Downtown Miami

What is that torch along the bay in downtown Miami? Get the backstory

By Miami Herald Archives
The Torch of Friendship at Bayfront Park in Miami.
The Torch of Friendship at Bayfront Park in Miami. C.W. Griffin Miami Herald File

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Get the backstory

If you ever wondered about a landmark or how a place came to be, it likely has some history in South Florida. Check out this series to get the answers. 

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Located in the middle of downtown Miami, the Torch of Friendship is seen by many as a symbol of international freedom.

In the summer of 1989, for instance, a group of Amnesty International members gathered at the site to protest the killing of student demonstrators in China. Through the years, the site has served as a place for organized protests of foreign political policies, as well as ceremonies, vigils and political rallies and protests, including the recent “No Kings” anti-Trump gatherings..

The torch is near Bayfront Park and Bayside Marketplace in the 300 block of Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami.

A plaque at the Torch of Friendship reads: “Dedicated by the City of Miami to the everlasting friendship of our neighboring countries.”

The torch was lit for the first time on Oct. 26, 1960, after City Manager Melvin Reese came up with the idea of an ever-burning torch to symbolize the brotherhood between the U.S. and nearby Latin American countries.

“This represents the eternal warmth of friendship between all the people of the U.S. and the people of Latin America,” said Miami Mayor Robert King High as he flicked the switch that turned on the torch.

The continuously burning torch.
The continuously burning torch. C.W. Griffin Miami Herald File

On Nov. 29, 1963, the name was changed to the Kennedy Torch of Friendship, in honor of the assassinated president.

During the gas shortage of the late ‘1970s, the torch was extinguished temporarily to calm irate drivers who had to spend hours in gasoline lines and then drove by to see the torch burning freely. It was relit three weeks later.

A worker relights Torch of Friendship after it had been turned off for the connection of a new gas line at the nearby Bayfront Park marina.
A worker relights Torch of Friendship after it had been turned off for the connection of a new gas line at the nearby Bayfront Park marina. Joe Schuppe Miami Herald File
People place a wreath at the torch site.
People place a wreath at the torch site. Battle Vaughan Miami Herald File
In a protest, people in 1974 backed their rented truck into the Torch of Friendship over the possible renewal of relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
In a protest, people in 1974 backed their rented truck into the Torch of Friendship over the possible renewal of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Miami Herald File
In 1961, Cuban exile women participate in the Hunger March around the Torch of Friendship, going without food or water in protest of Fidel Castro.
In 1961, Cuban exile women participate in the Hunger March around the Torch of Friendship, going without food or water in protest of Fidel Castro. Miami Herald File
In 1964, Miami City Commissioner Steve Clark, right, presents a city key to Capt. Jorge Cardenes Ramirez, leader of a visiting group of Peruvian Cadets.
In 1964, Miami City Commissioner Steve Clark, right, presents a city key to Capt. Jorge Cardenes Ramirez, leader of a visiting group of Peruvian Cadets. Miami Herald File

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Get the backstory

If you ever wondered about a landmark or how a place came to be, it likely has some history in South Florida. Check out this series to get the answers. 

Back to Story