Mediterranean marshmallow
Two blocks from South Beach, in the middle of the historic Art Deco District, sits a seven-story Mediterranean white cube with gold trimmings that resembles an enormous, extravagant marshmallow. Mitchell Wolfson Jr.’s warehouse-turned-museum is the city’s most eccentric collection of tchotchkes and masterpieces alike, featuring items ranging from a pre-war German coffeemaker to a self-portrait of Spanish painter Federico Castellon. Inside, a visual history of modern international society is displayed floor by floor.
For most of its existence, what’s now the Wolfsonian was the Washington Storage Company, a place where Miami Beach’s wealthy kept their valuables during the summer months when they headed back north. Wolfson stored many of his unique objects in the facility, eventually occupying over 90 percent of its space. He finally bought the building, transforming it into a showcase for his diverse collection.
Info
Address 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, +1 305.531.1001, www.wolfsonian.org | Hours Mon-Tue, Thu, Sat 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-9pm, Sun noon-6pm| Tip Punctuate a day at this eclectic museum with some equally eclectic Colombian fare at La Perrada de Edgar (6976 Collins Ave). Order up one of their whacky hot dogs, like the Edgar Special, topped with mozzarella cheese, various fruits, and whipped cream.
A shimmering fountain greets visitors at the end of the entryway, with water slowly spilling out from underneath a magnificent depression-era window grille. Standing roughly 15 feet high, it’s fit with gold flowers and green-painted leaves, built from more than 100 glazed terra-cotta tiles. The walls flanking the fountain read “Lo and behold” on one side and “Mira & ve” on the other, foreshadowing the museum’s tone right off the bat. To the left of the fountain, a grand elevator with a vintage floor indicator becomes your chauffeur to the upstairs galleries.
The evolution of technology in the modern era is featured throughout the museum, but all exhibits are fleeting. One weekend you might find early 20th-century typewriters, cash registers, radios, and televisions on the fifth floor. Return another day, and you’ll discover political propaganda posters from 1970s Afghanistan. Its collection is just like the city it represents: eclectic and constantly changing.
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