Free Things to Do in Miami

Every year, one of the largest art events in the world descends upon Miami. The internationally renowned Art Basel attracts the most notable galleries and art collectores around the globe to celebrate the work of the best living artists today. While the main event takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, there are numerous satellite festivals all around the city, including the Contemporary Digital and Art Fair at Mana Wynwood. Additionally, Wynwood's plentiful galleries all open their doors to tourists and locals for dozens of special events. This year, for example, Wynwood Walls will be celebrating their 10th anniversary just before and during Basel. And of course, if street art is more your thing, you're in luck because some of the top talent in graffiti and street art also convene in Miami during this week. You'll find that Wynwood and surrounding areas often find themselves painted over during the week, and these works generally remain until the following Basel.

HistoryMiami doesn't sound like the name of a historical museum, which is exactly what organizers and board members had in mind. The less-bulky name signified a new direction for what was previously called the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. Today, the museum, which actually began as a historical association in 1940 (George Merrick and Marjory Stoneman Douglas were members) continues to offer the exhibits that were developed throughout the previous decades, along with new ones. Now a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, the facility has a newfound ability to launch its own collections and publications, as well as lend and borrow traveling exhibits. In addition, the famed Miami Circle site has been incorporated as part of the museum. City tours of the Circle are offered, as well as eco-history bus, boat and walking tours of external attractions ranging from Calle Ocho to the Everglades.

Intensely moving, this memorial created by artist-architect Kenneth Treister honors victims and offers solace to survivors of the horrors of the Holocaust of the Jewish people in Europe. Included in its design is an arbor that depicts the history of the Holocaust in black granite and a tunnel that opens up to "The Sculpture of Love and Anguish." This enormous bronze arm, with its base of writhing human forms, is variously interpreted as a symbol of despair or hope. The memorial also encompasses a reflecting pool and walls inscribed with the names of thousands of victims. The overall effect is visually and emotionally stunning.

The renowned New World Symphony is housed in the new Frank Gehry-designed New World Center. The venue itself resembles a geode inside, with sail-like convex panels overhead. A box-like exterior has latticed glass windows and a huge projection wall. NWS is America's only full-time, post-graduate orchestral campus and laboratory. The acoustics in the semicircular concert hall are alarmingly effective so you won't miss a beat. On nights the symphony plays, concerts can be heard and seen outside via sound speakers and video projections. People bring blankets, folding chairs, and a picnic, and sit back and enjoy the show in the urban SoundScape Park.

The streamlined buildings that comprise this district reflect the architecture of the '20s and '30s, when wealthy vacationers made Miami the resort destination of choice. The area, after its initial heyday, experienced a period of neglect, and tenants were largely retirees. Reinvigorated in recent decades, the pastel-hued neighborhood is again in vogue, mixing old and new with aplomb. The Art Deco Welcome Center provides a great introduction to the area and carries maps of notable structures. Tours of the district can be arranged through the Miami Design Preservation League.

The Bass Museum of Art first opened its doors in 1964 and has been a popular attraction on South Beach ever since. Located right on Collins Ave and just a hop, skip, and jump away from the sparkling Atlantic ocean, the Bass' collection started out with a generous donation of Renaissance and Baroque artwork. It has since expanded, and its rotating exhibitions focus mainly on international contemporary art. The Bass proudly hosts a number of excellent community outreach programs, as well as classes and workshops for adults and educators. They also feature art camps and portfolio classes to inspire a love of art in children.

Tracey Emin. Gabriel Orozco. Raymond Pettibon. Melanie Schiff. James Turrell. These are just some of the artists whose work can be found in the impressive collection at the Institute of Contemporary Art—"a space committed to the advancement of 20th and 21st-century art in Miami and beyond. The ICA three-story building features numerous rotating exhibitions, complete with an outdoor sculpture garden. But what sets the ICA apart (aside from their free admission, which is huge for a Miami museum to offer) are their public programs—"which are also free to the community. From lectures to symposiums, panel discussions to film screenings, plus multiple educational youth programs, the ICA truly is a space where all artistic thought is welcomed and nurtured.

In addition to 30 acres of green space, Bayfront Park has an amphitheater that has hosted a variety of concerts, from Elton John to Rob Zombie. The park features several memorials, including one to the crew of the Challenger space shuttle. It's also a great place for a stroll or a picnic, so don't forget to bring your camera for the outstanding views of Biscayne Bay and the Port of Miami. Bayfront Park also hosts free yoga classes on Monday and Wednesday nights, as well as Saturday mornings. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mats and water. Bayfront is also home to The Flying Trapeze School.

Once upon a time, FIU's art museum wasn't much more than two small open spaces held within the same building as a number of classrooms and offices. In recent years, though, it has been moved into its own free-standing building right on the Modesto A. Maidique campus in Sweetwater, boasting over 40,000 visitors annually. Designed by Yann Weymouth, the 46,000 square foot exhibition space is impressive outside and in. Among its permanent collection, you'll find pre-Colombian objects, African art, photography, and printmaking from the 60s and 70s. Considering its proximity to the Caribbean and the Americas, they've also got a growing number of pieces from these countries as well. Visitors will also find a sculpture garden on the outside, available for viewing 24 hours a day.

Because South Beach is such a broad description, and the varying beaches here go on for miles, we thought we'd narrow it down. Lummus Park, the area of the beach located along Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Street, is the all-encompassing South Beach experience. This is the strip of sand that is always the most crowded, which makes for excellent people watching. There is a mini playground before the entrance to the beach for children ages two through 5, however, the kids will generally tire out playing in the water all day. With Brazilian bikinis and fluorescent tans as far as the eye can see, adults will likely tire their necks from spinning around doing a double-take at colorful locals. Once you've soaked up all of the sun you can possibly fit into one day, the strip of restaurants and bars lining Ocean Drive are close at hand.