Walking Tours of Miami

Miami is such a rich ethnic area, especially since the influx of so many Cuban exiles from the 1960s. But well before that the city was a playground for the rich elitists from New York and other wealthy Eastern Seaboard urban centers. Movie stars and moguls located here from the early 1900s to build some of the mansions that grace the boulevards of this city today. When Henry Flagler extended his railway all the way to Miami in 1896 it began to fuel the passage south from other northern areas of the country. The Prohibition era made Miami a favorite town for vice lords who were kept afloat by the town officials and general disdain for prohibition and its regulatory strong-arm tactics. That boom brought gambling into the forefront and the coast drew people to the fast-moving, balmy Mecca in droves. With the 1930s many historic art deco buildings were erected along the waterfront. The local Jewish, Cuban and ethnic populations have significantly added to the attractions here, contributing to the culture and history of this most popular of U.S. destinations among international travelers.

http://www.miamibeach411.com/directory/tour_art_deco.htm
No tour would be complete in Miami without a walk around the art deco area on the waterfront. Some of the best examples of this style in the whole country exist here, offering tourists a view back in time to the unbridled luxury of the wealthy during the Depression age. These tours, conducted by experienced tour guides expert in this area, take visitors around the Art Deco Hotel District, past the Mediterranean revival buildings nearby and down to the Miami Beach Architectural Historic District. Places visited include the Art Deco Museum, Casa Casuarina (Gianni Versace House), Old City Hall, the Miami Beach Post Office and the Art Deco Hotels. The tours cost $20 for adults and $15 for children. Tours begin at the Welcome Center:
Art Deco Welcome Center
1001 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: (305) 672-2014
To book a tour call (305) 531-3484.

http://www.hmsf.org/programs-adult.htm
The Historical Museum of South Florida is privileged to have as one of its heads, historian Dr. Paul George. George leads tours around the area, conveying details and information about his native South Florida area that hardly anyone can match.
Email the organization for more tour information or to schedule a tour at historictours@hmsf.org or call 305.375.1621, Monday through Friday and leave a message. One of his tours takes travelers into the Design District on a walking tour. Another focuses on the financial district, delving into that history on a night walking tour with Dr. George. There's even a tour by boat of Key Biscayne and the Bay area, again enriched with stories by Dr. George of the famous mobsters and others who contributed to the history of Key Biscayne. Tours are different prices, depending on the length and what's offered. All are extremely informative with details only a native could narrate with this much flavor and authenticity. Realize that there's only one tour per week, each specializing in a specific subject area, so make plans well ahead to book one.

http://www.channel2.org/miamibeach/
Channel 2 put on a video tour of Miami Beach which can be viewed from home or printed out by clicking on the "links" pages that are all visits made by this tour route. It's fascinating to read about the places that made this place so notorious and so famous long ago.

http://miami.about.com/od/familyactivities/Family_Activities.htm
This site has several links to self-guided walking tours of different areas of Miami. Walk along the waterfront, tour the everglades, or go on an historical tour of the oldest African-American communities in Dade County with the Black Heritage Tours by a three-hour bus ride. Just click on any link that sounds interesting, turn off the top frame to enter that site directly and get information on how to contact that particular group to link up with a tour.