South Florida

Ready for some Miami nostalgia? These 7 photo stories will take you back

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

Let's step back into Miami’s past.

Revisit Westchester’s shopping plazas and classic food spots like Bird Bowl and Arbetter’s.

Explore the changing faces of Miami’s old landmarks, including the Freedom Tower and the now-vanished Americana Hotel, and see how Coral Gables’ Miracle Mile has both preserved and changed over time.

Relive the rare day it snowed in Miami in 1977, a winter flash captured in reader memories and old headlines. Dive into South Beach’s transformation, complete with Art Deco buildings, neon lights and the clubs that brought it to life.

Joan Thompson of South Miami poses for her husband, Ferris, outside their home on the day after snow fell, Jan 20, 1977. The couple got up early hoping there would be a repeat of snow - but no luck. Note the frost on the windshield and that morning’s Miami Herald with the headline: “The day it snowed in Miami”. By Ferris Thompson

NO. 1: DID IT EVER SNOW IN MIAMI? TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS JANUARY DAY

It was a once-in-a-lifetime event for many people. | Published January 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

A welcome to the neighborhood sign in 1998. By Pedro Portal

NO. 2: WESTCHESTER USED TO LOOK LIKE THAT? SEE THE SHOPPING, HORSE TRACK AND RESTAURANTS

Several of the attractions are still open. | Published February 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

Thew Pelican hotel on Ocean Drive in 1992. By Randy Bazemore

NO. 3: YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE SOUTH BEACH IN THESE PHOTOS. TAKE A LOOK

The days before sidewalk cafes and model shoots. | Published February 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

In 1952, a car hop at Colonel Jim’s Tasty Thrill drive-in on the 79th Street Causeway in North Bay Village. The sign says “Blink Lights for Service.” By Bill Sanders

NO. 4: DO YOU REMEMBER THESE MIAMI RESTAURANTS? LUMS, WOLFIE’S, EL CID, MORE. TAKE A LOOK

Let’s open the photo album. | Published March 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

A 1950s premiere of “Return of October” at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables.

NO. 5: DO YOU REMEMBER THESE OLD MIAMI MOVIE THEATERS? SEE WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE BACK WHEN

They were like palaces. No multiplexes then. | Published March 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

The multi-purpose Coliseum in Coral Gables, which at one time had a bowling alley.

NO. 6: WHAT DID THE STREETS OF CORAL GABLES LOOK LIKE DECADES AGO? TAKE A LOOK

See how has the City Beautiful changed, and hasn’t changed, through the years. | Published April 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

The Dupont stood where the Royal Palm hotel was located in the Henry Flagler years.

NO. 7: MIAMI DIDN’T ALWAYS LOOK LIKE THIS. SEE 10 LANDMARKS — THEN AND NOW

Remember these sites in South Florida? | Published April 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.