Freedom Tower

About Freedom Tower

The Freedom Tower is one of Miami's most recognizable and historically significant landmarks, standing prominently on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami. Built in 1925 as the headquarters of the Miami Daily News, the Mediterranean Revival tower was modeled after the Giralda bell tower in Seville, Spain. In the 1960s, the building took on its most famous role as the processing center for Cuban refugees fleeing Fidel Castro's regime, earning it the nickname "Ellis Island of the South." Over 650,000 Cuban exiles were processed through its doors, receiving medical aid, documentation, and resettlement assistance. Today the Freedom Tower is a National Historic Landmark and houses rotating art exhibitions and cultural displays managed by Miami Dade College. The building is free to visit and offers a powerful connection to Miami's Cuban-American heritage and the immigration story that shaped the city. The tower is beautifully illuminated at night and is a popular photography subject on the Miami skyline.