Bus Route 100--Stop #1 History Museum and Library

Bus Route 100 starts in downtown Miami, near the intersection of  NE 1st Street and NE 1st Ave. Before catching the bus, be sure to visit the Miami-Dade Cultural Center Plaza.   which is home to two attractions--the HistoryMiami Museum and the Miami-Dade County Public Library Downtown Branch. They are both located in an elevated plaza, designed by architect Phillip Johnson in the  Romanesque style

On a personal note, this museum opened during my college years, and I spent many hours in the archive collection exploring the history of passenger rail, rail transit  in Miami, along with  my other interest, the Hurricanes (which may be the subject of a future blog)

The HistoryMiami museum offers an in-depth look at South Florida's rich, complex history, providing context to the streets Bus 100 will be traversing. The history museum will get you grounded in what Miami was and what it has become. The museum features both permanent and rotating exhibits. Their signature exhibit, "Tropical Dreams: A People's History of South Florida," is a permanent display that covers over 10,000 years of the region's rich and diverse past. The exhibit is divided into four parts:  the arrival of the Indigenous first inhabitants, the European Explorers, the Expansion of Miami beginning in the late 19th century and beyond, and finally Miami’s present role as the gateway to Latin America.

     A more organic exhibit is the  "Miami Stories" Initiative, which is an oral history collection of South Floridians' experiences in their hometown, be they native residents or visitors.  This will give us non-typical tourists a more authentic slice of how residents reminisce about their hometown. 

Finally, while perusing the HistoryMiami website, I came across City Tours offered by the museum. It looks intriguing! The museum offers walking, boat, and bike tours, led by knowledgeable historians to give a closer look at the area’s history. 

The museum hours are typically  Wednesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and  Sunday: noon - 5 p.m. The Adult admission fee is $15 per person.  For the most current information, visit their website at: https://historymiami.org

Across the plaza at 101 West Flagler Street, you will find the Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Main Library.  Besides the general offerings of a large main library, the downtown branch holds two unique collections--the Cuban Collection and the Florida/Romer photograph collection. 

The Cuban collection holds both prerevolutionary artifacts on oral history and artifacts of the Cuban immigration to Miami, along with the post-revolutionary Miami experience.  This collection is housed in the library’s language dept.

The Florida Collection/Romer photograph collection holds an extensive collection of documents and photographs on Miami and Florida history.

The library is open 9:30 to 6:00 Monday to Saturday. The website is: 

https://mdpls.org/miami-dade-public-library-system/branch-mainweb

Now that you are well nourished with knowledge, you are fortified to begin your journey!

Please let me know in the comments if you have visited these sites!

Stay tuned for Stop #2 Bayfront Park