Free Things to Do in Miami

Miami has more than its fair share of glitz and glam, but the city’s oceanside setting, vibrant multicultural communities, and wealth of art and architecture mean there’s plenty to keep visitors on a budget happy.

Art

Go for a Gables Art Walk along Ponce de Leon Boulevard on Coral Gables Gallery Night. On the first Friday of every month, galleries keep their doors open from 7 to 10 p.m., give gratis art advice, and provide a trolley between galleries. Some even offer wine.

The internationally known Wolfsonian-FIU art museum, located in a 1926 Mediterranean revival-style warehouse, features paintings, ceramics, posters, books, architectural creations, and furniture from the modern era. Peruse the exhibitions for free on Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m.

There's no fee to wander the Miami Dade College Museum of Art and Design, housed in downtown’s historic Freedom Tower, for exhibitions of contemporary art by international and local artists and performers. Check out the ongoing "Exile Experience: Journey to Freedom," a pictorial account of the Cuban exile community. Hours are Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; open until 8 p.m. the first Friday of each month.

Feed off the energy of Miami's up-and-coming art scene during the second Saturday of each month, when galleries stay open until 10 p.m. in the Wynwood Art District, home to edgy and experimental artists, and the neighboring Design District, a stylish 18-block hub of posh showrooms and vanguard designers.

More than 65 artists create and display their work at Miami's Bakehouse Art Complex. Visitors can browse free of charge. Open daily noon to 5 p.m.

Attractions

The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables offers free tours of its historic grounds on Sundays at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Professional storytellers regale audiences with tales from the hotel's early years, when it hosted celebrities like Judy Garland and Ginger Rogers, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Al Capone.

Explore the city's historic art deco architecture on a self-guided walking tour through South Beach—an area filled with more than 800 buildings exemplifying the prewar modernism of the 1930s.

Meander on your own through art deco, Mediterranean revival, and Miami modern styles, or hop aboard the South Beach local bus shuttle for just 25 cents. Each January, the Miami Design Preservation League hosts the three-day Art Deco Weekend, with free lectures and films. Ocean Drive transforms into a street market of vendors selling vintage goods.

Pause at the opulent Versace Mansion, Casa Casuarina, located at 1116 Ocean Drive, to see where Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace once hosted lavish galas for glamorous guests like Madonna, Elton John, and Princess Diana. Versace was tragically shot to death on the steps of the mansion in 1997.

The JFK Torch of Friendship, which is accompanied by statues of Símon Bolívar and Ponce de Leon, affirms the United States' relationship with the nations of the Caribbean and South and Central America, and honors President Kennedy. Visit this free memorial on Biscayne Boulevard.

Little Havana is home to Hispanic culture and honors its Cuban roots along Memorial Boulevard, located on 13th Avenue off Calle Ocho. Wander the handful of monuments, including the Calle Ocho Walk of Fame, the Hispanic equivalent of Hollywood's star-covered sidewalk; the eternal flame at the Brigade 2506 Memorial remembering the heroes of the Bay of Pigs; and more—all free.

Culture

On Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays), Little Havana's Calle Ocho between 13th and 17th Avenues transforms into an open-air gallery, with artists, sculptors, and musicians filling the sidewalks with their creations and concerts. The event, held the last Friday of every month from 7 to 11 p.m., is free of charge and includes walking tours of Little Havana (meet in front of the Tower Theater at 7 p.m.).

Meanwhile, every third Friday is a celebration of Haitian culture at the monthly street festival Big Night in Little Haiti.

Admission is always free at Miami's Holocaust Memorial, open daily from 9:30 a.m. to sunset. The site features a photographic mural and a wall with the names of concentration camp victims.

Located on the 50-acre Vizcaya estate, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens invites visitors to participate in programs that include performing arts, lectures, demonstrations, and tours of the national historic landmark on Free Sundays (the last Sundays of July, August, and September).

The exhibits at the Jewish Museum of Florida trace Jewish life in Florida since 1763. The museum waives admission fees on Saturdays.

Visit Casa Bacardi to discover the corporate and family history of this world-famous brand of rum, which began in 1862 and continues today. Tours are free; open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last tour starts at 4:15 p.m.) and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last tour starts at 3:45 p.m.)

Kids

Pérez Art Museum Miami offers free admission the second Saturday of the month from 1 to 4 p.m. to view its collection of contemporary art. Kids and their parents can enjoy live music, storytelling, guided tours, gallery games, and dance performances. K-12 teachers always get in free with identification, as do Miami-Dade-based professional artists.

Children will marvel at the Milky Way and gaze at far-off galaxies at the Miami Science Museum's free Weintraub Observatory Star Show, held on the first Friday of each month at 7 p.m. (the observatory session is open from 8 to 10 p.m.—call ahead, as starting time varies based on the season).

Each month Target Free Third Friday at the Miami Children's Museum allows youngsters to explore hundreds of hands-on exhibits that teach art, culture, and communication at no cost to their parents, from 3 to 9 p.m.

The family-oriented stretch of Miami Beach from 53rd to 63rd Street offers a playground and piles of sand for castle building, picnics, and searching for buried treasure.

Biscayne National Park's Family Fun Fest is held on the second Sunday of every month from December through April. This free public program promotes interaction with nature and hands-on activities for children and their parents.

Outdoors

Get centered as you stretch along the shore with Yoga in the Park. The serene and scenic Bayfront Park offers free yoga classes every Monday (6 p.m.), Wednesday (6 p.m.), and Saturday (9 a.m.) for advanced yoga enthusiasts or curious novices.

Adventure seekers come to Biscayne National Park for snorkeling and scuba diving among the colorful coral reef. Others boat, fish, watch wildlife, and meander in a canoe through one of Florida's longest stretches of mangrove forest. Rangers offer advice for spotting the manatees and dolphins that swim along the shore.

Miles of free-access beaches dot the southern coast of Florida. Miami Beach has South Pointe Park (with a pier), South Beach, Surfside, and Haulover Park (a clothing-optional beach). South Miami boasts Matheson Hammock Park Beach, while Key Biscayne and Virginia Key have three beaches offering family-friendly activities and adventures for thrill-seekers (sailboarding, windsurfing, and jet-skiing).

Music/Dance/Theater

Citi presents outdoor films for free—a mix of classics and new releases—at the Miami Beach SoundScape ExoStage each Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Listen to the University of Miami's orchestra and a variety of guest instrumentalists at a Gusman Concert Hall performance. Admission is free for most concerts (call ahead to check).

Little Havana's historic Tower Theater, located at S.W. 8th Street and 15th Avenue, teams with Miami-Dade College to present lectures and some free Cuban and Latin American films (in Spanish). Performances and programs are presented almost daily.

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami presents live jazz on the last Friday of every month at 8 p.m. Shows are free.

Flamenco-dancing fiestas at Casa Panza in Little Havana are legendary. Follow your partner to the dance floor nightly (except Monday) for free music and flamenco-dancing performances. Jazid, the longest-running nightclub in Miami Beach, offers live music nightly—jazz, funk, cumbia, reggae, rock, and more. Guests get in free before 11 p.m. (must be 21 or over to enter).

If you can get past the haughty bouncer, Skybar is the place to be in South Beach. The beautiful people love to play here at the ritzy Shore Club on Collins Avenue. People-watching from a poolside bed or dancing to hip-hop beats in the Red Room are free for club clientele, but beware of lofty drink prices.

More Free Information

City of Miami

Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

Interactive Maps