Miami is a popular destination for water sports, shopping and nightclubbing. For families or anyone on a limited budget, there are plenty of things to do for free. Museums usually open on designated days with no admission fee, and the city sometimes puts on free events. A favorable climate means that visitors also can spend long days on the beach.
There are numerous beaches with free access in Miami where visitors can sunbathe, swim or play games such as beach volleyball or Frisbee. The southern part of the city is home to Matheson Hammock Park Beach, and the Virginia Key and Key Biscayne areas have three more beaches that are popular with families. South Beach, famous for its 1930s Art Deco architecture, is a popular location. Designer label stores make for interesting window-shopping, and visitors and locals often jog and rollerblade through the streets. There is also a clothing optional beach at Haulover Park.
Miami Art Museum has free admission on the second Saturday of each month. The gallery is mostly known for its watercolors and sculpture works, and the permanent collection and visiting exhibitions show contemporary art from the United States, Latin America and Europe. A new building housing the museum is scheduled to open in 2013 on the site of the 29-acre Museum Park, with views of Biscayne Bay. Plans include outdoor sculpture installations, gardens and a planetarium.
Miami Art Museum
Cultural Center Plaza
101 West Flagler Street
Miami, Florida, 33130
www.miamiartmuseum.org
Several themed gardens make up the 4.5 acres at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, including a Japanese garden. Tropical plants and orchids feature prominently, and families can learn about horticulture and participate in activities in various festivals, workshops and lectures throughout the year.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2000 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
305-673-7256
www.mbgarden.org
Concertgoers have a choice of free concerts at The Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, located at the University of Miami on the Coral Gables campus. The 600-seat hall hosts more than 100 concerts every year, the majority of which are free to attend. The University of Miami orchestra provides the music for daytime and evening concerts and recitals. The hall is also the venue for special events, most notably the Festival of Miami concert series, which features a program of classical music and jazz.
Maurice Gusman Concert Hall
Gusman Hall
University of Miami
Coral Gables Campus
1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL
305-284-2438
Little Havana, a Cuban community, has become known as a tourist destination for its vibrant nightlife, music and culture. Visitors often enjoy walking around, listening to the Spanish spoken in the cafes, watching the locals play dominoes and chess and seeing the gaily-colored buildings. It particularly attracts the young crowd at nighttime, but families can enjoy Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays) on the last Friday of each month when there are free walking tours and a celebration. Musicians and artists perform and exhibit in the streets for free.
