Standing in just one to three feet of water at low tide, Stiltsville is one of the most famous—and most surreal—of Miami's historical sites. Begun in the early 1930s, Stiltsville is a collection of houses and buildings seemingly floating

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Standing in just one to three feet of water at low tide, Stiltsville is one of the most famous—and most surreal—of Miami's historical sites. Begun in the early 1930s, Stiltsville is a collection of houses and buildings seemingly floating above the sea's surface on pilings. In the '40s and '50s it was a popular party spot for Miami's well-to-do, and at its peak in 1960 there were more than 25 colorful structures jutting up from the water around Biscayne Channel. Subsequent hurricanes and fires whittled the number down to just the seven buildings standing today. Although there are plans to revitalize them for future use, access to the Stiltsville buildings is currently by permit only. You can rent your own boat to cruise around this strange oceanic village, and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida offers periodic boat tours of the area as well.

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