Every other week, The Current will feature an excursion to a different South Florida location that’s a little off-the-beaten-path. Every adventure is tailored to college students, so they’ll be reasonably priced and extraordinarily awesome. From old-as-Earth natural landscapes to hip and fresh locations, our hope is to get everyone a little more immersed in the local community by checking out some of South Florida’s hidden treasures. Get out there, explore and quench your thirst for adventure.
The 1920s―glitz, glamour, pomp and circumstance seemed grow on trees, and the country was learning to loosen its collar a bit. Millionaires were made daily, and their success stories were left behind for the rest of us to marvel at. One of the most remarkable traces left behind from this time is in our very own backyard: the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
Businessman Charles Deering built the Vizcaya mansion as his winter home at the turn of the century. The house and grounds were preserved as a museum so that a little part of the golden age would be kept intact. The estate sits upon 368 acres on Biscayne Bay in Miami. You can venture through the house on your own with a map to find the thoughtfully placed placards that explain the decor of each and every room, or you can take an audio guided tour that allows you to wander and listen to facts about the entire house.
The house itself is exactly as it was when Deering died in 1927. Each room is plush and exudes the luxe atmosphere of the time. It’s impossible to feel as if you aren’t in a more beautiful time when you walk down the long Spanish style hallways and climb the winding spiral staircases. Once you go outside, you are greeted by the sight of a dock, a giant marooned boat and a tiny gazebo that leads straight into the bay waters.
I was mesmerized by the beauty of furniture long forgotten, of rooms filled with stories and of a house that was able to capture me and take me back to my favorite time. I could imagine myself being a guest at the Deering Estate and enjoying each and every wonder of the house.
Throughout my self-guided tour of Viscaya, I was enveloped in the magic and romance of a house stopped in time, and for a little while, I almost forgot I was living almost a century later.
Vizcaya is open every day except Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The regular cost of admission is $18, but with a student ID, you can enter for a discounted rate of $10.
