
The Planetarium’s 67-foot-wide screen and million-dollar visual system allow you to take a tour of the universe without having to leave your seat. After experiencing Florida’s aquatic wildlife, take a trip through space in the Frost Planetarium. The 500,000-gallon Royal Caribbean Vista offers guests views of hammerheads, devil rays, stingrays, and coral reefs. The aquarium spans 4 levels and allows visitors to interact with a variety of local ecosystems, from the Gulfstream to the Everglades, and from mangrove forests to the deep ocean.

Situated in downtown Miami, the 250,000-square-foot Museum contains an aquarium, the Frost Planetarium, and prehistoric fossils. Whether you’re a science fanatic, technology nerd, or history buff, the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science has something for everyone. Learn at the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science Check out the nearby gift store for a unique souvenir, and stop by the museum to see an array of additional artifacts, including Crusade-era armor and medieval hymnariums.Īncient Spanish Monastery/ Flickr 9. It’s easy to get lost among the Monastery’s graceful stone arches, ornate pillars, and peaceful chapels. Today, the Ancient Spanish Monastery is the oldest building in the Western hemisphere and is open to visitors.Įxplore the Monastery’s labyrinth of passages, reflect in its hidden garden, and view its collection of medieval-era statues and stained glass. In 1956, two entrepreneurs bought the Monastery and puzzled it back together again in Miami. Bernard sat in a New York City warehouse for nearly 30 years. Since Hearst’s financial issues prevented him from reconstructing the building, the dismantled Monastery of St. In 1925, William Randolph Hearst bought the building, deconstructed it, and shipped the former monastery to the United States. Bernard de Clairvaux was built by Cistercian monks in Spain around 1133 A.D. Now known as the Ancient Spanish Monastery, the Monastery of St. Though Florida is the last place you’d expect to find a 12th-century cloister, the Miami region is the adopted home of the ancient Monastery of St. Wander through the Ancient Spanish Monastery No dive experience is required to explore the Seaquarium’s reef which is home to a variety of sea creatures, including tropical fish, stingrays, and eels. The Shark and Ray interaction allows you to meet nurse sharks and cownose rays in a natural mangrove forest.ĭon a dive helmet and embark on the Sea Trek Reef Encounter. During the Seal Swim, you’ll have the chance to help train seals and hug one too. If you’d like to befriend a harbor seal, don’t miss the Seal Swim experience. The Royal Swim allows visitors to experience the thrill of a dorsal tow ride and a foot push by two dolphins. Pet and feed the dolphin while learning about the Seaquarium’s conservation efforts and interesting dolphin facts. Families can become acquainted with a dolphin without having to enter the water in the Seaquarium’s Meet a Dolphin experience. The Miami Seaquarium, located in the heart of the city, has been offering interactive experiences with marine life since 1955. Swim with Dolphins at the Miami Seaquarium Check Neptune Memorial Reef’s website for information about boat and diving tours of the cemetery. The cemetery is home to a sea turtle nicknamed Crush, and two rough tail stingrays frequent the area. The specially designed columns and statues support sponges, sea-urchins, and nearly 200 varieties of coral. Over 50 different species of fish live among the tombs, including bar jacks, blue-headed wrasse, tomtates, pufferfish, and parrot fish.

Though this cemetery is the final resting place for over 1,000 people, it bursts with aquatic life. Once it is completed, it will stretch for 16 acres and will be the largest man-made coral reef in the world. The graveyard is currently 600,000 square feet and contains an array of columns and statues.


Since Neptune Memorial Reef lies only 40 feet below the surface, boaters, snorkelers, and novice scuba divers can explore this Atlantis-like cemetery. Located just a few miles off the coast of Miami’s Key Biscayne, the Neptune Memorial Reef functions as both an underwater cemetery and a marine life sanctuary. 19 Best Things to do in downtown Miami, FL Outdoor Adventure and Nature 1. You don’t want to miss the authentic Miami, so here’s a list of the top 19 things to do in the Magic City. With such a large and diverse population, there is a myriad of activities to experience in the city. Located in Southeast Florida, Miami is home to nearly half-a-million people and attracts over 20 million visitors each year. Miami is more than just another tourist destination: it’s an adventure into culture, nature, and history. Looking for the Best Things to do in downtown Miami, FL?
