Miami, Florida –  Miami’s stunning European estate is the beneficiary of a $50,000 Preserve America grant to support the development of a much-needed bilingual audio tour thanks to a cultural collaboration between the City of Miami and The Vizcayans. The City of Miami, as a designated “Preserve America Community”, sponsored The Vizcayans grant application. Vizcaya, built in the 1910s by agricultural industrialist James Deering, is a National Historic Landmark and AAM-accredited museum owned by Miami-Dade County. 

“This grant award is a testament to the positive outcome that can result from a partnership between the City and the community,” said City of Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. “With these new audio tours, visitors will be able to have a deeper appreciation for the history and beauty of one of our city’s most precious landmarks.”

The Vizcayans have worked to protect Vizcaya for over a half century.  As a “Preserve America Community,” the City of Miami was able to join forces with the Vizcayans to apply for the Preserve America grant. The City’s designation not only allows Miami to participate in the grant program, but also recognizes it as a community that protects and celebrates their heritage; uses their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization; and encourages people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.

“The City of Miami has worked diligently to preserve the landmarks that are important to our community’s history, including the almost 100 designated historic sites, districts and archeological zones,” said Mayor Manny Diaz. “We can now add this feature at Vizcaya to the list of many other preservation accomplishments that we can all be proud of.”

The audio tour will feature 90 minutes of content in English and Spanish and will guide visitors through the main spaces and primary ideas associated with Vizcaya.  Visitors will have access to additional “stops” or “layers” of information that allow them to focus on areas or objects of special interest.  In this way, visitors will gain an in-depth understanding of individual objects at Vizcaya while exploring themes such as cultural exchange, design and patronage, and work and leisure.  The audio tour will greatly enhance the visitor experience for the Museum’s 140,000 annual visitors while stimulating heritage tourism to Miami’s celebrated bay front museum and gardens.            

As a final event following the creation of the audio guide, the City of Miami and Vizcaya will collaborate with other agencies to create a heritage tourism conference. The conference agenda will capitalize on the many opportunities for the promotion of the many noteworthy historic properties in our community.

About Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens preserves the Miami estate of International Harvester Vice President James Deering (1859–1925).  Built between 1914 and 1922, Vizcaya is one of the most intact remaining architectural examples from the era in United States history known as the American Renaissance, when the nation’s wealthy industrialists built lavish estates inspired by the palaces of Europe. Vizcaya was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994 for its national significance as an achievement of American Renaissance architecture, landscape design, decorative arts, and art collecting. 

Vizcaya features a main house, ten acres of formal gardens, a rockland hammock (native forest),   mangrove shore, and soon-to-be-restored historic village that will provide additional venues for programs and community outreach. Vizcaya is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/ or call 305-250-9133.

About the City of Miami as a Preserve America Community 
The City of Miami was designated a Preserve America Community in October, 2007.  Preserve America is a White House initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy America’s priceless cultural and natural heritage. During the last 7 years, the City has encouraged preservation and protection of Miami's important historic, architectural, and archeological resources. There are now almost 100 designated historic sites, districts and archeological zones. For more information about the City’s historical sites, please visit http://www.historicpreservationmiami.com/