Walk through the doors of Miami’s Freedom Tower together | Opinion

This month, we celebrated a homecoming — not just of bricks and mortar but of memory and meaning.

After years of careful restoration and reimagination, the Freedom Tower — our beloved “Ellis Island of the South” — reopened its doors as a museum and cultural center, stronger and more vibrant than ever.

For Miami, and for the generations who passed through its doors, this is more than a building. It is a symbol of resilience, freedom and hope.

When Cuban refugees fleeing the Castro regime arrived on our shores in the 1960s and ’70s, many were greeted first by the Freedom Tower.

Inside, they found aid, documentation and often their first taste of stability in a new land. To this day, it remains a beacon of Miami’s identity as a city built by immigrants, by risk-takers and by those who believe in liberty and the promise of America.

As mayor of Miami-Dade County, I am deeply proud to see this historic landmark restored and reimagined as a museum — not simply to preserve history but to engage with it.

The newly reopened Freedom Tower tells the stories of exile and survival, of families divided and reunited, of struggle, triumph and transformation. These stories are not relics of the past — they are alive in our streets, our neighborhoods, our schools and in the faces of those who make Miami-Dade their home.

The reopening of the museum could not come at a more important time. As the national dialogue on immigration, democracy and human rights continues, the Freedom Tower offers an opportunity for reflection and learning.

It invites each of us to ask: What kind of community do we want to be? How do we honor the sacrifices of those who came before us? How do we protect freedom — not just as a word but as a lived experience?

This transformation was made possible through the collaboration of local and state partners, historians, artists and — most importantly — the families and individuals whose stories now line the museum walls.

Thanks to Miami Dade College under the leadership of President Madeline Pumariega and through the generosity of Pedro Martin and his son David Martin, the Freedom Tower will be a grounding reminder of how democracy, faith, family and community live within Miami-Dade.

Let this reopening be more than a ribbon-cutting. Let it be a call to action — a call to teach our children the truth of our past, a call to welcome the stranger knowing that every newcomer brings something essential to the American story, and a call to stand up for the values that define us: liberty, dignity and justice for all.

The Freedom Tower stands once again, tall and proud against the Miami skyline — a monument not just to history but to the enduring spirit of freedom.

Let’s walk through its doors together.

Daniella Levine Cava is the mayor of Miami-Dade.

The Freedom Tower opens to the general public Wednesday, Oct. 15, Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $18.