Flamingos have called Miami Springs home on and off since the 1920’s when Glenn Curtiss added them to the collection of exotic birds at his estate(now The Curtiss Mansion). After Curtiss’s death in 1930 Lena Curtiss, his widow married H. Sayre Wheeler. The Wheeler’s kept the flamingos at the estate until Lena’s death in 1951. The flamingos were still being kept at the estate when Glenn Curtiss Jr. sold the property to Art Bruns and Percy Gardiner in 1953 who transformed the estate into the Miami Springs Villas. Flamingos remained at the Villas into at least the 1970’s.
Recently the entire flamboyant of over 100 flamingos at Hialeah Park have been arriving every night at “Flamingo Lake” (the clay pit) in Miami Springs just after sunset. This is directly across the street from Miami Springs High School. They return to Hialeah Park before sunrise each morning. The photos show the flamingos in “Lake Flamingo” on
Dec 21.
A 1937 New Year party invitation to the Wheeler’s estate(formerly the Curtis estate), a 1950s photo of the flamingos at the Miami Springs Villas, and a flamingo on Lawn Way on Dec 6th.
Visit the Miami Springs Historical Society and Museum The Miami Springs Historical Society is located at 501 East Drive in Miami Springs.
Miami Springs Historical Society Museum
Address:
501 East Drive
Miami Springs, FL 33166
Directions:
From the Palmetto, exit at NW 36th Street and head East on NW 36th Street. Continue East on NW 36th Street and make a left hand turn (North) on East Drive. Continue North until you reach 501 East Drive.
From I-95, take I-95 to State Road 112 Westbound. Exit State Road 112 at NW 36th Street. Continue west on NW 36th Street until you reach East Drive. Make a right hand turn at East Drive (North). Continue North on East Drive until you reach 501 East Drive.
From Hialeah, take Okeechobee Road until you reach East 4th Avenue. Turn south on East 4th Avenue and cross the bridge into Miami Springs. Take the center lane and continue south onto East Drive. You’ll see Stafford Park on your left hand side and then the entrance to the Museum Parking lot at 501 East Drive.
Map to the Miami Springs Historical Society
Miami Springs Historical Museum Hours
The Museum is open each Saturday (except Christmas & New Years) from 12 Noon to 4 pm.
Entrance is FREE!
Donations are welcome.
