HistoryMiami facts for kids
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| Location | 101 W Flagler St Miami, FL 33130 |
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| Public transit access |  Government Center |
The HistoryMiami Museum is a super cool place in Downtown Miami, Florida, where you can explore the past! It used to be called the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. This museum is the biggest history museum in all of Florida.
HistoryMiami has lots to see, including four main galleries that are always there. They also have up to three special exhibits that change over time. Plus, there's an Archives and Research Center, a South Florida Folklife Center, and an Education Center. They even offer fun City Tours to show you around Miami!
The museum first started way back in 1940. This makes it one of the oldest cultural places in South Florida. It's also connected with the famous Smithsonian Institution, which is a big group of museums and research centers.
The museum opened its first building in 1962. After moving a couple of times, it found its current home in the Miami-Dade Cultural Center in 1984. In 2010, the museum changed its name to HistoryMiami. Then, in 2014, it got much bigger! It took over the space where the Miami Art Museum used to be.
HistoryMiami Museum helps people learn about Miami's past in many ways. They have exciting exhibitions and offer tours of the city. They also have educational programs and collect important historical items. Over 500,000 students have learned about the area's amazing history here!
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What You Can See at HistoryMiami
HistoryMiami Museum is located in the Miami-Dade Cultural Plaza. It's a huge building, about 70,000 square feet! Inside, you'll find more than a million old pictures. There are also 30,000 three-dimensional objects.
Amazing Collections and Exhibits
Imagine seeing a real trolley car from the 1920s! You can also see gold and silver found from shipwrecks that happened hundreds of years ago. There are even items from the famous Pan American World Airways. Plus, you can see rafts that brought refugees to Miami.
One of the museum's main exhibits is called Tropical Dreams: A People’s History of South Florida. This exhibit covers 12,000 years of history! It shows how the region and its people grew. You'll learn about important events like when Native Americans first settled there. It also covers the time when the Spanish explored the area. You can even learn about World War II and up to today.
From June 2015 to January 2016, there was a special exhibit. It was called Operation Pedro Pan: The Cuban Children’s Exodus. This exhibit told the story of the largest recorded child refugee movement in the Western Hemisphere. It used old pictures, stories from people who were there, and personal items. These included letters and photographs.
Research and Learning
HistoryMiami also has an Archives and Research Center. This is where you can find old photos and documents. These are very helpful for students and people who want to learn more. The lower level of the museum has classrooms. These are used for educational programs and talks. It also holds some of the museum's collection of objects.
HistoryMiami is the official place for all archaeological finds in Miami-Dade County. This means if something old is dug up in the county, it comes here!
The museum has published a scholarly journal called Tequesta since 1941. This journal shares stories and studies about the history of South Florida. It covers everything from ancient times to the late 1900s.
Important People
- Jorge Zamanillo was the executive director of the museum from 2016 to 2022.
More to Explore
- Downtown Miami Historic District
- Lummus Park Historic District
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Miami, Florida
- Timeline of Miami, Florida history
