This Historic Florida Landmark Has Reopened And Offers A Unique Cultural Experience

When you first spot the Freedom Tower, you may wonder: "Am I still in Miami?" There are lots of beautiful buildings in Florida's biggest city, but the Freedom Tower definitely stands alone: First completed in 1925, the 17-story structure was designed in the so-called Spanish Renaissance Revival style. Here you'll find decorative columns, little turrets, ranks of finials, bas relief stonework, and a small dome near the top. With its meticulous details and stately presence, the building looks like it belongs in old Madrid, not in downtown Miami, just across the street from the Kaseya Center sports complex. Miami is famous for its skyline of glittering, modern high rises; the Freedom Tower is a throwback to a more elegant time. It's hard to believe that this was once the tallest edifice in the southeast U.S.

Yet the structure looks fresher than ever, thanks to a $25 million restoration project. Exactly 100 years after it first opened — and two years after its doors were closed — the Freedom Tower reopened to the public in September, 2025. The project was spearheaded by Miami Dade College, which owns the property. Not surprisingly, this architectural masterpiece is home to the college's Museum of Art and Design (MOAD), which has ended its hiatus and is once again welcoming patrons. This is yet another unique experience you can have only in Florida.

Long before its current name, the Freedom Tower was built as the main offices for a newspaper, the Miami Daily News, and there the company stayed for more than 30 years. In 1962, the building found a new purpose, as the headquarters for the Cuban Assistance Program, which helped refugees escape the Cuban Revolution and settle in the United States. Although the building was officially listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979, the Freedom Tower was effectively abandoned for decades; in the fast-paced real estate market of Miami, the waterfront-adjacent property could easily have been torn down and replaced with condos or a luxury hotel.

Instead, prominent members of the Cuban-American community petitioned for its survival, and the building was eventually donated to Miami Dade College in 2005. The Freedom Tower has since been turned into not one but four different venues, including MOAD, the Cuban Legacy Gallery, the Kislak Center — which specializes in pre-Columbian and early Colonial artifacts — and the Exile Experience. Adult admission is $12, but the ticket price should be well worth it, with its robust fine art collection and inventive rotating exhibits. Here's how to make the most of your next trip to a museum.

You could safely assume that most people fly to Miami for the sun, beaches, and rambunctious nightlife, and there's plenty of all that to satisfy spring breakers and snowbirds. But Miami does have a storied past, especially by Florida standards: The Spanish explorer Ponce de León arrived here in the early 1500s, and the Indigenous Mayaimi peoples had already lived around a lake north of Miami for eons before that. The city was incorporated in 1896 and has seen rapid development ever since. Many of its historic landmarks have been well preserved, such as the Cuban enclave Little Havana, the Italian-style Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and the Deco-inspired Miami Beach Architectural District, which are all among the hottest tourist attractions in Miami to add to your trip.

The restored Freedom Tower is a formidable addition to this list. The museum has a permanent collection of 800 diverse works and hosts a wide range of events, from receptions and festivals to workshops and cultural celebrations, but the building itself is a pleasure to explore, with its antique flourishes and old-school layout. Pro tip: Patrons who have worked up an appetite roaming these hall might consider visiting the Museum of Ice Cream, just two blocks away.