Day 3 in Miami: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

The only attraction we visited today, and it was well worth it. For those sisters who love portrait photography, you can just go for it; everywhere is a perfect backdrop. 📸🌸 This mansion was built by an American business magnate in 1914 as a lavish European-style home. Back then, Miami had only about 10,000 residents, and this construction project employed over a thousand people. You have to hand it to the visionary magnate for laying the groundwork for Miami as a high-end seaside resort city. His heirs, his nephews, couldn’t afford the maintenance costs and ended up selling the estate to the government after reducing its size by seventy percent, turning it into a museum open to the public. 🏰💎 Today, Vizcaya retains the core residence, gardens, and stone barge dock, which are still luxurious, romantic, and full of surprises. 🌺🌅 My favorite part is the stone barge dock area. The mansion faces Biscayne Bay, and right in front of the gate is a stone ship that stands in the bay like a screen, used to block the wind and waves. There are pavilions and small bridges on either side, as well as a peaceful mangrove area. Through the mangroves, we spotted a large manatee with a little one blowing bubbles in the water. After waiting for about ten minutes, the large manatee swam under the bridge and headed towards the stone bridge before finally disappearing into the sea. 🐋🌊 🅿️ Parking: There’s a free parking lot across the street called Vizcaya Extra Park. We heard from a passerby that parking inside the park is paid, at $15. ⚠️ Note: It’s recommended to visit the outdoor areas first and then go indoors; it won’t be too hot if you go in the morning. There are often small fish and crabs inside the dock, and various lizards basking in the sun in the garden. The museum opens at 9:30 AM daily, and tickets are around $25, which can be purchased on-site or online. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. #MiamiTravel #MiamiGuide #Manatee 🐋