The Wolfsonian-FIU, Miami Beach, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Wolfsonian-FIU is a design museum at 1001 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida, housed in a building that began life in 1927 as a storage warehouse. Today it belongs to Florida International University and holds a very large collection of objects from the late nineteenth to the mid twentieth century. Its heavy facade and carved entrance make it one of the most interesting buildings on this stretch of South Beach.

The story behind it

The building was designed by the firm Robertson & Patterson and opened as the Washington Storage Company. In those years many wealthy northern families spent the winter in Miami Beach and left when the summer heat arrived. Their furniture and treasures stayed behind in the warehouse until the owners returned. For long stretches the whole building was a vault of other people's belongings.

That past explains why it looks more like a fortress than a gallery. Later the collector Mitchell Wolfson Jr. used the building to keep his own collection, and he bought it in 1986. In 1997 it was given to Florida International University, and it now functions as a museum and research centre for the study of design and its place in society.

What to look for

• The elaborate carved entrance on Washington Avenue stands out against the plain, solid walls around it, and it hints at the Spanish influence in the design.
• The massive, fortress-like bulk of the facade shows that the building was made to protect objects, not to welcome crowds.
• The scale of the building makes it easy to picture trunks and furniture being carried in for the summer.
• The contrast with nearby pastel Art Deco hotels shows how varied the architecture of Miami Beach really is.

Tips for your visit

• Allow ten to fifteen minutes to enjoy the exterior, or a good part of an afternoon if you go inside the museum.
• The museum is open to visitors, but check current opening hours and admission details before you go.
• Morning light is kind to the facade and the streets are quieter than in the evening.
• Ocean Drive and the Art Deco streets of South Beach are a short walk away, so it pairs easily with a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Miami Beach takes you on foot through South Beach, and the Wolfsonian-FIU is one of the places along the route. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Miami Beach also passes this building as one stop in a longer walk through the area. You reach each place on foot, hear its story on the spot and solve a puzzle there, with no guide and no group to join. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.