Historias de Vizcaya
This larger-than-life stone sculpture dates to the eighteenth century and has been welcoming visitors to the entrance Piazza at Vizcaya since 1916, the year construction for the main house was finished. Like all other objects and furniture in the house, the statue was acquired by James Deering with the savvy eye of his artistic director,...
In celebration of Pride Month, we would like to highlight Louis A. Koons Jr. (1881-1929). Born in Massillon, Ohio, Koons was employed at Vizcaya between 1916 and 1921 as clerk and assistant to Artistic Director Paul Chalfin (1874-1959). He helped document Vizcaya’s object collection through the card catalogue with his beautiful penmanship. The card catalogue...
Climate change is impacting us all, in ways we expected, and in surprising ways too. On August 10, Vizcaya is bringing the community together to share our stories about the impacts of climate change during the Climate Against Humanity program. We’re not talking about projections for the far or near future, but things are happening...
ORCHID CARE FOR BEGINNERS: VIDEO CLASS Check out the full class for FREE on Vizcaya’s YouTube channel Orchid Care for Beginners: An Orchid Class from Vizcaya With the rise of nature-themed and plant-centric interior design, it’s no wonder that orchids have become one of the most popular houseplants in the past few years. From the...
In celebration of Vizcaya’s garden centennial, we want to learn about your favorite memories in the formal gardens. This could be your wedding or engagement, when you brought your mom here for the first time, discovering special animals or plants in gardens, etc. We want to know them all! The Prize One winner will get...
Vizcaya is proud to have a long-running relationship with the historic Black Coconut Grove community. To learn more about our neighbors, and about the people who were central to the creation of Vizcaya, starting back in 1916, we partnered with some of Coconut Grove’s pioneer families and community leaders to launch a podcast. The goal...
James Deering built Vizcaya as his winter home between 1914 and 1916, a time when America was emerging as an international economic and cultural force. By adapting European design traditions to a Miami context, Deering showed that America could compete with Europe, not only financially, but also culturally. In 1910 Deering hired Paul Chalfin (1874–1959)...
William Deering (1826–1913) William Deering founded the Deering Harvester Company, which manufactured agricultural equipment around 1870. This company merged with the McCormick Reaper Company to form International Harvester in 1902, based in Chicago. Deering’s sons, Charles and James, held executive positions at International Harvester. When William Deering’s health weakened, the family began spending time in...
Vizcaya has long been synonymous with orchids. These beautiful blooms first arrived on the estate in the 1920s at the behest of James Deering himself. In 2001, a formal orchidarium was established at the estate through the generous endowment from the David A. Klein Foundation. Now Vizcaya’s gardens are preparing to enter a new age...
When you walk through Vizcaya’s Main House, you will notice that many of the rooms feature stanchions or barricades that limit where visitors can walk and reach. You may also see signs asking guests not to touch objects or sit on historic furniture. So why can’t you go in there? Like those of other museums,...
