The Wolfsonian–Florida International University
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Wolfsonian–FIU is a museum, library, and research center in Miami Beach, Florida, dedicated to illustrating the persuasive power of art and design through its extensive collection.
Planning your visit
Mitchell Wolfson Jr. collected the material culture of 1885 to 1945 — the period in which industrial production, mass politics and modern design converged — and gave the result to Florida International University in 1997.
The argument the museum makes is that design persuades. Fascist and Soviet propaganda, American New Deal imagery, world's fair displays, advertising, industrial products and architectural fragments sit together to show how objects carry ideology, and that framing makes it one of the more intellectually serious design museums anywhere.
The collection runs to around 200,000 objects with a research library attached.
The building is a 1927 storage warehouse in Miami Beach, whose original tenants stored the possessions of wealthy seasonal residents, and the ornate entrance holds a reassembled Deco fountain.
South Beach's Art Deco district is the context and the walking tours cover it. Allow two hours. Current availability is shown below.
Before you book
Where is The Wolfsonian–Florida International University?
The Wolfsonian–Florida International University is in Miami Beach, United States.
How long should I allow for The Wolfsonian–Florida International University?
Allow two hours. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book The Wolfsonian–Florida International University in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.