Tours, Classes & Programs
Regular tours of the natural areas and historic buildings are offered daily by our Education and Interpretive Staff and are free with admission. Specialty tours, such as the Nite Hike, Architecture Tour, Bird Walk and Butterfly Walk, are offered once a month and are also free with admission. A variety of EcoAdventure Tours are available for an additional fee. The Education and Interpretive Staff is a highly trained group of individuals who are dedicated in preserving and interpreting the invaluable resources found at the Estate.
While reservations are not required, large groups and groups with special requests are encouraged to book their tours in advance to better accommodate particular interests and needs.
Historic House Tour
Daily, 10:30 am & 3:00 pm
This tour begins on the front porch of the Richmond Cottage.
Free with admission to the Estate.
After Charles Deering's death in 1927, the mysterious Deering Estate sat for nearly six decades, frozen in time. The houses were immaculately maintained and filled with fine art and antiques, now in private collections and museums worldwide, but virtually unoccupied. Join one of our Education and Interpretive Staff Members on a guided tour to hear the amazing history of the Richmond Cottage, the first hotel between Coconut Grove and Key West, and the Stone House, a tiny piece of Deering’s beloved Barcelona on Biscayne Bay.
Natural Areas Tour
Daily, 12:30 pm (Seasonal)
This tour begins on the front porch of the Richmond Cottage.
Free with admission to the Estate.
Join one of our Education and Interpretive Staff Members and walk in the footsteps of Florida’s first peoples. Hike through a lush forest of tropical hardwood trees and clinging vines down the Native American footpath that, near the end of the nineteenth century, would become the first Cutler Road/Ingram Highway. Along the way, stop at one of the last existing Tequesta Indian Burial Mounds to learn about the rise and fall of this fascinating culture, and visit Cutler Creek, where work is currently underway to restore historic water flow throughout the park. Comfortable walking shoes and insect repellent are recommended for this one-and-a-half mile excursion.
Night Hike
1st Thursday of the month (Seasonal)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Free with admission to the Estate.
Walking down the tropical hardwood hammock trail at dusk takes on a whole new meaning to
the exploration of our natural areas. This hike offers the visitor a rare opportunity to view the woods and it’s wildlife as it comes to life at night. A Deering Education and Interpretive Staff Member will guide you through the trail to the Tequesta burial mound where they will provide interesting facts about the Tequesta Indians. Listen for great horned owls and eastern screech-owls along the way. Ages 9 and older.
Architecture Tour
1st Saturday of the month
3:00 pm
Free with admission to the Estate.
Discover the architectural features of some of South Florida’s earliest buildings! The Richmond Cottage was built between 1896 and 1916 and is one of the finest remaining examples of South Florida Vernacular Architecture designed to capture those summer breezes. The Stone House, built in 1922, is a unique example of Florida Mediterranean Revival style architecture.
Bird Walk
2nd Saturday of the month (Seasonal)
7:30 am - 10:30 am
Free with admission to the Estate.
Join a Deering Education and Interpretive Staff Member in search of some of the Estate’s estimated 170 perennial and migratory bird species. Watch for ibises, herons, egrets and other shorebirds in and around our shallow coastal waters. Spot migrating songbirds, including several types of warblers, vireos, and flycatchers, flitting through acres of pines, palms, mangroves, and tropical hardwoods. And don’t forget to look up to see raptors soaring high overhead or, perhaps, just in time to glimpse the swift flight of a White-crowned Pigeon.
Butterfly Walk
3rd Saturday of the month (Seasonal)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Free with admission to the Estate.
Weather you’re looking to photograph the elusive Dingy Purplewing or just want to appreciate some of nature’s most delicate beauties, butterflies abound at the Deering Estate at Cutler.
Walk with a Deering Education and Interpretive Staff Member along historic roads and trails, through sunny pineland, tree-shaded forest, manicured grounds and other habitats. Here you’ll encounter graceful Giant Swallowtails, lively Ruddy Daggerwings, rare Atalas, and other butterflies of all wondrous shapes, sizes, and colors.