South Beach Art Deco District

The South Beach Art Deco District is the postcard image of Miami: a sun-drenched stretch of South Beach holding the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world. More than 800 buildings, most built between 1923 and 1943, line the streets between 5th and 23rd Streets along Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the first 20th-century neighborhood in the country to earn that distinction.

The look is unmistakable: pastel facades, bold geometric lines, porthole windows, terrazzo floors, chrome accents and nautical detailing that give the area its dreamy tropical glamour, especially when the neon glows after dark. The style took hold during the city's 1930s rebound following the 1926 hurricane and the Great Depression, and in 1976 preservationist Barbara Baer Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League to save these buildings from the wrecking ball.

Visitor tip: stroll Ocean Drive at dusk to catch the neon, then explore the quieter Art Deco gems along Collins and Washington. A guided walking tour brings the history to life, and the district is a highlight of any Miami sightseeing itinerary.