Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, Miami, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) is a contemporary art museum at 69 NE 41st Street in the Design District of Miami. It opened in December 2017 in a dark grey, angular building, after two decades of moving and legal wrangling. It is a good stop for anyone who wants to see current art in a striking piece of architecture.

The story behind it

The institute began in 1996 as the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami. Over the years its board and the city disagreed about its future, and in 2014 the board took the city to court for the right to move. The museum settled in the Design District, where its new home opened in December 2017.

The building was designed by the architects Aranguren & Gallegos, who thought of it as a "Magic Box": a plain, geometric volume meant to draw passers-by in and keep a few secrets. Norman Braman and his wife paid for the construction. The opening exhibition was called The Everywhere Studio. Behind the building is a sculpture garden with works by artists such as Mark Handforth and Abigail DeVille.

What to look for

• The dark grey, geometric facade changes with the light, so it looks different in the morning sun than at dusk.
• The shape of the building reads as a closed box, and the entrance is the moment it seems to open up and invite you in.
• The sculpture garden behind the museum shows large-scale outdoor works, including pieces by Mark Handforth and Abigail DeVille.
• The street itself, NE 41st Street, sits among the shops, design showrooms and public art of the Design District, so look up and around as you walk.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about an hour for the galleries and garden, and longer if you want to explore the neighbourhood.
• Check current opening hours and admission rules on the museum's website before you go, as exhibitions and schedules change.
• Visit in the morning or late afternoon, when the light on the facade is softer and the streets are more comfortable to walk.
• The Design District is compact and walkable, so you can combine the museum with a stroll past nearby galleries, shops and street art.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Miami passes this spot as one stop on a longer walk through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Miami is a good fit if you like your sightseeing with a mystery attached. You reach the institute on foot, hear about it on the spot and solve a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.

Miami Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. takes you past the institute as part of a detective-style route. As at every stop, the app gives you the background and a puzzle to solve. One ticket covers the whole group.