Freedom Tower
Welcome to Freedom Tower, the Miami Dade College associated Museum of Art and Design AND Miami Cuban American Museum. This contemporary art museum is located on Biscayne Blvd and was first designed in 1924 by Schultze and Weaver, the architect being George A. Fuller. Originally this building served as the Miami News headquarters, today being one of South Florida’s most distinctive historic buildings. Besides being a newspaper office the Freedom Tower was also a reception center for Cuban refugees from 1962 to 1974, playing a highly important role in Cuban and American history. Inside you will see art exhibits of Cuban immigrants as well as learn the story of the resettlement of the Cubans during the Cold War.
The tower itself is a cupola on a 255-foot tower that is itself contained in a decorative beacon. The MDC'S Freedom Tower is dedicated to visual arts and exhibits/programs regarding Cuban American history. Located on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the National Historic Landmark list, this Mediterranean Revival Style structure has borrowed design elements from the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain. Be sure to check out all the art inside this "Ellis Island of the South;" in the past, the tower has seen showcases of Dali, Goya, and even Da Vinci, as well as important cultural events such as Marco Rubio's presidential campaign announcement. If the striking architectural detail of this octagonal tower and richly ornamented facade doesn’t truly impress your group, the 40 foot New World Mural surely will!
