Vizcaya

The House

The house, built to resemble a 16th century Italian villa, was designed by F. Burrall Hoffman. The 46-room mansion was James Deering’s winter home from 1916 until he died in 1925. It took 1000 workers to build the house, a staggering number at a time when Miami’s population was just 10,000.

Highlights of the Italianate mansion include the Rococo Music Room, a delicate, French-paneled room with Art Deco glass chandeliers and sconces, as well as the Deering bath, a huge room with marble walls, silver plaques, and a canopied ceiling designed to resemble a Napoleonic campaign tent. The living room is a grand Renaissance hall with a unique pipe organ, designed especially for Vizcaya.

Over the years, the main house has been renovated several times, mostly after hurricane damage. The once open-air ground level rooms and the center courtyard have also been enclosed in order to preserve the structure and its furnishings from the humid and damp South Florida weather conditions.

The Decorative Arts Collection

Deering traveled extensively throughout Europe and amassed an important collection of French, English, and Italian furniture and other decorative pieces. Much of that original collection remains in the house. The furnishings are a blend of styles, from renaissance to neo-classical to Art Deco and Art Nouveau, so popular when the house was being built.

The Grounds at Vizcaya

The elaborate and well-manicured grounds, originally designed by Columbian landscape architect, Diego-Suarez, have been restored to their original glory. Originally, the grounds encompassed 180 acres and included a working farm and livestock. The gardens contain both Italian and French design elements and feature multiple stone fountains, numerous statues collected by Deering in Europe, and an elevated pool that surrounds an island.

Visiting Villa Vizcaya

Vizcaya is owned and operated by Miami/Dade County and is open to visitors 364 days a year – every day except for Christmas Day. Visitors can tour the main house, the gardens, and out buildings. A discount is offered for Miami/Dade County residents and children under 12. Children under 5 and visitors using a wheelchair are admitted free of charge. A variety of tours are offered and the complex includes a café that overlooks the swimming pool, restrooms, and a gift shop. Vizcaya is connected with downtown Miami by the Metrorail (Vizcaya stop).