7 Historic Indigenous Sites Across South Florida

Long before the advent of the high-rises, luxury shopping, and trendy restaurants that define much of Miami today, South Florida was home to the Indigenous Tequesta civilization. From roughly 500 BCE to the mid-1700s, the Tequesta people settled near the mouth of the Miami River and Biscayne Bay — in what is now known as Miami’s Brickell neighborhood — and built a thriving coastal society of skilled hunter-gatherers and fishers.

More than a dozen Indigenous tribes have called Florida home over the centuries, and South Florida is situated on the ancestral lands of the Tequesta, Seminole, and Miccosukee. Only two federally recognized tribes remain here today: the  Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

Though much of the region’s Indigenous history has been overlooked as a result of colonization and urban development, efforts to preserve and share it continue. Local museums, cultural centers, and historical sites across South Florida offer windows into the lives, traditions, and resilience of the region’s first communities, ensuring their culture and history endure for generations to come.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, here’s a list of places where you can learn more about South Florida’s Indigenous history:

Deering Estate

Once home to Paleo-Indians, Tequesta, Seminoles, Afro-Bahamians, and Anglo-Americans (at different times, of course), the Deering estate offers tours of areas where fossils dating as far back as 50,000 to 100,000 years have been discovered, as well as artifacts from the end of the Ice Age and others used by the Tequesta people. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Miami; 305-235-1668; deeringestate.org.

History Fort Lauderdale

From November 1 to 30, the museum will display “The Seminole Collection,” an exhibition showcasing Seminole art and artifacts from its archives. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 231 SW Second Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-463-4431; historyfortlauderdale.org.

HistoryMiami Museum

The downtown museum has two exhibits related to Native American history: “Tropical Dreams: A People’s History of South Florida,” which explores the region’s history from prehistoric times to the present day and features artifacts and fossils from Indigenous Miamians, and the temporary “Yakne Seminoli/Seminole World,” showcasing the work of more than 25 Seminole artists. The latter will remain on display through March 29, 2026. Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at 101 W. Flagler St., Miami; 305-375-1492; historymiami.org.

Miami Circle National Historical Landmark

This 2,000-year-old archaeological site and National Historical Landmark, situated at the mouth of the Miami River in downtown, is a 38-foot-diameter perfect stone circle created by the Tequesta people. Visitors can read about its significance on a plaque situated on a bed of limestone near the circle (or head over to HistoryMiami, where artifacts recovered from the site are stored and on display). 401 Brickell Ave., Miami.

Peace Mound Park

Built on a Tequesta burial ground, this eight-acre park in Weston features plaques throughout its grounds with information about the Indigenous peoples who once lived here. 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 1300 Three Village Rd., Weston; 954-389-4321; westonfl.org