Review: Miami Design Preservation League: Art Deco Walking Tour

Zoom out. What’s the big picture here?
Located right on the beach on Ocean Drive, smack dab in the heart of South Beach’s Art Deco District, the Art Deco Museum and Welcome Center is where architecture enthusiasts can pop in and learn more about the iconic, colorful buildings that give this neighborhood its personality. While just looking up and admiring the glamorous geometric details and chrome accents is enough for some people, the Miami Design Preservation League—a nonprofit advocacy group that fights to maintain the city’s architectural character—offers daily walking tours of the neighborhood at 10:30 a.m.

How much time are we dedicating to one of these tours?
Tours last about 90 minutes—just enough time to leave you fulfilled but not worn out. It’s an easy walk around the neighborhood, where you’ll dip in and out of buildings to explore their Art Deco facades, terrazzo floors, and other design elements.

How are the guides, then?
The members of the Miami Design Preservation League are knowledgeable and passionate about the topic at hand. They'll offer a bird's-eye perspective of Art Deco architecture before delving deeper into all the nerdy, fascinating details. Forget Art Deco 101—this is an advanced crash course. To say the tour guides are dedicated to the effort of protecting the city’s Art Deco past would be an understatement; their passion for preservation is palpable. Which is probably why the tours are so popular; space fills up fast, so book tickets in advance online.

What will we remember weeks or months or years from now?
You'll be struck by the details you gain on your tour, whether they're about the specific materials used to construct some of Miami's most iconic Art Deco buildings or the nitty-gritty about the luminaries who designed them. In all, you'll walk away with some expert-level factoids—just perfect for a trivia night down the road.

Bottom line: Who is this tour for?
This is technically an architecture tour, but anyone with an interest in learning more about Miami Beach—how its culture, people, and buildings came to be—will appreciate it.