The Coral Gables Museum is a public/private partnership between the City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Museum Corp., a non-profit formed in 2003 to guide and operate the Museum. Gallery spaces, a community room, museum and city offices, the city’s archives and a research library will be housed in the Gables’ original Police and Fire Station at 285 Aragon Avenue. The 1939 coral rock structure, designed by architect Phineas Paist, was a WPA project and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In addition to the restored historic space, a new 3000 square foot gallery and a 5000 square foot public plaza will be integrated into the Museum complex.

Since the initial discussions to bring a Museum to the City Beautiful, many initiatives, ideas and plans have been considered, accepted and amended. Construction teams, historic preservationists, engineers, architects, curators and museum managers are some of the professionals who have been consulted during the planning phase. Our finished product, the Coral Gables Museum, with its beautiful gallery spaces, community meeting room, courtyard and plaza will serve as the cultural epicenter of the City Beautiful. Set to open in 2010, the Museum is the culmination of several years of work and dedication from your Museum Board of Directors, the City of Coral Gables and its fine employees, and contracted professionals as mentioned above. Our architectural firm, Jorge L. Hernandez Architects, has been outstanding; thanks to their knowledge and expertise, the Museum will integrate green building practices and represent the first locally and federally designated historic building in the entire country to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.

It is the absolute goal of the Coral Gables Museum Corp. to create a facility of which all Coral Gables residents can be very proud; integrating design principles that both embrace our City’s history and ensure that the Museum remains culturally and architecturally significant for generations to come.