Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Vizcaya was the winter home of James Deering. Deering was born in 1859 and gained his wealth through his family business, International Harvester. The firm, based in Chicago, was the leading producer of farming machinery in the United States. Deering took residence at Vizcaya on December 25, 1916 and spent winter seasons on the estate until his death in 1925. As a Community Data Curation grant partner, Vizcaya staff and FIU Public History interns are researching Vizcaya’s land origin story and developing a network of new relationships with South Florida’s local Indigenous communities. With new partners and community advisors, Vizcaya will co-create a land acknowledgment commitment and document community stories of land stewardship in the past, present and for the future. Vizcaya opened as a museum in 1953, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994 and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.