The Wolfsonian-FIU

The Wolfsonian-FIU is a museum of design, architecture and decorative arts in the heart of South Beach, at the corner of 10th Street and Washington Avenue. It was founded by the Miami-born collector Mitchell "Micky" Wolfson Jr., has been open since 1995 and became part of Florida International University in 1997. The building itself is part of the story: it was built in 1927 by Robertson and Patterson as a Mediterranean Revival warehouse for the Washington Storage Company, and in 1992 the architect Mark Hampton enlarged and transformed it into a museum.

The collection holds more than 200,000 items from roughly 1850 to 1950, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the Second World War. It covers fine and decorative arts, graphic and industrial design, architectural drawings, rare publications and ephemera, mainly from Europe and the United States, with material from Latin America, Asia and Africa. Exhibitions draw on this collection and change regularly, so check the website for current shows. The library reading room is open by appointment for researchers.

The museum is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 6pm, on Friday from 10am to 9pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday and on several public holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Entry is free every Friday from 6pm to 9pm, and it is always free for Florida residents, children under six and visitors with disabilities and their caregiver, among others.

Allow an hour to two hours. The Wolfsonian suits design lovers, architecture enthusiasts, couples and solo travellers. Older children with an interest in posters or graphics may enjoy it, but it is not a hands-on children's museum. Disabled parking permit holders can park free at on-street meters, municipal surface lots and city garages, and there are ADA spaces on 10th and 11th Streets between Washington and Collins Avenues.

Metrobus and Miami Beach Trolley stops are within a block, and there are Citi Bike stations on 9th and 11th Streets. City garages on 12th Street and Collins Avenue and an open lot at 10th Street and Washington Avenue cover parking. The Art Deco Welcome Center at 1001 Ocean Drive is nearby, so the museum pairs naturally with an Art Deco walking tour.