On our recent trip to Miami, we headed to a corner of town we had heard a lot about. The Wynwood Art District is incredibly unique. About 50 city blocks of walls, known as Wynwood Walls, filled with murals and graffiti by all types of artists make up this growing area. Around every corner you would find a different hip eatery or specialty shop that you simply wouldn’t expect.
Our favorite part of this adventure? It was completely free! When we travel, we always try to pinch pennies where we can. Finding an incredible spot like Wynwood Walls with no charge associated made us love it even more. We put together 4 tips for your next trip to Wynwood Walls:
1. Get there early (there are a few reasons why!)
- Parking can get crowded. Download the “Pay by Phone” app in advance so you can be prepared.
- The heat! You probably went to Miami to enjoy the sun but it can get very hot. Getting there early can help you avoid the worst of it.
- Beat the crowds to the art! The longer we stayed, the busier everything got. It made it more difficult to get good pictures without strangers in them.
2. Give Yourself Time
The wynwood walls are incredible, but can be totally overwhelming! According to the app, there are over 200+ murals and they are all spread out. 2 hours is the least amount of time I would recommend. You really have two options to explore the area. The first is to wander around (which is what we did!) and take it all in. We liked this because we didn’t feel rushed at all and could really enjoy the artwork. The second is to plan in advance (which we wished we had done at least a little bit!). This would’ve given us an opportunity to take a tour, which I think we would’ve loved. (check next tip!) Besides the artwork, there are some specialty shops such as Walt Grace Vintage Cars & Guitars that has vintage cars and guitars (Sweet!) and one-off shops like the popular No Bull sneakers we see all over the internet. Make sure you have time to check some of those out too!
3. Consider a Tour
This website offers tours starting at $20! Looking back, we wish we had done this. Having someone guide us through the different artists would have given us a cheap and informative in-depth view of the art. You could also give yourself a free guided tour using the free app called Wynwood Tour Guide that gives you more information on each piece and the artists. The map portion of the app was a little difficult to use, but the information is solid.
—Bonus tip: the app also gives you the businesses and eateries in the area so you can plan out your day!
—Foodie Bonus: Check out the Wynwood Food Tour done by Miami Culinary Tours. Because, who doesn’t want to eat their way through great restaurants? At $69, this could be a great way to see the artwork AND eat incredible food.
4. Be comfortable
You will do a lot of walking to see everything Wynwood Walls has to offer and again, the heat can get to you. Bring some water and wear comfy shoes! Plus, if you’re planning to be in photos wearing solid colors will help you stand out against the artwork (a memo we totally missed!)
If you’re headed to Wynwood and found this information helpful make sure to tag us! We would love to see your photos and adventures in the sunshine state!
Cheers to chasing our compass!
-Mandy & Jackie
