Discovery Miami Beach Audio Tours Launch W/ Nikki Beach Bash
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 7:30pm to 10:30pm
Pearl at Nikki Beach
Guests are asked to RSVP discoverymb@taraink.com.

Discovery Miami Beach, a self-guided audio tour that showcases 29 of the most important places in South Beach’s past and present, will begin operations out of its main location at the Art Deco Welcome Center at 1001 Ocean Drive. The tour, which is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, can be utilized on foot or via bicycle, automobile or double-decker bus with the aid of a colorful map and state-of-the-art media player. Discovery Miami Beach is the brainchild of CEO Matthew Krieger and company president Jacky Korn, who assembled a panel of experts on South Beach history, culture and society, to provide commentary for the narrative. Unlike traditional tours, users are able “stop and play” along the way, giving them the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the experience.

“Discovery Miami Beach is not a conventional tour because it gives patrons the freedom and flexibility to take an extra step and ‘live’ the city,” says co-founder Krieger. “The tour can be completed in approximately 90 minutes, but our rental periods allow four hours so that customers can explore the restaurants, museums and hotels they are learning about.”

Upon purchasing a ticket, guests receive a media player, headphones and map indicating by number and illustration each of the places highlighted on the tour. Patrons may start the process at any of the locations by entering the assigned number into the player. There 29 iconic South Beach destinations featured on the tour include: Casa Casuarina, the Mediterranean Revival-style mansion that was once home to fashion designer Gianni Versace, and also the site of his early demise; the Delano hotel, named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, and a byproduct of the post-World Word II “bigger is better” building and design frenzy in Miami Beach; New World Symphony, a structural homage to creativity founded by Michael Tilson Thomas to prepare highly gifted graduates in musical arts; Cameo, birthplace of the South Beach club scene, celebrity hotspot and catalyst of the “Super DJ” boom of the late ‘90s; the 5th St. Gym, the training site for boxing legend Muhammad Ali; and Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant, the legendary family-owned eatery that introduced the world to cold stone crabs and boasts a long history of notable clientele, from J. Edgar Hoover to Al Capone.

Narrative contributions are provided by eight locals with first-hand knowledge of the city’s inner workings—whose perspective is not available from traditional tour guides—and include: Seth Bramson, one of Miami’s foremost historians; Miami-based world-renowned artist Romero Britto; public historian for the Miami Design Preservation League Jeff Donnelly; Matti Herrera Bower, the current and first Hispanic Mayor of Miami Beach; and Tara Solomon, former “Queen of the Night” columnist for The Miami Herald who documented the city’s nightlife scene in its infancy.

The tour is available seven days a week, 365 days a year. The standard rate for a walking tour is $14.95 per person. Through strategic partnerships with local vendors, Discovery Miami Beach also offers DecoBike cycling tours for $29.95, as well as BigBus, which accommodates individuals, large groups, educational tours and parties on its red double-decker buses for $39.95 and offers patrons hop-on/hop-off privileges at various sites.

Discovery Miami Beach is a self-guided walk, bike or ride audio tour that showcases 29 of the most important places in South Beach’s past and present with the aid of a colorful map and state-of-the-art media player. Featuring narrative commentary by distinguished locals, the tour is available seven days a week, 365 days a year. For booking locations and additional information, call 305.672.9941 or visit www.discoverymiamibeach.com.