Hi friends, welcome back to my Miami series! Ever since our trip to Newport last summer, I’ve been fascinated with the Gilded Age. When I saw Vizcaya was located close to our hotel I knew it would be the perfect excursion for me. This mansion was built in 1916 for businessman James Deering. His father, William Deering, initially invested in an agricultural machinery manufacturer before taking over the company and naming it Deering Harvester Company (unrelated to John Deere). The company was incredibly successful and enabled the family to be among the wealthiest in America at the time. In 1902, with the help of J.P. Morgan, Deering Harvester Company merged with McCormick Reaper Company to create International Harvester, the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the country. James Deering’s health began to fail due to pernicious anemia, so his doctors advised him to move to Florida for the warmth and sun. He didn’t want to live in any old house, so he began dreaming up Vizcaya. There is not an exact figure on how much he spent to have this house built and decorated, some people estimate $20m in 1916, which would be about $595m in 2024. The entire 180 acre complex originally included the mansion, garden, and a village with eleven buildings.
In 1925, less than ten years after the opening of Vizcaya, Deering died from a heart attack while traveling by boat back from Europe. Deering never married or had children, so he left the estate to his half-brother’s daughters. They donated the mansion and fifty acres of land to Miami-Dade County about thirty years later. The mansion and gardens officially opened to the public in 1953 and now welcome over 300,000 guests annually. The museum is open every day except Tuesday and costs $25 to visit. I bought my ticket at the entrance, but you can also buy them online. I recommend downloading the Vizcaya app with a free audio guide ahead of time and bringing some headphones.
Vizcaya was inspired by Italian villas and incorporates elements of Italy throughout. The interior boasts 45,000 square feet, several floors, and 54 rooms. The garden is equally as impressive and I’ll be sharing that in the next post. Vizcaya was built in two years (1914-1916) and designed by F. Burrall Hoffman with decorations done by Paul Chalfin. It’s estimated that over 1,000 people were employed throughout the construction of the home and gardens, roughly 10% of the population of Miami at the time.
The mansion tour begins in this loggia, and it was originally completely open as well as the courtyard behind it. A statue of Bacchus, the Roman god of hospitality and wine, greets visitors. It is from Ancient Rome, but the arms and legs were added in the 1700s.
To the right are some staff rooms where as many as 59 people were employed during the winter. This room was for cutting and arranging flowers from the garden.
The Serving Pantry was modern for its time complete with a refrigerator, warming drawers, and an electric dumbwaiter leading to the kitchen upstairs.
The Courtyard ceiling was added much later to protect the mansion from hurricanes and the summer heat. The house had electricity, but air conditioning wasn’t invented yet, so the openness helped provide a breeze and keep the home cool.
The Library was where James would host his business meetings at his desk that was originally a Parisian shop counter.
The Reception Room was designed in the Rococco style. The walls were originally a silk fabric, but they didn’t hold up in the humid environment.
James Deering had one of the first phone systems in Miami. It was advanced for the time because it could make calls directly without going through an operator. He also had a central vacuum system, burglar alarm, elevator, and an electric master clock system.
The Living Room features a massive limestone fireplace imported from France. The fireplace dates back to the 1600s, but the top piece was added by Deering.
In 1987 Vicayza hosted Pope John Paul the Second and President Reagan and they sat in the throne like chairs during their meeting. The organ is a self-playing organ and the pipes are hidden behind the painting that was turned into doors.
The Loggia at the back of the house also served as an entrance for those coming by boat.
Rounding out the main floor is the Music Room, rarely used formal Dining Room, and Enclosed Loggia.
Heading upstairs there are 24 bedrooms including 14 for staff. These are a few of the guest rooms.
This was James’ Sitting Room where he did most of his work. The other desk was for his secretary. This room was part of his suite and connected to his bedroom and bathroom further down the hall. 
The elevator was essential for Mr. Deering because his pernicious anemia made him weak. There was a separate elevator for the staff.
The Breakfast Room was where Mr. Deering liked to eat most of his meals. The walls are covered with paintings from Italy done in the 1750s and a hidden player piano provided music for the room.
The last room on the tour is the kitchen. Many people think he put the kitchen upstairs because he didn’t want the smell of food wafting through the rooms downstairs. To meet his culinary needs, Deering employed two French Chefs, one for meals and one for pastries. Sounds like the life!
Hope you enjoyed a look inside Vizcaya, stay tuned for the garden and finale of my Miami series.
I toured Vizcaya years ago. One of the first mansions I ever saw that blew me away.
I was always impressed with the breakwater. What an ingenious idea instead of just erecting a wall. Thanks for the memory.
It’s quite the difference from Mill Race! The breakwater is a great idea! Glad you enjoyed this 🙂
I can’t believe you remember that field trip decades ago.
That was lucky to have this place so close. Amazing how the wealthy spared no expense in their homes. Still they could not take it with them when their time came. My Dad was a farmer and we had our share of McCormick-Deering and International Harvester farm implements and trucks. Nice to hear more about his story. Happy Wednesday Lyssy. Allan
It is pretty amazing and he had it built during WWI when materials were even more expensive. Oh yes you know that company first hand, they sure made a good investment!
Wow, what a truly stunning place! 🙂 I just love how the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens captures jaw-dropping European extravagance in an enchanting American context. I also love the lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and meticulously sculpted landscape found in the gardens. For one minute I felt like being transported to the coast of Italy. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx
It is such a beautiful mansion and garden! I’m glad that it turned into a museum for everyone to enjoy. The grounds and garden are so beautiful too, no space or detail went overlooked. Glad you enjoyed this 🙂
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Oh wow this is STUNNING!
Such a stunning mansion!!
I’m not sure what is most impressive about Vizcaya: the cost of construction in today’s dollars, the relatively short time it took to build, or the sheer size. I hope Deere had intentions of marrying and a family before he succumbed to the heart attack. 54 rooms would be awfully lonely for one person. I’m guessing he was consumed by his work and never really felt the need for a companion. Having said all that, the style is classically authentic and the furnishings and decor are very tasteful.
It’s all pretty impressive! There are speculations that he was gay and that’s why he never married or had kids, but nobody knows the real answer. That would be a lonely house, hopefully he filled it with lots of friends. It did seem a little less gaudy than some of the Newport homes.
Wow! I would’ve never imagined such a historic and opulent place in Miami, considering I associate it with beaches and modern skyscrapers. Nice to see a hint of history in the state. Looks like a worthwhile visit, and I’m glad you had a good time. Looking forward to the last post of your time in Florida soon!
I didn’t expect this in Miami either! Nice to be able to step back in history and see this extravagant home. It’s definitely worth the visit!
Oh I just love touring the Newport Mansions and this is like the mansions times 3 (at least!). That sounds like the perfect way to pass the time.
You’d love visiting Vizcaya! I would say it’s most like The Breakers, but with an incredible garden.
Serious property porn! Fabulous photos, Lyssy, thank you
Thank you! Such a fabulous property!
What a fabulous mansion Lyssy. Absolutely stunning.
It was such a fabulous mansion, hard to imagine living there!
Wow that is quite the ornate house. I’d like to have my own pastry chef too 😊
It would be hard to imagine living there until I picture pastry chef bringing me my morning croissant 🙂
What an amazing place! Imagine having the money to build it and live there, wow!
It’s hard to imagine!! But I would be up for the task haha
It’s a great house! I’m delighted to have visited it through your words and photos. I find it a little selfish to build such a house for oneself, but afterwards it gives the public a fine example of decorative art in Europe.
Wonderful pictures of a great place to visit, did so many times while living near Miami. Thanks for the memories of always Cheers
What an opulent and beautiful place to visit!
What a beautiful house. You know you’re fancy when you have a room dedicated just for cutting and arranging flowers!
Very extravagant! A French chef specifically for pastries – that is life. The guest bedrooms are my favourite part of the interior – lavish and cozy.
Lovely <3
So beautiful!