Miami, FL — Vizcaya Museum and Gardens has entered a transformative new chapter with a landmark $20 million philanthropic gift from Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, marking one of the most significant cultural investments in Miami’s history. The contribution will advance Vizcaya’s long-term master plan and fund the creation of a new Center for Learning and Discovery at Vizcaya Village, reimagining the historic property as a vibrant hub for education, creativity, and community engagement.
The Center for Learning and Discovery will be located within Vizcaya Village’s restored courtyard and four original structures—once home to barns and stables—and will feature educational programs for students, families, and visitors. Offerings will include hands-on artmaking, sustainability workshops, and urban agriculture experiences. This initiative builds on Vizcaya’s century-old mission to connect people with history, art, and the environment, positioning it as one of South Florida’s preeminent cultural destinations.
In addition to the $20 million capital investment, Griffin and Vizcaya are pursuing an extraordinary opportunity to relocate and open Villa Serena—the 1913 home of former U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan—to the Vizcaya Village campus. The proposal includes a $5 million endowment to preserve and maintain the home in perpetuity. If approved by Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami, and other regulatory entities, this relocation would make Villa Serena publicly accessible for the first time in 111 years, uniting two historic estates built by contemporaries who helped define early 20th-century Miami.
“This is a transformative moment for Vizcaya,” said Joel Hoffman, Executive Director and CEO of Vizcaya. “Ken Griffin’s extraordinary $20 million gift will accelerate our vision for Vizcaya Village as a center for education, history, and community engagement. The potential to bring Villa Serena into that story makes this moment even more meaningful.”
Griffin added, “Vizcaya’s vision for a vibrant Village will connect Miami to its remarkable past and inspire what’s possible for its future. Its expansion will bring history to life in new ways, sparking curiosity, creativity, and connection across our community.”
Griffin’s contributions will catalyze Vizcaya’s next fundraising campaign, enabling the museum to restore and enhance historic buildings, expand public programming, and strengthen its role as an educational and cultural anchor in Miami. The proposed relocation of Villa Serena would also ensure the preservation of another historic landmark while creating new spaces for dialogue, learning, and civic connection.
As part of its broader master plan, Vizcaya has been collaborating with acclaimed preservation and landscape architects Beyer Blinder Belle, Nelson Byrd Woltz, and Heritage Landscapes. The plan includes restoring historic structures and gardens, expanding community-based initiatives, and developing “The Field,” an edible garden honoring Vizcaya’s agricultural roots. These efforts reflect the museum’s renewed purpose as it enters its second century—honoring Miami’s heritage while shaping its cultural future.
If approved, Villa Serena will be relocated just blocks from its current site to a prominent entry point at Vizcaya Village, where it will become a publicly owned asset of Miami-Dade County, managed by Vizcaya. Griffin’s $5 million endowment will fund its long-term preservation, programming, and operations without relying on taxpayer dollars. The relocation will be overseen by a team of nationally recognized preservation architects, engineers, and conservators to ensure the home’s historic integrity is carefully maintained.
The unification of Villa Serena and Vizcaya would bring together the legacies of James Deering and William Jennings Bryan—two visionaries whose influence shaped Miami’s early identity. Once complete, Vizcaya Village will emerge as a world-class cultural campus, inviting residents and visitors to explore Miami’s history through immersive experiences that blend education, preservation, and community engagement.
Originally built between 1914 and 1922 as the winter estate of industrialist James Deering, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a National Historic Landmark welcoming nearly 400,000 visitors annually. The 50-acre estate encompasses formal gardens, native forests, and waterfront vistas, while the restored Vizcaya Village—across South Miami Avenue—now hosts a weekly farmers market and the Village Café. This new chapter, fueled by Griffin’s unprecedented commitment, cements Vizcaya’s role as one of Miami’s most cherished and forward-looking cultural treasures.
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