Tours, Classes & Programs
The Deering Estate at Cutler offers a variety of enriching community education classes in a relaxing atmosphere and a beautiful, historic setting. Class sizes are limited and registration closes 48 hours before the start of each session. To register with a credit card, please call the Ticket Office at (305) 235-1668 ext 233.
Regular tours of the natural areas and historic buildings are offered daily by our Education and Interpretive Staff and are free with admission. Specialty tours, such as the Nite Hike, Architecture Tour, Bird Walk, Butterfly Walk, Tekesta Trail Tour, and the Pine Rockland Tour are offered once a month and are also free with admission. A variety of EcoAdventure Tours are available for an additional fee. The Education and Interpretive Staff is a highly trained group of individuals who are dedicated in preserving and interpreting the invaluable resources found at the Estate. While reservations are not required, large groups and groups with special requests are encouraged to book their tours in advance to better accommodate particular interests and needs.
In addition to our regularly scheduled tours and activities, our Education and Interpretive Staff specialize in customized tour programs for individuals, groups or corporate outings by request. Our private tours offer you, your colleagues and friends the opportunity to explore the Deering Estate at Cutler and surrounding area in the company of experienced naturalists and guides. Because of the specialized nature of these tours, we suggest reserving your activity at least three weeks in advance.
Historic House Tour
Daily, 10:30 am & 3:00 pm
This tour begins on the front porch of the Richmond Cottage.
Free with admission to the Estate
After Charles Deering's death in 1927, the mysterious Deering Estate sat for nearly six decades, frozen in time. The houses were immaculately maintained and filled with fine art and antiques, now in private collections and museums worldwide, but virtually unoccupied. Join one of our Education and Interpretive Staff Members on a guided tour to hear the amazing history of the Richmond Cottage, the first hotel between Coconut Grove and Key West, and the Stone House, a tiny piece of Deering’s beloved Barcelona on Biscayne Bay.
Natural Areas Tour
Daily, 12:30 pm (Seasonal: October through May)
This tour begins on the front porch of the Richmond Cottage.
Free with admission to the Estate
Join one of our Education and Interpretive Staff Members and walk in the footsteps of Florida’s first peoples. Hike through a lush forest of tropical hardwood trees and clinging vines down the Native American footpath that, near the end of the nineteenth century, would become the first Cutler Road/Ingram Highway. Along the way visit the Cutler Burial Mound and Cutler Creek, where work is currently underway to restore historic water flow throughout the park. Comfortable walking shoes and insect repellent are recommended for this one-and-a-half mile excursion.
Night Hike
3rd Thursday of the month (Seasonal: October through May)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Free with admission to the Estate
Walking down the tropical hardwood hammock trail at dusk takes on a whole new meaning to the exploration of our natural areas. This hike offers the visitor a rare opportunity to view the woods and it’s wildlife as it comes to life at night. A Deering Education and Interpretive Staff Member will guide you through the trail to the Tequesta burial mound where they will provide interesting facts about the Tequesta Indians. Listen for great horned owls and eastern screech-owls along the way. Recommended for ages 9 and older.
Book Nook by the Bay
3rd Saturday of the month: July 17; August 21, September 18, October 16, November 20 & December 18
10 am - 1 pm
Free with admission to the Estate
Held on the third Saturday of each month, join us for “Book Nook by the Bay” where the Estate's Eco-Brigade, volunteer Junior Naturalists from Students Offering Support and volunteers/staff from our partner organizations open the rich resources of the Estate to the public for family story time, on-site eco-arts and crafts, science programs and more! Each month, the Estate offers to the public an environmentally themed topic, story-time and a host of activities.
Artist Village Open Studio Tour
3rd Saturday of the month (Seasonal: October through May)
11:30 am
Free with admission to the Estate
Through exhibits and artist studios, the Artist Village located at the Deering Estate at Cutler tells America's story of contemporary artistic creation as well as the history, science, and art of traditional American fine craft. Lead by the Educational and Interpretive Staff, as well as the Estate’s own Artists in Residence, discover the cultural and architectural features of some of South Florida’s earliest buildings!
Tekesta Trail Tour
2nd Sunday of the Month (Seasonal: October through May)
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Free with admission to the Estate
This special walking tour introduces the public to the Tekesta – a Native American people who canoed the waters of Biscayne Bay and hunted on the high ground of the Miami Rock Ridge on the land known today as the Deering Estate at Cutler. Naturalists guide you through protected natural areas as you visit a Tekesta habitation site and a burial mound, walk an ancient Tekesta trail, and handle Tekesta artifacts, in the hopes of inspiring an interest in the Native Americans who lived in the Miami area before us, and a respect for a people and a way of life that vanished long ago.
Bird Walk
2nd Saturday of the month (Seasonal)
7:30 am - 10:30 am
Free with admission to the Estate
Join a Deering Education and Interpretive Staff Member in search of some of the Estate’s estimated 170 resident and migratory bird species. Watch for ibises, herons, egrets and other shorebirds in and around our shallow coastal waters. Spot migrating songbirds, including several types of warblers, vireos, and flycatchers, flitting through acres of pines, palms, mangroves, and tropical hardwoods. And don’t forget to look up to see raptors soaring high overhead or, perhaps, just in time to glimpse the swift flight of a White-crowned Pigeon.
Pine Rockland Trail Hike with Volunteer Naturalists - NEW!
1st Sunday of the Month (Seasonal: October - May)
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Free with admission to the Estate
There are approximately only 4000 acres left of Pine Rocklands in the world. The Deering Estate at Cutler preserves one of the largest blocks of these globally endangered habitats remaining in the United States. On this specialized tour, walk with the Estate’s naturalists among slash pines and an incredibly diverse understory of shrubby and herbaceous vegetation. You will see numerous endangered plant and animal species that live in this area - some are included on the federally endangered list.
Butterfly Walk
3rd Saturday of the month (Seasonal)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Free with admission to the Estate
Whether you’re looking to photograph the elusive Dingy Purplewing or just want to appreciate some of nature’s most delicate beauties, butterflies abound at the Deering Estate at Cutler. Walk with a Deering Education and Interpretive Staff Member along historic roads and trails, through sunny pineland, tree-shaded forest, manicured grounds and other habitats. Here you’ll encounter graceful Giant Swallowtails, lively Ruddy Daggerwings, rare Atalas, and other butterflies of all wondrous shapes, sizes, and colors.
Voices of the Past - Ghost Story Tour - NEW!
3rd Thursday of the month: October 21, November 18, December 16, January 20, February 17, March 17, April 21, & May 19
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
$15
Everyone loves A Great Ghost Story! Now you can have your own paranormal experience if you dare to join us. In partnership with the League of Paranormal Investigators, the Deering Estate at Cutler Educational and Interpretive Staff, Artists in Residence and community collaborators share the many “Voices of the Past” that have lived in our community. Learn about sightings and experiences from the actual paranormal investigation of the Deering Estate and see for yourself the evidence recorded on video, photographs and audio during the ongoing investigation of Miami's most haunted property!
For private tours, your own overnight paranormal experience or for advanced purchase tickets, please call the Deering Estate Ticket Office at 305-235-1668 ext. 233.