hit in the early 90's. They have done a wonderful job replanting vegetation and restoring statues, etc., but it does not even begin to compare to the way it was . . .
Rita Lewis
01-Jun-2004 11:05

I would like to find a day trip by bus from Boynton Beach, Fl. 33437 for the Platina Singles Club. We are looking for the fall of 2004 or early 2005. I was not able to get it on the website. Thank you for your help

Click on thumbnail for a full-size picture
The path to the mansion. Viewed: 743 times.	Cool fountains lined the path. Viewed: 644 times.	Wow, looks nice, but not that big. Viewed: 748 times.
Checking out the gardens to one side. Viewed: 497 times.	Looking back at the side entrance of the mansion. Viewed: 672 times.	Viewed: 818 times.
Viewed: 837 times.	Statues also lined the garden. Viewed: 684 times.	Looking back. Viewed: 791 times.
The coral wall of the grotto absorbed sound. Viewed: 823 times.	Another cool fountain. Viewed: 914 times.	Viewed: 696 times.
Bubbling fountain. Viewed: 762 times.	A ramp to another part of the gardens. Viewed: 650 times.	Viewed: 613 times.
Viewed: 594 times.	Viewed: 738 times.	Viewed: 671 times.
Viewed: 608 times.	Viewed: 584 times.	This looked like a boat and that's also the only way to get there. Viewed: 953 times.
Looking back from the water front. Viewed: 592 times.	Back at the water from the steps. Viewed: 637 times.	Susan and Lily pose. Viewed: 500 times.
Swimming pool on the north side of the mansion... Viewed: 817 times.	..and of course a cafe and gift shop. Viewed: 469 times.	More modest gardens on the north side. Viewed: 742 times.
Looking back from the mansion down the drive way. Viewed: 617 times.

All pictures and text are the property of Gregory Gulik unless otherwise specified. Please contact site owner if you would like permission to use these pictures for your own purposes or to make comments about anything you see here.

Comments From People Like You! Vizcaya Gardens : Miami, Florida 2003	add a comment
Crissy-Crossy 06-Mar-2006 21:26
`Yes - there is a picture of inside water and pool. I have it in beautiful color of inside sea shell designs on the walls with trickling water working down through the shells - with curved steps from the pool floor into the water with rope hand-aids. There are decorated walls of stone and shells with a ceiling curved with decorative designs and wall lighting. To me- it was one of the most impressive areas of practicality that I had the good fortune of seeing. C.C.`
lauren 22-Jul-2005 18:50
`One of the few tourist places I wanted to see while in Miami was the Vizcaya Gardens! It was like being in one of the beautiful gardens of Europe with all it's splendors. It is too bad that the "vizcaya"'s official site does not promote what the place is all about! Thank you for your pictures! I was able to show my friends the beauty of the estate's gardens!`
Cindy W. from CaliFornIa 26-Jun-2005 17:13
These are wonderful photo's of Vizcaya Gardens. It is quite a shame people were unable to photograph the inside grounds, but I agree with the preservation of antiquities therein. I was in Miami on June 2005 and I loved visiting here in it's entirety, but beware of the nasty mosquitoes this time of year. It is surely infestation time and I had to literally run through the garden to photograph before becoming engulfed by these creepy crawlers. Nevertheless, a place worth seeing on your journey through Florida :).
Sabrina 11-Feb-2005 07:29
`If you think that Vizcaya is beautiful now, you should have seen it at its full glory before hurricane Andrew hit in the early 90's. They have done a wonderful job replanting vegetation and restoring statues, etc., but it does not even begin to compare to the way it was . . .`
Rita Lewis 01-Jun-2004 11:05
`I would like to find a day trip by bus from Boynton Beach, Fl. 33437 for the Platina Singles Club. We are looking for the fall of 2004 or early 2005. I was not able to get it on the website. Thank you for your help`