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Resembling a plump lighthouse, this colorful tower (built 1924) was the work of Denman Fink, George Merrick’s uncle. Neglected for decades, it was fully restored in 1993 and, although no longer used, the tower’s elegant Moorish touches make it an intriguing piece of industrial architecture.

Originally built in 1133–41 in Segovia, Spain, this monastic building was bought by William Randolph Hearst in 1925 and shipped to New York. The parts were eventually reassembled here in 1952, though, curiously, a few pieces were left over.

The driving force behind the movement to save the Art Deco hotels (see The Story of Tropical Deco).

The unwary German visitor was murdered in 1993, tarnishing Miami’s tourism image.

Casualty of a “topical storm” over pedophilia in 2002.

Little Havana’s Eternal Flame and monument garden remembers those who died in the Bay of Pigs debacle, attempting to reclaim Cuba from leftist revolutionary forces in 1961 (see The Brigade 2506 Memorial on Cuban Memorial Boulevard).

An energetic developer in the early 1900s, Fisher was the first visionary owner of Miami Beach.

James Deering’s half-brother built this winter residence for himself on Biscayne Bay. The original 19th-century house, Richmond Cottage, was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but it’s been rebuilt and the entire estate refurbished since then, including the extraordinary Mediterranean-Revival mansion.

Controversial Seminole chief who brought wealth to his tribe in the 1980s, by building casinos on reservations.