ONGOING EVENTS THROUGHOUT
DADE HERITAGE DAYS

The Charles N. and Eleanor Knight Leigh Foundation

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ONGOING EVENTS THROUGHOUT
DADE HERITAGE DAYS:

The Biltmore Hotel Historic Tours
Every Sunday, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 p.m.
1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables
Tour Coral Gables’ 1926 “Crown Jewel’ with a Dade Heritage Trust Biltmore docent. Ask about the “Roaring 20s” speakeasy. Meet in the hotel lobby. Special tours can be arranged. Call Judy Pruitt at 305-443-9793 for info. FREE.

Art Deco Architectural Guided Walking Tour
Wed., Fri. and Sun. at 10:30 a.m.
Art Deco Welcome Center at 1001 Ocean Drive
Local historians and architects will provide a look into South Beach’s Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival and MiMo historic architecture. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students with school ID, Free for Miami Design Preservation League members and children under 12. For info call 305-531-3484. www.mdpl.org

HM-69 Nike Missile Site Tour
Mon. March 1- Sun., April 4, daily at 10 a.m.
Step into the Cold War past for a tour of a historic Nike Missile Base where U.S. Army soldiers defended the nation from the threat of Soviet and Cuban attack. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Free with park admission ($10). Stop by the Ernest Coe Visitor Center or call 305-242-7700 for info and reservations. www.nps.gov/ever

Lunchtime Recital Series:  BACH PLUS
Fridays in March, 12.30 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 464 NE 16th Street, Miami
Enjoy a recital by outstanding organists at the beautiful 1926 Trinity Cathedral, featuring at least one major work by Johann Sebastian Bach.  The original Trinity Church was founded by the "mother of Miami" Julia Tuttle and the Cathedral's beautiful kaleidoscopic Rose Window stands as one of only two substantive memorials to this dynamic woman. The Cathedral's Romanesque, Byzantine and Italianate architectural elements give the building a distinctive Mediterranean appearance. Inside, the Cathedral's finely wrought Italian mosaics and stained glass windows create a sense of sacred beauty among all who visit. FREE; a collection will be taken. For info, 786-888-6665, www.trinitymiami.org/music

Historical Tour of Royal Palm
March 1 through April 4, Sat., Sun. and Tues. at 1:30 p.m.
Royal Palm Visitors Center at Everglades National Park.
Take a step back in time to learn from local explorers, researchers and vacationers. Royal Palm is the location of the first state park in Florida, and forms the nucleus of what would become Everglades National Park. The Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs and the CCC played an important part in the development of the park. Meet at the Royal Palm benches. Free with park admission ($10). For more info call 305-242-7700. www.nps.gov/ever/historycluture/royal-palm.htm

America’s Best Idea
March 1- April 4, daily at 2 p.m.
Meet the people behind the National Parks through the lens of legendary filmmaker Ken Burns and local PBS specials at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center auditorium.
Sun, Tues, Thurs. and Fri: Into the Wild--Miami’s Roberts family embarks on a camping adventure in this hilarious Everglades reality show.
Mon: America’s Best Idea Highlight- A stunning preview to the 12-hour series.
Wed.: Untold Stories-Discover the extraordinary dedication and diversity of the men and women who defined the national parks.
Sat: Nature’s Helping Hands-Experience the rewards of volunteering in Everglades National Park. The events are FREE. For more info call 305-242-7700.
www.nps.gov/ever

The Kampong Guided Tours
Wed. March 3, Sat. March 13, Wed. March 17, Sat. March 27, Wed. April 14, Sat. April 24, and Wed. April 28.
Gates open at 10 a.m. Tours begin at 10:30 a.m.
4013 South Douglas Road, Coconut Grove
The Kampong is the former home and garden of world plant explorer David Fairchild and later philanthropist and preservationist Catherine Sweeney. The one-of-a-kind 11 acres is filled with unique tropical fruit trees, flowering trees, vines, aroids, palms and other tropicals. The tours are 2 hours. $20 for adults; $15 for seniors 62 and over; $10 for students (4-12 years) and free for children 3 and under accompanied by parent. Discounts for Kampong members. Tour size is limited. Call 305-442-7169 for reservations.
http://ntbg.org/gardens/kampong.php

Moonlight Garden Tours at Vizcaya
Wed. March 3, Tues. March 30, Wed. March 31, Tues. April 27, Wed. April 28, 6:30 p.m.
Vizcaya Museum & Garden, 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami
Vizcaya has entertained residents and tourists since it became a public museum in 1952. Revisit Vizcaya today to explore the estate’s breathtaking gardens along Biscayne Bay under the light of the full moon. Volunteer Guides will be on hand starting at 6:30 p.m. to  lead tours in the gardens. Enjoy an informal concert of live music in the courtyard of the main house. $15, $10 for members, students and seniors.  The Vizcaya Café and Shop will offer light refreshments for sale. www.vizcayamuseum.org

Coral Gables Waterway Tour
Sun. March 7, 10 a.m. and Sat. April 10, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Park at 200 Edgewater Drive, Coral Gables (carpool!) and leave from the boat slip on the property. Dade Heritage Trust, The Waterway Renaissance Project, Shake-A-Leg and the Ocean Research & Education Foundation are offering three cruises on the Coral Gables waterways. Explore these beautiful passages aboard Shake-A-Leg Miami’s 40-foot John E. Pearson barge and learn from local experts about their history, environment and marine life. The cruises will last about 2 hours. Wear comfortable clothing. Space is limited to 30. Reservations are essential. $35 for DHT members and $45 for non-members, paid in advance. Call DHT at 305-358-9572 for reservations.
www.dadeheritagetrust.org or www.waterwayrenaissance.org

Ancient Spanish Monastery, Guided Tours
Mon. March 8 through Sat. March 13, 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church
16711 W. Dixie Highway, North Miami
Enjoy a guided tour of the beautiful Cloisters and Monastery, originally built in
1141 in Sacramenia, Spain.  Brought to America in 1925 by millionaire William Randolph Hearst, the structure was relocated to Miami in 1952 as a tourist attraction. A brief presentation on this National Register site follows the tour. Refreshments served. Cost is $7 per person. Call 305-945-1461 for reservations.

Endangered World: Biscayne National Park
Thurs. April 1- Fri. April 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Art Exhibit by Xavier Cortada
Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 328th St., Homestead
For over a mile, 360 flags designed by South Floridians line the park’s roads and trails to focus attention on the plight of endangered animals worldwide. Inside, a companion exhibit features Biscayne’s threatened and endangered animals. Kid friendly, wheel-chair accessible and FREE. For more info call 305-230-7275. www.nps.gov/bisc/

Biscayne National Park Canoe Trip
Saturdays in April at 9 a.m.
Biscayne National Park
9700 SW 328th St., Homestead.
Look for crocodiles and manatees on a 3-hour journey over seagrass beds and along the mangrove-fringed shoreline. Provide your own boat, or rent one at a discounted rate. For canoe rentals call 305-230-1100. Aside from rentals, the trips are free and kid friendly.
For more info call 305-230-7275. www.nps.gov/bisc 

National Park Week Boat Trips
Mon. April 19 – Fri. April 23
One, 3-hour trip daily at 10 a.m.
Biscayne National Park
9700 SW 328th Street, Homestead
Celebrate National Park Week with special prices on ranger-guided boat trips across Biscayne Bay to one of the northern Keys. Kid friendly. All seats are $25. Space is limited; reservations are required. For more info call 305-230-1100. www.nps.gov/bisc/

National Geographic BioBlitz
Friday and Saturday April 30 and May 1, continuous from Noon to Noon
Biscayne National Park
9700 SW 328th Street, Homestead.
Join teams of scientists on a 24-hour quest to count as many living things as possible within Biscayne National Park! Advanced reservations required for survey teams; Celebrate Biodiversity Festival begins at Noon on May 1 with lectures, activities, music and more! Kid friendly, partially accessible. FREE, but Reservations required.
For further info call 305-230-7275 www.nps.gov/bisc

Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Trust Tours
4020 Virginia Beach Drive
Virginia Key Beach, once accessible only by boat, was established in 1945 as the only public beach for the “exclusive use of Negroes” in Dade County. In 1982 the city of Miami closed the park and it remained so until 1999. Citizens then formed The Virginia Key Beach Park Task Force in response to plans for private development of the property. In 2002 Historic Virginia Key Beach Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Walking tours of the renovated venues celebrate the distinct cultural and ecological past of this tropical paradise.  FREE.  www.VirginiaKeybeachpark.net, 305-960-4600 to arrange a tour.