Historias de Vizcaya

Stone steps lead up between two marble columns topped with peacock statues, surrounded by dense greenery and ornate stone railings.

MIAMI – June 25, 2025 – Vizcaya Museum and Gardens proudly announces the successful completion of a significant preservation campaign in its one-of-a-kind Marine Garden. This restoration was completed to mark the centennial of the completion of Vizcaya’s gardens in 1922. The project includes the installation of replicas of artist Gaston Lachaise’s celebrated peacock statues...

Una mujer con bata blanca sentada junto a una escultura de cerámica ornamentada en el Museo y Jardines de Vizcaya.

El 23 de octubre de 2024, la comunidad artística de Miami se reunió en el Vizcaya Museum and Gardens para la esperada inauguración de Pastiche, una exposición de arte site-specific de la artista miamense Lauren Shapiro. La velada atrajo a más de 300 invitados para celebrar el Programa de Arte Contemporáneo de Vizcaya, la última incorporación a la vibrante escena artística de la ciudad. El acto tuvo lugar en el histórico [...]

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A lavish, antique bedroom with ornate furniture, luxurious drapes, and vintage decor. The canopy bed is the focal point, surrounded by elegant chairs, a table, and various lamps.

Vizcaya’s patron, James Deering, purchased a small painting from the Anglo-Florentine art dealer and collector, Arthur Acton (1873–1953) in 1914, which would decorate the guest bedroom known as Lady Hamilton, located in the North Tower. This oval-shaped painting shows two young women among architectural ruins engaged in conversation before one monumental marble vase that...

Una botella de whisky sobre un fondo del Museo y Jardines de Vizcaya.

Spring Hill Bourbon Whiskey. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Despite having its most active years during the age of Prohibition, Vizcaya was anything but a dry estate. Archival purchase records and letters tell us that James Deering bought thousands of dollars’ worth of alcohol for Vizcaya and many original bottles remain in the collection today. Despite...

Una foto en blanco y negro de una chimenea ornamentada.

Designing Vizcaya The design and construction of Vizcaya was a unique challenge. Instead of designing the house and then finding objects to complement it, as was usually done, Vizcaya was designed around objects selected by James Deering and his artistic director Paul Chalfin. The pair made several trips abroad to purchase objects before the house...

Un cuadro de una mujer y un hombre con un bebé y un órgano de tubos.

By Elena Davila, Archives Digitization Intern If you have toured Vizcaya on a late afternoon, you may have been pleasantly surprised by the sound of music filling the home. The instrument responsible is the impressive pipe organ, located in the Living Room on the Northeast corner of the home, with its pipes housed directly behind...

Un dragón que cuelga del techo de una habitación y se utiliza como luminaria.

Through the artistic vision of Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya’s Artistic Director, these dragons were converted into electric lights, effectively merging aesthetics with utility. The dragons’ open mouths were outfitted with three lightbulbs and installed on the north and south sides of the second-floor galleries of the Main House. Conservation Treatment These fantastical light fixtures were recently...

Un salón ornamentado con sofás y sillas.

Mr. Deering’s Sitting Room graces the second floor of the Main House with its grandeur. Designed in the neoclassical style, the room exudes symmetry, rigid lines, and opulent gilding, reminiscent of the 1750s European aesthetic associated with Napoleon Bonaparte. This style also extends to other rooms, including James Deering’s bedroom, creating an aura of timeless...

Una estatua de piedra de una mujer vestida de época que sostiene un pájaro se alza con gracia en medio de la exuberante vegetación del Museo y Jardines de Vizcaya.

Introduction to Romanticism Movement During the 18th century, an artistic movement known as Romanticism spread throughout Europe, seeking to evoke an idealized world of rural simplicity in contrast to the urban, industrialized centers of the cities. This nostalgic vision of a peaceful countryside was expressed through various art forms, including oil paintings and lead garden...

A large historic mansion with formal gardens is framed by red ribbon. Text reads: "Stories Worth Sharing. A Membership That Lasts a Year. A Legacy That Lasts Forever.

Last-Minute Gift? We’ve Got You.

Need something meaningful right now? Send a Vizcaya Gift Membership instantly—beautiful, memorable, and delivered straight to their inbox.

Give a year of wonder, history, and shared experiences at Miami’s most iconic estate… with zero stress.

Large estate with manicured gardens, a fountain, and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens logo; overlaid text promotes membership and legacy with blue ribbon accents.

Give the Gift of Vizcaya This Holiday Season

Share a year of beauty, history, and meaningful experiences. A Vizcaya Gift Membership creates stories worth sharing—and helps preserve a Miami treasure for future generations.

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One-Day-Only: Our Last Sale of the Year

Give yourself or someone you love a gift that lasts long after Cyber Monday ends.

Membership pays for itself in just a few visits and digital delivery makes it the perfect gift—beautiful, meaningful, and instant.

BEFORE YOU BOOK: Learn about preservation at work.

Close-up of rare orchids in a greenhouse setting with text promoting a behind-the-scenes tour at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Visiting this Friday? Jump on this Exclusive Tour!

If you love orchids, you don’t miss this special behind-the-scenes tour on Friday, December 13, 11:30 a.m. Join Vizcaya’s own orchid specialist as we go inside the museum’s greenhouse to explore rare orchids and learn expert plant care tips.

Tickets are just $39 per person and include museum admission. Spots are limited, so reserve yours now!