Free DIY Miami Art Deco Walking Tour

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We took our first trip Miami, before boarding our first cruise. I really wanted to check out the Art Deco architecture around Miami. Located around South Beach, there are lots of buildings built in the 1930/40s that still stand today. There are many tours that you can pay for, but we decided to go with a DIY option. I’ll share a map, some history about the buildings we saw, and step by step directions so you can do your own free Miami Art Deco Walking Tour!

This tour will take 2-2.5 hours, but feel free to stop and shop or eat along the way, that’s the best part of a DIY tour! Bring some water since it’s usually hot and sunny in South Beach!

For a bigger version of the map, see here.

What Is Art Deco?

Art Deco style started in Paris in the 1920s. It is not a single style, but a collection of styles associated with luxury and modernity. Art Deco style took risks, and used colors like pastel blues pinks and yellows, and also some brighter oranges, yellows and greens. You’ll notice a lot of buildings have neon signs, and also dramatic lighting at night.

Art Deco Welcome Center – 1001 Ocean Drive

The welcome center seems like a great spot to start Art Deco walking tour. You can even go in the store and check out lots of cool items from the 1920s and 30s. This is also the spot where you can pay for a tour, but we aren’t doing that 😉

The Miami Design Preservation League is responsible for preserving many of the buildings that you’ll see on the tour today. In the 1970s they fought against demolition of these historic buildings, and they were designated a historic district by the National Register of Historic Places.

Our first stop is basically across the street and a little North of the Welcome Center. For all the hotels on Ocean Drive, I recommend viewing them from the beach side of the street, as you’ll be able to see the big picture better!

The Clevelander 1020 Ocean Drive

This building was built in 1938 by famed architect Albert Anis and was renovated and restored in 2009. It features a lively patio bar that seems quite popular!

Turn around and head south 3 blocks to our next destination, you won’t miss it, it’s bright blue!

Park Central Hotel (The Celino) 640 Ocean Drive

The hotel certainly stands out. Built in 1937 this hotel was designed by Floridian architect Henry Hohauser.  In its heyday the Park Central Hotel at 640 Ocean Drive was a favorite Miami Beach destination for Hollywood royalty including Clark Gable, Carol Lombard and Rita Hayworth. It was bought and restored in the 1980s and is now under refurbishment and set to re-open in Spring 2019 as The Celino.

Keep heading south until you reach 6th street, walk up 6th Street and then turn north onto Collins Ave. Head north two blocks until you hit 8th Street.

The Hotel Of South Beach 801 Collins Ave

Just because it’s white, doesn’t mean it’s plain. It’s hard to miss the neon spire that says Tiffany, which is still used! It was built in 1939, designed by L. Murray Dixon. It was reimagined in the late 1990s by fashion designer Todd Oldham.

Keep heading North on Collins Ave, the next stop is on the opposite side of the street but very close.  

The Shelly 844 Collins Ave

This beautiful purple hotel sticks out right away. It was built in 1931, and is a great example of the colors and lines used in Art Deco style.

Continue North on Collins Ave, the next stop on our Art Deco walking tour is at the intersection of 10th and Collins.

Essex House 1001 Collins Ave

Built in 1938 by Henry Hohauser (he designed many of these buildings!), Essex house has one of the most unique shapes of all of them. It is designed to look like a cruise ship heading into the ocean. You’ll get the best view of the cruise ship shape, as you walk down 10th Street back to Ocean Drive.

Once you get to Ocean Drive, head North, passing the Clevelander once again.

Congress Hotel 1052 Ocean Drive

I love the look of this hotel. The font on the signs is so typical for the Art Deco area, as are the colors used in the motifs beside the door. Built in 1934, this hotel consists of suites so you can enjoy South Beach like you live here.

Continue north and pass 11th street to get to your next destination, you can’t miss it with all those palm trees out front!

Villa Casa Casuarina 1116 Ocean Drive

You’ve probably gotten pretty good at recognizing Art Deco style by now, but you’ll notice this one is a little different. The original owner of this property, Alden Freeman, was inspired by Alcazar De Colon in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Alcazar De Colon was built in the 16th century by Christopher Columbus’s son, Diego. Alden Freeman loved the architecture so much, he even bought bricks from the Alcazar De Colon and used them in the construction of Casa Casuarina when it was built in 1930. One of the bricks sits to the right hand side of the main entrance

In 1992 Gianni Versace, the Italian fashion designer bought the property and expanded it by destroying a hotel located next door. 5 years after purchasing the home, Gianni Versace was shot and killed on the front steps on the morning of July 15th 1997 by spree killer Andrew Cunanan. Casa Casuarina sat empty for 3 years before reopening as a hotel in 2001.

Continue North on Ocean Drive until you reach 12th street.

The Tides Hotel 1220 Ocean Drive

The Tides was designed by L. Murray Dixon in 1936 and was the first Art Deco Hotel he built on South Beach. At the time it was built it was the tallest building in the area. Right now the building is closed and under renovation because of damage that occurred during Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

Continue North on Ocean Drive, you won’t miss this bright yellow building!

The Leslie 1244 Ocean Drive

I think this one was my personal favorite on the tour! The yellow color really catches your eye. Built in 1937, designed by Albert Anis, this building was meant to be a combination of art deco and modern styles. It was renovated in 2014, but thankfully still has all the 1930s charm!

Continue walking North, but not too far! Our next stop is right next door.

Carlyle Hotel 1250 Ocean Drive

Built in 1939, this building is not actually a hotel anymore, but luxury condos. But if it looks familiar to you, it’s because The Carlyle has been featured in many films, such as Scarface, Bad Boys 2, The Birdcage, Pronto and Random Hearts.

Continue walking North until you pass 13th street.

Cardozo Hotel 1300 Ocean Drive

The Cardozo Hotel was named after, Benjamin Cardozo, one of the first Jewish jurors appointed to the US Supreme Court. It was built in 1939 and designed by Henry Hohauser. It has also been featured in films, such as There’s Something About Mary, A Hole In The Head, and Any Given Sunday. The hotel is now owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

Our next stop is right next door!

The Cavalier 1320 Ocean Drive

The colors on The Cavalier really stand out. Designed by architect Roy F. France in 1936, this building focuses more on vertical lines rather than horizontal ones that were typical in the Art Deco movement. What’s lovely is that they kept the interior decorated in Art Deco style.

Walk North until you reach 14th street, the next stop is on the corner.

The Winter Haven 1400 Ocean Drive

Built in 1939 and designed by Albert Avis. The “snowbirds” from the North were looking for places to spend the winter, and The Winter Haven was clearly marketed toward them. You can see the similarities between Winter Haven and The Leslie, as it was designed by the same person.

At this point in the tour, you may want to use the public restrooms across from 14th street in Lummus park. Once you finish up there, walk up 14th Street until you reach the corner of Collins Ave and 14th.

FL Cafe & Former Commodore Hotel 1360 Collins Ave

Also designed by Henry Hohauser and in 1939, the Commodore Hotel was a 50-key hotel when it opened. Recently it has been longer-term rentals, however in 2022 redevelopment plans were approved and it will once again become a hotel. A reader let me know that they had a lovely meal in the FL cafe, if you’re ready for a bite to eat!

Walk North on Collins until you reach Espanola Way. You won’t miss the seafoam color of the next building!

Hoffman’s Cafeteria (Formerly Senor Frogs) 1450 Collins Ave

This building has been many things over the years. Built in 1939 and designed by Henry Hohauser. It was originally Hoffman’s Cafeteria, and it was used during World War II by the military as a mess hall for cadets. In the 1980s it was the famed gay nightclub the Warsaw Ballroom, and then it became a deli, and now Senor Frogs is there. Let me know if it’s different when you arrive 😉

2023 edit: A reader let me know this building is boarded up and in disrepair! Hopefully someday it will be returned to its former glory.

Continue North on Collins until you are between 15th and 16th streets.

Shore Crest / Royal Palm 1545 Collins Ave

Built in 1939 by Russian Immigrants Joe Rose and Nat Hankoff. In 1941 the U.S. Army Air Force used the Royal Palm and Shorecrest hotel and 300 other properties around South Beach as military barracks, mess halls, and classrooms. It fell into disrepair, but has since been remodeled and is now a Marriott owned property.

The next property on this Art Deco tour is just passed 16th Street.

Loews Hotel 1601 Collins Ave

This building stands out as one of the tallest buildings in the area. This hotel is actually made out of 2 buildings. The old St. Mortiz hotel (the smaller of the two, in the right of the photograph above) was built in 1939, and designed by Roy France. It was restored by the owners of the Loews Hotel, which was built in the 1960s.

The last 3 buildings on our Miami Art Deco walking tour are just past Lincoln road and are right next to each other.

Sagamore Hotel 1671 Collins Ave

This beautiful hotel was built in 1948 by Albert Anis. It still serves as a hotel, it also houses an art gallery that is open to the public.

Walk a few paces North, and you’ll find the next destination.

National Hotel 1677 Collins Ave

This property was built in 1939 designed by Roy France, at the same time he was working on the St. Mortiz down the street. It was fully restored in 2014 and is now recognized as by the “Historic Hotels of America”. The tasteful paint job outside keeps the integrity of the Art Deco era.

The last stop on our Art Deco walking tour is right next door!

Delano 1685 Collins Ave

The Delano was built in 1947, and then restored and redesigned by Philippe Starck in 1994. When it was built the Delano was the tallest building in Miami Beach. It was one of the first hotels built after World War II. This hotel has hosted many celebrity guests like KIm Kardashian, Jay-Z and Leonardo DiCaprio.

End Of The Tour

If you can believe it, we’ve just covered a lot of Miami’s Art Deco area! Of course these are not all of the Art Deco buildings in Miami, you’ve probably noticed a lot more along the way as you’ve learned more about Art Deco style.

This tour was one of my favorite things that we did in Miami. I love walking around and exploring a new neighborhood. Hopefully you’ve stopped along the way for a drink, brunch, or a snack. I recommend spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach, you’ve earned it after all that walking!

Do you have a favorite Art Deco building in Miami?

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