During our trip to Miami a few months ago, we made it a priority to explore Wynwood some more. Most of the Miami hotels are not near Wynwood, so I have tended to stick to the beach side when in the area.
However, I’m here to tell you that it is definitely worth the drive over! Judging by the amount of people there, I’m not the first to figure out that there are so many things to do in Wynwood.
Table of Contents
#1 See the Murals – The Most Obvious Of The Things To Do In Wynwood
If you are going to Wynwood, you will see the murals everywhere! Pretty much every building in the area is covered in colorful art of all sorts of tastes. It really is a spectacle to see bright pinks and purples all down the road.
You should definitely plan to walk around for a while and admire the different designs. We walked around the area twice during our trip for at least an hour each time and still didn’t see half of all the art! And so much of it is so unique!
You will see everything from cutesy characters to abstract art to R-rated designs to unique sculptures. There’s something for every taste here so spend some time exploring.
It’s pretty interesting to see how the graffiti transformed the area. In the mid-2000’s, a group of art dealers noticed the stunning graffiti in the area and decided to make a gallery out of it. Since then, the area has attracted flocks of visitors and new art is constantly being created.
It was actually a struggling area for decades and some parts still are. The gentrification of Wynwood is a big debate, but there’s no doubt that the murals are an amazing sight for visitors to see.
I recommend parking in the Wynwood Garage, as it’s relatively cheap and near the center of the area. From there you can walk down 26th and 25th street to see the main murals. There is also a mural park near here with some of the favorites.
You can take a paid tour, but I don’t think it’s necessary unless you really want to learn more about the art. It’s pretty easy to find information about specific murals by just googling them.
We were able to see so many murals without doing a tour. Here are some of my favorites.
#2 Check Out The Local Breweries
Miami Beach is seriously lacking in breweries, but luckily Wynwood has plenty to try! As you are strolling the area admiring the art, you can stop in to one of the many breweries and try a flight of beer. It definitely livens up your walk in my opinion.
There are currently four breweries in Wynwood and they all are excellent. While in Wynwood, you can visit:
- Concrete Beach Brewery
- J. Wakefield Brewing
- Wynwood Brewing Company
- Veza Sur Brewing Co.
We made it to Concrete Beach and J. Wakefield on this visit. We started at Concrete Beach and hung out in the expansive outdoor patio with a flight of beer. They usually have at least fifteen beers on tap that you can order as pints, growlers or in a flight for $10.
The core beers at Concreate Beach Brewery are the Stiltsville Pilsner, the Havana Lager and the Sola IPA. These are solid, crisp beers that are very drinkable on a hot Miami day.
They also have a lot of inventive options like the Rose Ale Rum Barrel Aged Doppleback and the briney Mussels from Brussels Belgian Quad that actually contains mussels!
Next we went to J. Wakefield, which is a Star Wars themed brewery! The walls feature scenes from the movie and there are so many fun references. If you are a Star Wars fan, this brewery should be at the top of your list.
The only negative of it, is there’s not a ton of seating room and we had a hard time balancing our flights while trying to find somewhere to sit. Eventually we found a picnic table outside next to a giant Darth Vader mural!
The core beers here include the Hops 4 Teacher IPA, the El Jefe Hefeweizen and the Amber Waves Amber Ale. We really like their seasonal IPA’s like the Hurricane Warning New England IPA that features tons of juicy hops and the lemony Nuzzle Session IPA.
The beers are on the expensive side here at $3 to $6 for 5 ouncers and $6-$12 for a pint and they do offer crowlers as well. This is nothing in comparison to bar prices in Miami Beach though!
We did not make it to the other two breweries, but we will definitely be back to try them! I have tried Wynwood Brewing Co’s Wyntoberfest before and was pretty impressed, and the rest of their beer sounds great as well.
Veza Sur is also known for their Latin American inspired beer, as well as an on-site Peruvian food truck, so stop there if you want something to eat with your beer. Although you may want to save your appetite for the next two things to do in Wynwood.
#3 Try the Famous Japanese Ice Cream
Of all the things to do in Wynwood, my favorite was getting ice cream from Taiyaki NYC Miami. This place is internationally renowned for their fished shaped waffle cones filled with red bean paste and topped with soft serve ice cream.
All their cones comes with adorable designs from little umbrellas to a unicorn horn!
Taiyaki translates to “fried fish”, but is commonly found in Japan as a fish shaped cake filled with red bean paste. This is a sweet almost jam like substance that’s in lots of pastries.
You can order your ice cream without it, but I recommend getting it for the full experience! It added a nice contrast to the ice cream and complimented the waffle cone.
You can build your own cone or get one of the signature menu items like we did. I got the Tropic Like It’s Hot which had pineapple ice cream, a drizzle of condensed milk, coconut flakes and a co*cktail umbrella!
As a Disney World fan, it kills me to say this, but this was even better than a dole whip! It was the perfect amount of sweet and sour and just looked adorable!
Andrew went with the Straight Outta Japan which had green tea and black sesame swirled ice cream along with a rainbow mochi and wafer stick! This was by far the most unique ice cream either of us had tasted and we both loved it. The ice cream is light and airy, but still so satisfying.
All the cones go for $7 or $8 and they also have match and shakes for $6. Other places in Florida are starting to catch on to the Taiyaki trend (including Yesake in Disney Springs), but you don;t want to miss this iconic location.
#4 Start The Day With Brunch
Wynwood checks many of the boxes for trendy things to do, so of course there are tons of brunch places. I actually did not realize this ahead of time and was kind of sad that we had already ate. When I go back, I’m definitely going to get a tasty brunch before exploring the murals.
Some of the most beloved brunch places include R House, which has a Sunday Drag brunch and the insaenely photogenic Beaker & Gray. The Wynwood Diner is another fun place with it’s churro waffles and Frose 10 co*cktail.
The options are endless though and most restaurants have a patio perfect for people watching and enjoying the weather!
On our last day in Miami, we did spend the morning in Wynwood after checking out of The Confidante. It was New Years Day, so brunch didn’t start until later and we opted to dine at Zak the Baker instead.
This is a well known bakery with delicious breads pastries and a few breakfast and lunch options. If you want a more low key morning, you could go here and grab some coffee at Panther Coffee like we did.
Know Before You Go
Wynwood is one of the spots on my 101 Things to do in Florida Bucket List, so obviously I think it’s a must visit! Compared to the rest of Miami, it’s an affordable spot and there’s just so many unique sights to see.
Even with murals popping up all of Floirda, this is the neighborhood that started it all. Here’s everything to know for your visit.
- The Wynwood Art district is mainly between 22nd street and 29th street.
- Paid street parking is available, but I find it easiest to park in the Wynwood garage.
- There’s a lot to see, so wear shows that are comfortable for walking.
- Ubers from Miami Beach to Wynwood are around $15-$20.
- There aren’t any hotels in the area, but Airbnbs are popping up frequently.
- Most restaurants get busy here so either arrive early or try and make a reservation on weekends.
What’s your favorite city for seeing murals? There are so many great places to in Florida but I especially loved looking around Wynwood!
