The Deering Estate: Tourist for a Day

The Deering Estate

Guess what. There are a lot of places in South Florida that I’ve never visited, even though I’ve lived here most of my life. Join me as I explore my beautiful hometown as a native tourist.

The Deering Estate at Cutler
16701 S.W. 72nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33157
305-235-1668
www.deeringestate.com
3.5 Stars

This past weekend, since the sun was shining and the weather was perfect, I packed up my bag and went sightseeing. My original stop was to be the Thalatta Estate in Palmetto Bay, but as is custom in Miami, it was closed for a private event. Since Palmetto Bay is almost an hour’s drive from my house, I wasn’t going to leave without seeing something. Thankfully, a few minutes up the road was the Deering Estate at Cutler.

The Stone House, Deering Estate

At a Glance

Charles Deering was a prominent Chicago businessman in the late 1800s/early 1900s, who made his money the old-fashioned way: through inheritance and successfully leading the family business, Deering Harvester and later the International Harvester Co. A  Renaissance man, Deering was also a formal naval officer, a painter, a world traveler, a preservationist, and a generous patron of the arts.

He bought the property in the town of Cutler, Florida, in 1916 as a winter retreat. In 1922, The Stone House was completed, and Charles Deering retired here. (Meanwhile his younger brother James was busy completing Villa Vizcaya a few miles north in Coconut Grove.) In 1985, the state of Florida and Miami-Dade County bought Charles Deering’s property after his last surviving heir passed away.

The Deering Estate at Cutler Bay is now being used as a nature preserve and park, art gallery and studio space, and event space.

View from the Deering Estate

Pros

  • The most spectacular feature of the estate is the gorgeous view of Biscayne Bay.
  • A stroll down the Mangrove Boardwalk is both eerie and awesome.
  • Charles Deering’s obsession with fire-proofing his home led to some crafty architectural details.
  • If you’re a fan of Old Florida or Mediterranean revival architecture, the Deering Estate is right up your alley.

Deering Estate Living Room

Cons

  • While the houses are beautiful, they’re practically bare. In the decades after his death, the Deering family gradually moved out the original furnishings and artwork, which takes some of the charm away from the houses. It would have been nice to see how Deering would have actually lived.
  • My guide, who also leads the ghost tours, was nice but a bit spacey and not very knowledgeable about the estate.

Tips

  • Skip the guided house tour, which covers only the first floor of the homes and the wine cellar. Take the literature and go exploring on your own.
  • If you have the time, don’t forget to take a stroll over to the cheerfully painted Chinese Bridge or the People’s Dock.

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