How to Spend a Day in Miami’s Wynwood District
*Disclosure: I only recommend products/services that I would use myself & all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission which in turn helps fund my next adventure! Please read the Privacy Policy for more information.
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve explored the art filled streets of Wynwood and boy, has it grown & changed! If you don’t know, Wynwood is an area in Miami that has been known for its’ huge wall murals painted by locals as well as famous artists and has grown into quite the tourist destination over the years. Currently, there are tons of condo buildings going up everywhere in Wynwood & some of the famous, original walls of art are being demolished or tagged over. It’s a little sad if you’ve visited 2 or more years ago versus today, and there is a petition that I encourage anyone who loves art and/or Wynwood itself to sign in order to help save Wynwood from being overrun with luxury high rises and changing for the worst. However, even with all of the growth, you can still roam the streets and find some old hidden gems and new amazing installations so don’t let that deter you from visiting!
Miami is about a 2 hour drive from SWFL, which makes it a great day trip or even a nearby weekend getaway. I only spent the day there but we walked almost all of Wynwood and had a blast. I’m happy to report that the majority of people wore masks, businesses required customers to wear them, and people were socially distanced.
The area of Wynwood itself is relatively small and can easily be walked in one day. We arrived by 10am and our 1st stop was Panther Coffee. The interior where you can usually sit and enjoy your coffee was closed due to the pandemic but it was a super easy process to place your order & pick up at the window. They also have some outdoor seating available but we had a lot of ground to cover so we started our journey through Wynwood right away. There is no right or wrong way to tackle Wynwood but we chose Panther Coffee as our starting point & zig zagged up and down each block. I find this the easiest way so that you can see as many wall murals as possible so just keep walking until you don’t see anymore then start on the next street. NW 2nd Ave. is the main street through Wynwood and that’s where a lot of the shops are as well as the popular Wynwood Walls (which you now have to purchase a ticket online to enter). We walked as East as N Miami Ave and as West as NW 6th Ave which backs up to I-95. If walking isn’t your thing, don’t worry, you can book a graffiti tour that will take you around in a golf cart to see all of the best murals.
Pretty early into our walk, we stumbled upon what looked like an outdoor garage area full of the coolest cars I’ve ever seen. After researching, we discovered that it was the Miami Supercar Gallery which you can usually tour when there’s not a pandemic so add that one to your list!
There are so many murals that it’s hard to make a list of favorites but one that I really enjoyed was a very long wall mural of life under the sea (pictured above, bottom right) with all of my favorite sea creatures & even the Christ of the Abyss, a sunken statue located in Key Largo. At the very top of the piece is a glimpse of life on land but I loved how the ocean is the real focus. Aside from wall murals, there was a huge wooden installation with a flipped car (main image) that I LOVED and a freshly installed face made from shredded tires (below, middle). By 1pm my legs were in desperate need of a break so we stopped inside Wynwood Brewing Company for a drink & I was very excited to see local kombucha on tap! Even though I’m not a huge beer person, I have to admit that their cans had the cutest, most whimsical names and art that I’ve ever seen on beer cans… their t-shirts were super cute too!
Now that our feet had semi recovered, we explored for a few more hours and then it was time for a very late lunch. There are many options when it comes to food in Wynwood but Kush was at the top of our list and I was so excited to try it after hearing amazing things about it. Kush is probably most known for its beer selection but their food really blew me away. We started with the Fried Alligator Bites (so juicy & tender!) and then I had the Frita Burger which I crave weekly now. Needless to say, if you need to eat in Wynwood, go to Kush!
The last stop of the day was SHOTS Miami which I insisted going to mainly to see the fun, colorful umbrella installation (above, right) and it was worth it! They open at 5pm on Saturdays and it’s more of a nightclub vibe but outdoors so we got there right at 5pm to have a semi quieter experience. I would definitely recommend visiting at night as it looks like it would be a lot of fun!
It was a jam-packed day but worth it! Whether Wynwood is your sole reason of visiting South Florida or you’re vacationing in Miami and too sun burned to go to the beach again, make sure you carve out a day to visit Wynwood and see all that it has to offer. It truly is a unique gem in Florida and I hope that it’s here for many more years!
Happy travels!
-Tess
Tess Arnold
Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip! If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!
