Gesu Catholic Church: Self-Guided Audio Tours

Get ready to see how Miami popped up atop the swamps to grow large and fast! This tour will narrate you its history as you browse the downtown Miami period buildings, instead of the modern skyscrapers and glitzy South Beach. You will start the time journey near the Chaille Block to witness how the local commercial architecture looked like during the first building boom in the early 20th century. Few steps away, get back to the 1560s as you admire the stately Gesu Catholic Church, a legacy of the earliest Spanish settlements in Florida, rebuilt in 1896. The soaring Miami-Dade County Courthouse nearby will surprise you how troublesome it was to construct skyscrapers on Miami's soft soil a century ago. Passing by the historic lowrise Flagler Worker's House, you will meet the famous oil and railroad tycoon and hotelier Henry Flagler who developed Miami and Florida down to Key West. Crossing the scenic Brickell Bridge over the Miami River, you will reimagine the life of the area's first tenants as the towering statue of the Tequesta Indians catches your eyes. Finally, you will discover the First Presbyterian Church, Henry Flagler's significant gift to the Presbyterians, who would gather for sermons in a restaurant in Miami's early days. To get there, you will walk through and take in the glorious views of Biscayne Bay and the iconic skyline from the waterfront Brickell Park. Join this tour to engage with Miami's past on a deeper level and get inspired!