A treasure in Miami Beach are the comprehensive tours offered by the
Miami Design and Preservation Leauge, covering the city's extensive treasure trove of Art Deco structures. Of course, one can walk along him or herself and look at the buildings on Ocean Drive and nearby streets. However, the ultra knowledgeable tour guides provided by the League have all the background information you need to know about the buiidlings, their architects, and how they fit into the historical backdrop of this part of Miami Beach, commonly called South Beach. You also will walk away with an architect's knoweldge of what Art Deco is, for example the "Rule of Three" (if you wish to find out what this is, I suggest you go on a tour). These various tours are definitely worth your while.
In addtion, the League also offers tours on South Beach's gay and lesbian history, as well as other tours which highlight examples of Miami Modern (or MIMO) archeitecture and some Mediterranean Revival. All amongst the awesome energy of South Beach. Take a look. you won't regret it one bit.
Paul E. Czekanski
Miami, Florida