The Bass Museum of Art houses everything from Renaissance to Contemporary art and it's just a few blocks from Miami Beach. 

The museum was founded in 1963 when just two people, husband and wife John and Johanna Bass, donated their collection to the City. With over 500 pieces the collection is one of the most comprehensive gifts of European art in the region. Sounds impressive right? Well, what sounds awesome to us art plebs started as a bit of a joke. I guess in their eagerness to put together a comprehensive collection the couple may have bought and thusly donated a few pieces of questionable origin. When the place opened they proudly displayed the Mona Lisa… yeah, THE Mona Lisa along with a few obvious fakes “by” El Greco and Botticelli just to name a few. How these fakes got past the Basses AND the museum curator I have no idea, but luckily they have been pruned out and visitors can be assured that anything on display is genuine. 

Though the museum got a bit of a rocky start it is now a staple of Miami Beach. In 2002, it doubled in size, adding large park areas and exhibition spaces. Rumors abound of a merger with North Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Art but legal issues and push back from the public have stalled negotiations. Until the merger you’ll just have to content yourself with the museum’s awesomely low admission ($8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $0 for kids and students), free lectures, free family days, symphonies, and educational programs. The museum itself will be closed until Fall of 2016 for renovations to make it even more fabulous, but they are still hosting a bunch of cool stuff around the community! Check the calendar on their website to get up to date info on all the cool activities at this Magic City museum.