Downtown Miami

In Downtown Miami, UM's medical campus consists of 12.5 acres within the 67-acre University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center complex.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens - An Italian Renaissance palace furnished with priceless European art and antiques, and Italian Baroque landscaping.

Low buildings and storefronts recall Miami's origins as a trading town. On West Flagler Street the original 1920s Olympia Theater has become the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, a venue for concerts and performances.

A few blocks away, the Miami-Dade Cultural Center is cornered by the graceful arches, Spanish tile roofs and salmon-colored stucco of the the City of Miami's expansive main library. On the same piazza resides the Miami Art Museum displaying exhibits of international art, while the Historical Museum of Southern Florida combines the tapestry of local and regional history through permanent and special exhibits.

Across Biscayne Boulevard, the American Airlines Arena houses popular music concerts, operas, Disney on Ice, tennis exhibitions, the Soul Beach Festival and all the concentrated intensity of the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat, the WNBA's Miami Sol and 19,600 of their closest friends. Football is celebrated in the Orange Bowl, home of the University of Miami Hurricanes team.

On Biscayne Boulevard, Bayside Marketplace next to Bayfront Park, borrows from the past as it looks to the future. The open-air shopping and entertainment complex built on the site of Pier 5 fishing pier, one of Miami's most popular tourist spots in the 1950s, is now a waterfront destination for gift shopping, dining and enjoying outdoor performances. Here you can browse through shops and pushcarts selling everything from T-shirts to souvenirs.

Just a few minutes north of downtown, the city's historic Buena Vista Village, is the charming setting for The Miami Design District, overflowing with exciting interior design showrooms and stores; art studios and galleries; movie production and theatrical costume companies and more. Here you find interesting furniture, carpets, lighting, fabrics and cutting-edge design accessories, presented in a stylish environment. Don't miss a unique opportunity to explore the area's vast galleries during Gallery Night at the Miami Design District, taking place the second Friday of each month.

Miami's diversity inspires dining delights in a variety of culinary styles from sophisticated to casual. Fine restaurants, grills, bistros and bayside cafes feature flavorful food served in attractive surroundings making Downtown Miami an area of good taste. The James L. Knight International Center is a venue for concerts and sporting events.