The Vault on the second floor of the Art Moderne, Alfred Dupont Building in downtown Miami.

The former Security/Capitol building from the Land Boom in 1920s Miami, now houses a contemporary gallery.

Miami is a young city, and many visitors and residents don’t realize the rich and interesting history found within the boundaries of Miami-Dade County. We’ve grown and we’ve grown fast.

Whether people have come to speculate, study the incredible natural surroundings, immigrate for a new chance, or hobnob with the rich and famous; Miami has, and does, have it all.

March and April are always Dade Heritage Days. Together with other like-minded historically-oriented organizations, the Dade Heritage Trust sponsors and highlights a wide variety of tours, guided walks, movies, special events and more.  You could keep busy practically every day with the selection available, learning about the fascinating history and characters of the area.

Each year, we try to make it to at least one different area of the county to explore.  This year we chose to attend a special event, the “Taste of Historic Downtown Miami.”  A progressive trip through Miami’s architectural heritage, we visited eight locations while sampling specialty cocktails, tasty snacks and listening to a smorgasbord of musical styles.  It was a typically beautiful April night, and a fun way to see how the buildings have been restored and re-purposed.

My favorite was La Epoca Department Store, an original Walgreen Drug Store from 1936 in the Streamline Moderne Style.  Once promoted as the largest in the chain, with an 88 foot soda fountain, the inside stills retains the dramatic feel and look of an ocean liner. Today this site is part of the Downtown Miami National Register Historic District.

We rounded out our weekend activities by participating in The Villagers Historic Hunt.  The Villagers is a volunteer group formed in 1966, dedicated to the restoration and preservation of historic sites in the area.  This year was their 25^th annual hunt and although we did not repeat any of our past winning efforts – we had a blast.

The theme was “Entertaining Miami” (which was also the theme of this year’s Dade Heritage Days), and the creative clues led us to 10 sites originally used as theaters, some well-known, some still in use as theaters. We traveled from the Lincoln Theater in Miami Beach (now an H&M store), through Miami and Coral Gables before finishing at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Coconut Grove.  Our team learned a few new things and had a lot of fun along the way.  The event is open to the public, with funds raised going to historic preservation.  Stay tuned next year for advance information and come join us!

To Learn More: For a downtown Historic walking tour, a map with key sites and information is available.  Contact the Downtown Development Authority or www.dwntwnartdays.com

The Lyric Theater was the centerpiece for Overtown’s “Little Broadway,” an after-hours hot-spot for African-American performers who were not allowed to stay in the “whites-only” hotels in which they performed. Entertainers like Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong, Nat “King” Cole, Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald and the Inkspots stayed and played in the once thriving Overtown neighborhood.

The Mediterranean Revival Style Gesu Church was built in 1925 on land donated by Henry Flagler. It houses Miami’s oldest Roman Catholic parish founded in 1896, and still operates with a daily mid-day Mass.

Bronze bas-relief elevator doors featuring Florida motifs are a highlight of the 1939, post-Depression Alfred Dupont building in downtown Miami.