5 Best Museums Miami

Why it made the list: Miami's flagship art museum, in a stunning Herzog & de Meuron building right on Biscayne Bay, hanging gardens draped over a breezy veranda, modern and contemporary art inside, and a bayfront terrace that's a destination in itself. The best pairing of architecture, art and setting in the city.

Why it made the list: A four-building science campus on the bay next to PAMM, a striking cone-shaped aquarium you view from above and below, a full planetarium, and hands-on exhibits about the Everglades, the ocean and the human body. The best family museum in Miami, and genuinely fun for adults.

Why it made the list: One of the largest and most influential private contemporary art collections in America, in a huge converted warehouse complex in Allapattah, the Rubell family championed artists like Keith Haring, Basquiat and Kara Walker early, and the museum shows contemporary work at a scale and quality few institutions match.

Why it made the list: South Beach's contemporary art museum, in a beautiful 1930s Art Deco building a block from the ocean, bold, playful, of-the-moment exhibitions (think large-scale, Instagram-famous installations) in a compact, well-curated space. The easiest art stop if you're based on the Beach.

Why it made the list: The Institute of Contemporary Art in the Design District, and it's completely free. Three floors of ambitious contemporary and emerging art, plus a lovely sculpture garden out back, in a sharp metallic building that fits its luxury-district setting. One of the best free things to do in Miami.