Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Di Lido Island

"DowntownMiami’s largest art museum is as much a showcase of architectural mastery as any other art form, where large rooms, rounded walls, and hanging gardens with more than 54,000 plants give it an aesthetic like no other art museum in the world. The view’s not bad either, where you’ll catch glimpses of Biscayne Bay in between showcases of contemporary art from throughout Latin America and the world. The museum is also home to Verde, which we’ll humbly call the best museum restaurant in America even without its breezy bayside terrace.Know before you go: PAMM is currently only open 2-9 pm on Thursday, and 11 am - 6 pm Friday through Sunday."

"In the midst of rusted warehouses and concrete blah, there's a pastel-and-graffiti explosion of urban art. Wynwood Walls is a collection of murals and paintings laid out over an open courtyard that invariably bowls people over with its sheer color profile and unexpected location. What’s on offer tends to change with the coming and going of major arts events such as Art Basel, but it's always interesting stuff."

"Our last day was spent at the creative Wynwood Walls art exhibit. Beautiful mosaics are spread across a few blocks on streets and on buildings, even on the sidewalks!"

"Between Northeast 25th and 26th streets on Northwest 2nd Avenue, the Wynwood Walls are a cutting-edge enclave of modern urban murals,…"

"Long before Wynwood became an international art-hub, before places like the PAMM opened its doors, the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami was doing its part to bring contemporary art into the lives of all Miamians. Opened in 1996, the museum in its current state is now entering its 24th year and puts on 8 to 10 exhibitions annually. Notable artists like Anna Gaskell, Louise Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein, Annette Messager, and Frank Stella have all enjoyed either exhibitions or solo shows of their work in the halls of the MoCA NoMi."

"Miami’s ICA(pictured above) is housed in a sparkling 37,500-square-foot building in the city’s Design District. The opening of the ambitious venue, a striking design by the Spanish firm Aranguren & Gallegos Arquitectos, was delivered a year later than originally expected, which only added to the sense of anticipation. As well as housing a must-visit permanent collection with works by Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Dan Flavin and more, it now includes a sculpture garden."

"The Rubells, comfortably sitting at the summit of Miami’s collecting elite, are able to propel young artists to the top of the art world by grace of purchasing their work at the right time (see the case of Oscar Murillo). Their Rubell Museum includes pieces by contemporary art giants including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Cindy Sherman and Kara Walker. Originally established in 1964 in New York, Mera and Don Rubell now exhibit to the Miami public in a 100,000-square-foot space in the Allapattah area of Miami, designed by the buzzed-about Selldorf Architects."

"The creation of Don and Mera Rubell led to the formation of the enchanting private art museum, the Rubell Museum. For more than half a decade, the Rubells team has collected more than 7,200 works by 1000 and more artists. The contemporary art displayed in the 56,000 square feet galleries is a mosaic of talent, aestheticism, and a warehouse of art and culture."

"The Miami Selfie Museum, located in Wynwood has many colorful art installations for a variety of fun backdrops. It’s a super Instagrammable museum and one of the fun places to take pictures in Miami. From interactive rooms, donut walls, a bathtub with plastic bubbles, and much more it will make your Instagram feed super unique."

"Situated inside The Palms Hotel and Spa on Miami Beach, this gourmet restaurant features New American cuisine in a laid back garden atmosphere. At Essensia, it's all about using fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients, often times straight from the chef's own organic garden hidden behind the hotel's Tiki Bar. With a clear slant toward wanting guests to enjoy not only a sustainable but also a health-conscious and earth-friendly meal, you can bet there are wonderful menu options for vegans and vegetarians as well as omnivores."

"Surround yourself with Art Deco architecture at Essensia, a farm-to-table eatery inside The Palms Hotel and Spa. The menu, which features seafood and Southern-inspired dishes, uses local ingredients wherever possible. Standouts include the watermelon and tomato salad and the Islander bouillabaisse."

"The most romantic restaurant you’ll ever find on a college campus The Miami Culinary Institute is never lacking for innovation in food, and if you can score a seat at one of its classes or demonstrations, they’re some of the best dates in South Florida. Lacking that, though, you can never go wrong at Tuyo, the institute’s restaurant set in the middle of the Downtown skyline with perfect views of Freedom Tower and the AAA. Chef Victor Santos oversees the menu, with stuff like braised lamb shanks with butternut squash risotto and duo of Rohan duck highlighting an ever-changing selection of locally sourced favorites."

"Dress up a bit and get a bird’s eye view of Downtown Miami at Tuyo, a Modern American gem which is operated by Miami-Dade College’s Miami Culinary Institute. Reservations recommended."

"91 SE 2nd St, Miami FLIn Peru, establishments known assangucherías serve all sorts of sandwiches in usually humble settings. Modelled after these very sangucherías, Station 28 is a cosy, beautiful establishment in downtown Miami that is the perfect lunch spot for those who enjoy casual outdoor lunches on the go. It offers an incredibly limited number of breakfast dishes such as burgers with fried eggs, bananas, and sauce as toppings."

"Station 28 is a hidden gem for a number of reasons: it’s super affordable, the food is tasty, and it has a great vibe. You can get a Peruvian burger or sandwich for super cheap and they also have a cool selection of natural fruit juices. But beyond the food, Station 28 also has a hidden upstairs area with all kinds of live entertainment, including theater, live music, and stand-up comedy."

"Sometimes after a long night of vodka-sodas, you wake up seriously craving some diner food. And if you happen to live in Downtown or Brickell, that no longer means having to drag your hungover self through beach traffic to get it. This retro destination delivers a menu of over-the-top waffle flavors like bacon and cheddar and Oreo and Nutella alongside a waffle sandwich filled with ham, swiss, and fried eggs."

"Miami Diner, which already has a Downtown location, just opened in the old David’s Cafe space. They’ve got one of those very large diner menus, with burgers, breakfast, milkshakes, sandwiches, salads, pasta, and more."

"Baccano is an intimate locally owned Italian café and wine bar located in the heart of Miami's booming Wynwood Art District. Formally known as Café Santa Miami, Baccano offers authentic wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza, mouthwatering desserts, a unique selection of Italian wines and an assortment of local craft beer. Signature pizzas include Sausage and Friarielli (mozzarella cheese, sausage, broccoli), The Santa (bacon and egg), Sicily (smoked buffalo mozzarella and eggplant), and Vesuvius (mozzarella, ricotta, sauce, ham and eggplant)."

"Before donuts became hip and pastry chefs got their hands on them, they were the everyman’s breakfast pastry. Dandee Donuts is one of the few independent places where you can still grab an old-school, traditional donut. You can also sit down and have an omelet, a patty melt, or even a pizza here."