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The Miami Stories initiative collects stories about Miami’s past, present, and future. Through this oral history project, HistoryMiami Museum documents life in the Magic City through written stories, video submissions, and audio recordings, which are preserved in the museum’s archive, and shared online and through local media outlets.
HistoryMiami Museum accepts written stories and video submissions on a rolling basis. We welcome written stories between 800-1,000 words and video stories under 5 minutes about life in Miami. We encourage storytellers to submit a photo with their written story. To submit a written story, complete the Miami Stories Submission Form. To submit a video story, click on the video story link.
How did you or your family get to Miami?
When do you feel like a Miamian?
What would you miss if you left Miami?
What makes Miami, Miami?
What do you see for Miami’s future?
The Miami Stories Recording Booth allows the museum to capture audio stories at local events.
For more information about booking the Miami Stories Recording Booth, see the Recording Booth Information Sheet or contact us at miamistories@historymiami.org.
Click here to access the Miami Stories Audio Archive
I was born in Atlanta in 1942, but my father was the band leader at the Biltmore Hotel. He also worked during the day at the Veterans Hospital as a physical therapist. Because my brother, George, had asthma, the doctors thought a warmer climate would be better for him,… Read More
Imagine you are a 26-year-old girl who has just graduated from a teaching college in Minneapolis and arrived in Miami on Sept. 17, 1926, the day before an unexpected Category 4 hurricane! That was my mother, Lyla Waterbury Haynes, who moved here to take a teaching position. She… Read More
My brother and I left Cuba on Aug. 23, 1961. He was 15 and I was 16. We left our parents behind, not sure of when or if we would be together again. My mother later told me that on the trip back to our hometown of Florida in… Read More
The migration of my family from Cuba to Miami began in the 1800’s, possibly because of the Spanish-American War, which caused many people to leave Cuba for Florida. One set of great grandparents went to Tampa and another to Key West. My paternal grandfather, Jose Marcelino Garcia, was born… Read More
My dad, Mike Nola, came to this country from Lebanon in 1911 and peddled merchandise door-to-door along the Florida-Georgia border. He served in the Army during World War I, which earned him United States citizenship. After the war, he returned to Lebanon to marry my mother, Chafica Sawaya. Upon… Read More
