Opa-locka Preservation Association

Home
United States
Opa-locka, FL
Opa-locka Preservation Association

Preserving the history, places, and stories of Opa-locka, Florida founded in 1926.

10/12/2026

Did you know that Opa-locka’s name has roots in the Seminole language?

Long before Opa-locka was founded in 1926, the land we call home was part of a landscape shaped by Indigenous peoples, including the Tequesta and, later, the Seminole.

Our city’s name is derived from Opa-tisha-wocka-locka, a Seminole place name commonly interpreted as “a big island covered with many trees and swamps.” The name reflects the natural landscape of South Florida before the development of the city we know today.

When aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss established Opa-locka a century ago, the longer Indigenous name was shortened, but its connection to the land and its history remained.

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the Seminole and Tequesta peoples, recognize their enduring connections to South Florida, and celebrate the Indigenous heritage woven into the very name of our city.

Before Opa-locka was a city, its name told a story.

10/07/2026

Ever wondered what it’s actually like to walk the streets of historic Opa-locka? Did you know our 100-year-old city even exists in the northern part of Miami-Dade County?

That’s the point of having walking tours: to introduce (and sometimes reintroduce) the public and even our own residents to the amazing history we have.

A city with extraordinary Arabic-styled architecture from the 1920s.

Why? You’ll have to come take the tour.

Founded by a famous aviator from New York who also created Hialeah and Miami Springs.

Why? You’ll have to come take the tour.

Learn about the amazing small businesses, flea market, airport, and much more, with this tour capturing 100 years of history in 1.5 hours. Guided walking tours are given by resident and historic preservationist Alex Van Mecl.

It starts with YOU reserving your spot - for free - on Eventbrite. All tours embark from 490 Ali Baba Avenue, Opa-locka (the historic train station and location of the Opa-locka Museum of Art & History).

Our dates:

Saturday, November 7 - 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 5 - 10:30 a.m.
Friday, January 8, 2027 - 5:30 p.m. (special twilight edition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first Opa-locka Arabian Nights)

10/06/2026

Our historic homes in Opa-locka are more than statement-making designs - they’re filled with stories and the dreams of what this one-of-a-kind community was meant to become.

For the 1927 Helms/Robinson House on Sharar Avenue, listed on both the local historic registry and the National Register of Historic Places, there’s no shortage of history to share.

Designed by Opa-locka’s chief architect, Bernhardt Muller, the home was originally built for Roy Helms, an early local business owner. Records suggest Helms lived here only briefly before famed daredevil aviator and engineer Hugh Robinson called it home.

Robinson played a major role in the development of the Curtiss Aerocar - a luxury travel trailer designed, patented and built right here in Opa-locka into the early 1930s. Early photographs of the house even show an Aerocar parked out front!

Like many of Muller’s residential designs, the home is modest and bungalow-like in scale, but brought to life with the Arabic and North African-inspired details that defined Opa-locka’s original 1920s architectural vision. Arches, crenellations, tiled roofs, ornamental rooflines and other exotic details transformed otherwise modest single-family homes into something unlike what you’d find in a typical South Florida neighborhood.

We like to think of Opa-locka’s distinctive interpretation of Moorish Revival as Opa-locka Orientalism — a unique composite of architectural influences that created a collection of buildings unlike virtually anywhere else.

Have you spotted any of our historic Opa-locka bungalows? This one still stands today on Sharar Avenue, just north of Sherbondy Park. Learn more at www.discoveropalocka.org, or sign up to take a tour or visit our museum via the link in our bio!

Original architectural elevations courtesy of the University of Miami Richter Library Special Collections. Historic photograph courtesy of George Vergara; enhanced using A.I.

10/03/2026

She’s an icon. She’s a legend.

To understand part of what makes the City of Opa-locka in Miami-Dade so special, you have to come face-to-face with its history.

Meet the 1926 Hurt Building, built for Opa-locka councilman and realtor Harry Hurt. Home to the city’s first gas station, grocery store, apartments and more, the building served for decades as a gateway to Opa-locka’s central business district and a place for the community to gather.

Rescued from demolition in the late 1980s and restored in the 1990s thanks to Ten North Group , the Hurt Building has stood the test of time. Nearly a century later, it remains one of the most recognizable reminders of the extraordinary Arabian Nights vision behind our historic themed community.

Listed as both a local and national historic landmark, it’s a piece of Opa-locka history worth celebrating — and one you can experience for yourself.

As Stop No. 10 on the Opa-locka Heritage Trail, the Hurt Building offers a chance to learn more about the building and the businesses that helped shape our city.

Continue exploring Opa-locka’s story at the Opa-locka Museum of Art & History, 490 Ali Baba Avenue. The museum is open the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free admission and parking. You can even take the Tri-Rail directly into our city and arrive next door to the museum!

09/29/2026

Busy Saturday? If not, why not spend part of it exploring 100 years of Opa-locka history at our small museum inside the city’s iconic 1926 train station?

Opa-locka was founded in 1926 with an ambitious vision: to create one of America’s most visually intriguing communities. Moorish Revival architecture transported residents and visitors to a faraway land, while a bustling airport, nutrient-rich farmland and a growing manufacturing sector helped shape a city unlike anywhere else in South Florida.

Over the past century, major events have changed the trajectory of Opa-locka, while other parts of its identity have endured — including its role as a community where working- and middle-class families could put down roots, own a home and build a future.

Come discover the people, places, architecture and stories behind 100 years of Miami-Dade County’s eighth-oldest municipality at the Opa-locka Museum of Art & History this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

🎟️ No tickets required. Admission is always free.

📍 490 Ali Baba Avenue
Opa-locka, FL 33054

09/23/2026

Our historic, A-rated Opa-locka Elementary School, today known as Dr. Robert B. Ingram Elementary, has a story that dates back to 1937.

Opa-locka’s first elementary school from 1926 consisted of two portable wooden buildings located near what is now Sherbondy Village. But as Opa-locka and the surrounding communities grew, so did the need for a larger, permanent school with more opportunities for local students.

That brings us to the next chapter.

In July 1937, ground was broken for a new Opa-locka Elementary School, with its cornerstone laid on September 11 of that year. Built at an estimated cost of $32,000, the school opened its doors early the following year, with E.M. Blanton serving as principal.

Decades later, the school was renamed in honor of Dr. Robert B. Ingram, a longtime educator and civic leader who also served Opa-locka as police chief and mayor.

And here’s a piece of history you might not know: there’s a time capsule somewhere on the school property.

Can you guess where it’s located?

09/03/2026

Our city’s history museum has a new way to experience Opa-locka’s incredible architectural story - an interactive kiosk!

Ever wonder what Opa-locka’s fantastical 1920s buildings were originally supposed to look like? Or which of those ambitious designs were actually built?

Thanks to the University of Miami and The Villagers, visitors to the Opa-locka Museum of Art & History can now explore that history firsthand. Created by Jorge Suarez of IMAGOS Entertainment and curated by Opa-locka resident and historian Alex Van Mecl, the new architectural kiosk is the latest addition to our museum’s growing collection.

Explore dozens of original elevation drawings by Opa-locka’s chief architect, Bernhardt Muller, discover the stories behind our one-of-a-kind architecture, and see how the vision for our Arabian Nights-inspired city took shape nearly a century ago.

Come experience it this weekend during our First Saturday museum opening.

Saturday, September 5 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Historic Opa-locka Train Station
490 Ali Baba Avenue, Opa-locka, FL
Free admission | No reservations required

Take your exploration of Opa-locka’s Arabian Nights fantasy city to a whole new level.

08/24/2026

34 years ago, Hurricane Andrew devastated Homestead and much of southern Miami-Dade. In Opa-locka, however, many of our buildings emerged relatively unscathed, though even some of the city’s most iconic structures didn’t escape without a few scars.

Pictured here is Dan Wick, then Assistant Director of the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (today Ten North Group Ten North Group ), standing beside a seven-foot brass finial. How did it end up on the ground?

Hurricane Andrew ripped the massive architectural ornament from the top of the historic Hurt Business Center at 490 Opa-locka Blvd.

More than three decades later, the finial has never returned to its place atop the building — a small but lasting reminder of the storm that reshaped South Florida.

Much like the devastating hurricane of 1926, Opa-locka was largely spared from Mother Nature’s worst. Perhaps our inland location was one of the most consequential choices our founders made nearly a century ago - helping create a community built not only to endure, but to survive.

08/21/2026

It’s the place where the story of Opa-locka began.

Now 100 years strong, this National Register landmark has found new life as the home of the Opa-locka Museum of Art & History, preserving the people, places and stories that have shaped our city for a century.

A lot of history has passed through these doors. What’s your favorite memory of the Opa-locka Train Station?

08/19/2026

On National Aviation Day, a blank wall just got the Max May treatment.

Historic downtown Opa-locka has a colorful new addition, and every detail tells a piece of our story.

Miami artist Max May brought Take Flight to life along Opa-locka Boulevard, drawing inspiration from the city’s iconic Moorish Revival architecture, its aviation roots and the warm, earthy palette that has defined Opa-locka for a century.

Look closely and you’ll spot familiar silhouettes from our historic architecture alongside a nod to city founder and aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss — and his famous June Bug taking flight above it all.

What did it take to transform this wall?

• 9 gallons of paint across multiple colors
• About four weeks from start to finish
• Brushes, rollers and an extendable ladder, with the mural painted by hand
• Several sketches and mockups before arriving at the final design
• Early mornings starting around 7–8 a.m. to beat the South Florida heat
• Inspiration from Opa-locka’s historic Moorish Revival buildings, including our iconic City Hall
• A tribute to our aviation heritage and Glenn Curtiss’ June Bug

The result is more than a mural. It’s a bright new piece of public art that turns our history into something you can experience right from the street.

And for a city celebrating 100 years, we can’t think of a better time to add a little more color to the story.

Opa-locka Boulevard | Historic Downtown Opa-locka
Artist: Max May
Mural: Take Flight

Address

Opa-Locka, FL
33054

Website

http://www.discoveropalocka.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Opa-locka Preservation Association posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Opa-locka Preservation Association:

Want your school to be the top-listed school/college in Opa-locka?