Traveling to Miami? Here's What You Need to Know Before Going

Though the Tequestas and other indigenous cultures inhabited the region for centuries, Miami wasn't formally recognized as a city until the 19th century when Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler expanded the Florida East Coast Railway to include the city. Many modern buildings currently occupy the skyline, however, there are a few historical sites worth visiting. For example, the Freedom Tower (pictured here) was used as a processing facility for Cubans fleeing Cuba in the 1960s and has since been seen as a symbol of that exile.

Other historical landmarks include the Villa Vizcaya, a home-turned-museum built by the famous turn-of-the-century entrepreneur James Deering in 1914. His brother, Charles Deering, also added to Miami's landmarks by building the massive Deering Estate.