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This is the sumptuous Coconut Grove villa of industrialist James Deering, a Golden Age Elton John with a magpie’s instinct for collecting.
For the first 20 minutes, visitors should wander the Hearst Castle–like interiors, a mash-up of European antiques and fixtures. Then, in the next 25 minutes, dawdle in the gardens, now often host to contemporary art exhibitions. Don’t miss the mermaid-adorned waterfront barge that sits in front, designed by Sterling Calder, father of mobile designer Alexander. “When it was done, Deering complained to Calder that the female figures were too well endowed,” says museum executive director Joel Hoffman, “and requested they be rendered more modest.” At 3251 S. Miami Ave.; vizcaya.org.
