Art Deco Walking Tours

The 46th Annual Art Deco Weekend is finally happening.

Come and explore Miami Beach’s architectural gems and deco delights with our many tour offerings.

Our tours will take you through Miami Beach’s Art Deco Historic District — from Art Deco and Mediterranean to Miami Modern. Join the action, as led by our wonderful guides.

Here’s a preview of the many tours happening at this year’s Art Deco Weekend, January 13-15, 2023.

And make sure to check out the Official Art Deco Weekend 2023 Collectible Program Guide, now available online.

Ocean Drive Architectural Tour

Art Deco Welcome Center (1001 Ocean Dr)
Art Deco Welcome Center (1001 Ocean Dr)

Free for MDPL members • Meeting point in front of Art Deco Welcome Center at Ocean Drive and 10th Street. Friday: 10:30 am, 2 pm Saturday: 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 4 pm Sunday: 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 3:30 pm

This 90 – 120-minute walking tour provides an introduction to the Art Deco, Mediterranean, and Miami Modern (MiMo) styles of architecture found within the Miami Beach Historic District. Explore hotels, restaurants, and other commercial structures with visits to a number of interiors.

South Beach Scandals Tour

Saturday & Sunday: 2 pm – 3:30 pm

This 90-minute walking tour focuses on illegal activities and shady characters in Miami Beach history.

Topics include political corruption, illegal gambling, alcohol during prohibition, and organized crime figures.

Jewish Miami Beach Tour

Jewish Museum of Flrida
Jewish Museum of Florida – FIU (301 Washington Ave)

Tour starts at the Welcome Center tent and ends at the Jewish Museum of Florida – FIU, at Third Street and Washington Avenue. Saturday & Sunday: 11 am – 12:30 pm

This walking tour explores the rise and fall of the Jewish population of Miami Beach over the past 100 years, including a look at the impact of selected key Jewish individuals and institutions, plus an overview of architectural styles in the southernmost part of the city.

Hotel Names Bas Reliefs and Terrazzo Floor — Art Deco Secrets Hiding in Plain Sight

Frozen fountain

Saturday: 1 – 3 pm

The architects of Art Deco buildings embedded cultural, artistic, and political messages into the designs and names of their hotels. Join our tour guide Joel Levine in an adventure to discover these messages hidden in front of your eyes.

Explanations will be provided to understand the historical and political context of the 1930’s and 1940’s and why the meaning of these messages today is sometimes lost or intentionally obscured.

Deco Nights & Neon Lights Tour

Deco Nights & Neon Lights Tour
Ocean Drive

Saturday & Sunday: 5 pm – 6:30 pm

Similar to our regular Ocean Drive Tour but focuses on neon lighting. Our Art Deco buildings come alive when the lights go on!

Neon lighting has always been associated with glamour and excitement. Learn about the history of neon lighting, its rise, its fall, and its resurgence.

Flamingo Park Walking Tour

Depart from Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Drive. Sunday: 10 am – 1 pm

Flamingo Park
835 Jefferson, Flamingo Park

The Flamingo Park Walking Tour will focus on the Art Deco multi-family apartment buildings which typify the Flamingo Park neighborhood (west of Washington Ave). The tour will be led by Jack Johnson, Chair of the Miami Design Preservation League and a resident of the Flamingo Park neighborhood.

Jack developed this tour for the 16th World Congress on Art Deco, which will be held in Miami Beach, April 20-27, 2023. All proceeds from this tour will go to the Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association.

Collins Park Tour

Albion Hotel, 1650 James Ave

Departs from the National Hotel, 1677 Collins Ave. • Saturday: 11:30 am – 1 pm

Starting at one of the grandest of the “Grand Dame” hotels on Collins Ave, the National Hotel, our guide will wind his way through an up-and-coming neighborhood named for one of the earliest founders of Miami Beach.

Stroll past storied historic structures by iconic Miami Beach architects. See where WWII Cadet Clark Gable stayed. Find an under-the-radar bar listed as one of America’s best. History, art, celebrity, and architecture, are all within a few blocks.

Caro the Tour Guide

Art Deco Walking Tour En Español

Free tour but registration is required. • Sunday: 11 am – 12:30 pm

A free Art Deco Walking Tour sponsored by the Miami Design Preservation League. Tour guide Carolina Isabela, also known as Caro the Tour Guide, will lead the tour around the district. The tour will last between 90 minutes and 2 hours. This tour will be conducted by Spanish.

Legends of Lincoln Road Tour

Albion Hotel, 1650 James Ave

Depart Albion Hotel, 1650 James Ave (Corner of James Ave & Lincoln Rd.) • Sunday: 12 pm – 1:30 pm

Take a stroll down one of Miami Beach’s most famous thoroughfares, once referred to as the “Fifth Avenue of the South”.

Discover how geography and history influenced the architecture of Lincoln Road from 1912 to the present and what led to the revitalization of the area we experience today.


Plan your weekend ahead! Book your tours now at artdecoweekend.org/walking-tours