HistoryMiami is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through exhibitions, city tours, education, research, collections and publications. HistoryMiami advocates for helping the community understand the importance of the past in shaping Miami‘s future.
Formerly known as the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, HistoryMiami was founded in 1940 as a historical association comprised of famous Miamians including George Merrick, Charlton Tebeau and Marjory Stoneman Douglas. The Association established the first museum for regular public use in 1962 and ten years later, moved to a larger facility adjacent to the Miami Science Museum and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, expanding its exhibition and educational programs. From 1974 to 1979, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida focused on developing storyline exhibitions and its professional staff. In 1984, the Historical Museum moved to downtown Miami, the site of its present facility in the Miami-Dade Cultural Center.
On April 29, 2010, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida was officially renamed to HistoryMiami. The Museum is one of the largest private, regional history museums in the state. It offers exhibitions that appeal to a wide audience interested in the South Florida and the Caribbean community, while at the same time engaging to residents and tourists alike. Home to more than 35,000 three-dimensional artifacts, including a 1920s trolley car; Seminole and Miccosukee Indian objects; artifacts from Pan American Airways and Eastern Airlines; musical instruments and religious items from local communities; and outboard motors.  The HistoryMiami Archives and Research Center collects, safeguards, and makes accessible materials that document the Miami region, South Florida and the Caribbean. The collection includes a rare, complete double elephant folio edition of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America, as well as 6,000 bound volumes, 1,900 maps and more than one million historic photographs. You can also delve into the past and experience the sights, sounds and culture of South Florida with the nationally acclaimed City Tours program. Whether by boat, coach, walking or biking, City Tours offer the opportunity to discover the hidden secrets and neighborhoods you never knew existed.
In 2011, HistoryMiami became an affiliate of the prestigious Smithsonian Institution. Read Less