Bay of Pigs Museum & Library

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Bay of Pigs Museum and Library is a hidden gem! The exhibits are incredibly informative, offering a deep dive into an important piece of history. The staff and volunteers were so kind and welcoming, happy to answer questions and share their knowledge. Best of all, it’s a free museum, but they do accept donations to help support their mission. It’s a must-visit for anyone wanting to learn more about this pivotal event. Highly recommend!

It was the highlight of my trip to Miami and def one of the most educational things to see in Little Havana. I was greeted by Carlos and Santiago (who had both been captured as younger men in 1961 as part of the 2506 Brigade). I watched a movie (english subtitles) and felt like a VIP as I was given a tour by Carlos (he was incredibly knowledgeable!- like a university professor). I will def return. I give this museusm a perfect score for education and making me feel so welcome!

I found out at age 58, that my father was a soldier who fought and was wounded in the Bay of Pigs. He died in America when I was three, 1969; so his legacy and heroism was unknown. I am so proud to be his daughter and will try to find/ reconnect with my family in Cuba in his remembrance. Ruben Giro Herrera.

Wow, this little museum blew me away. CBS4 recently interviewed a member of the 2506 Brigade and after viewing the segment I knew I had to visit. It is free and you can plan to spend 1-2 hours there. I parked in the lot next to the museum which apparently is not theirs but the docent gave me a parking pass, otherwise there is street parking. The building was purchased by one of the brigade members in the 80's when the property foreclosed. They will be closing in December 2023 for a major renovation and upgrade. Currently there are only 2 rooms to the museum, a large library area as you enter and the room that houses all the artifacts. There are walls of pictures, in the center those who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the conflict and on the side walls, those who have passed since. The docent, Julio, as well as another employee spent a lot of time with me individually telling me about the museum, some of the veterans as well as the chronology of the conflict. I learned more during my visit than I had in school. There were 2 of the veterans at the museum during my visit. They show a 20 minute excerpt of the documentary 'Veritas' which shows interviews with brigade members. I recommend visiting the Bay of Pigs museum, and I look forward to visiting once the renovations and upgrades are complete.

I cannot stop thinking of this place. Those who were took part in and survived the Bay of Pigs invasion are involved in this museum. I really knew very little of this event and less about what happened to the men. The presentation is beautiful, sad, and poignant. Take the time to speak to one of the veterans.

In short, an incredible hidden gem in Miami. Absolutely recommend anyone visiting Miami to visit! We were visiting Miami and happened to stumble on the Bay of Pigs Museum while visiting Little Havana and we were so happy we did. This museum was curated by veterans of the Brigade 2506 and are still staffed by the men and the wives of the men that served. What makes this museum extra special is hearing first hand accounts from these men and their experiences leading up to and the aftermath of the invasion. The memorabilia and artifacts from this somewhat forgotten historical event in the late stage of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s service as President and the early days of John F. Kennedy in the early 1960’s are truly remarkable, especially given the historical context and personalized backstory from the volunteers that served. The volunteers at the museum are so knowledgeable, proud and humble and you can see and feel how passionate they are to share their stories to every visitor of their museum. I highly recommend everyone go and visit this museum. Huge thank you to Humberto Díaz Arguelles, the President of the Miami Bay of Pigs Museum, and Humberto Lopez, the Museum Administrative Director. It was truly a memorable experience.

Educational and informative, this museum explains the events leading to the failed Bahía de Cochinos operation to free Cuba, the during-the-invation history and its aftermath in a easy-to-grasp fashion.

We had an outstanding tour today from docent Celi. So much information packed into a small space. If you are a fan of (not so great) American history or of Cuba/Cubans and their allies, this is well with your time. We were very impressed and appreciative. I grew up in the ‘hide under your desks’ era and I learned so much today I never knew before. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Wow, this little museum blew me away. CBS4 recently interviewed a member of the 2506 Brigade and after viewing the segment I knew I had to visit. It is free and you can plan to spend 1-2 hours there. I parked in the lot next to the museum which apparently is not theirs but the docent gave me a parking pass, otherwise there is street parking. The building was purchased by one of the brigade members in the 80's when the property foreclosed. They will be closing in December 2023 for a major renovation and upgrade. Currently there are only 2 rooms to the museum, a large library area as you enter and the room that houses all the artifacts. There are walls of pictures, in the center those who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the conflict and on the side walls, those who have passed since. The docent, Julio, as well as another employee spent a lot of time with me individually telling me about the museum, some of the veterans as well as the chronology of the conflict. I learned more during my visit than I had in school. There were 2 of the veterans at the museum during my visit. They show a 20 minute excerpt of the documentary 'Veritas' which shows interviews with brigade members. I recommend visiting the Bay of Pigs museum, and I look forward to visiting once the renovations and upgrades are complete.

This is a place that will stay with you forever. A small place close to Little Havana has many pictures and the names of our soldiers involved in the Bay Of Pigs Invasion. It's a free museum that wants its guests to learn what really happened to the American soldiers that were there in 1961. If one walks in, they could glance around and leave in a few minutes without being impressed. However, we received a guided tour, and we were almost late for our next tour because we were so interested in what we were learning that we could have stayed longer. My oldest son is a freshman in college, and my twin sons are juniors in high school. Along with my wife and I learned so much in an hour and a half, it was incredible. The tour took us around the back room using the numerous pictures to fill in the stories that were being shared. The day we were there, there were three gentlemen at the museum who participated in the invasion. We heard their first hand accounts of what they encountered leading up to the invasion what happened when they were captured by Castro (plus their feelings on why they thought they were captured) and what happened in captivity plus their life afterwards. We even saw some of their pictures of these men while they were prisoners. This museum is a place to learn history that isn't taught anywhere by people who were there. It is a free couple of hours that I will remember for probably the rest of my life. Anyone in Miami with an interest in our military or history needs to go here for an hour or two. There is free parking on the side of the museum in an open grass lot. Next time my family is in Miami, we will go here again just to thank these guys for their service to our country another time. More people need to know about this place!!!!

An absolute must-do for anyone living or visiting Miami. You have the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts from individuals directly involved in the Bay of Pigs, something you can likely not get anywhere other than here in Miami. You begin your tour with an incredibly compelling excerpt from a documentary featuring those directly involved in the Bay of Pigs. We had the great fortune to hear from Carlos, who was in Brigade 2506. He was very open to share his experience and answer visitor questions. It's fascinating to hear the varying perspectives of those who were involved and how they reflect on it now. We're incredibly lucky to have this resource in the community and incredibly lucky that those involved are willing to share their accounts with us of what was a challenging moment in our history. Definitely make sure to visit and consider contributing to support what is a free museum for our community.

Fascinating overview of the events leading up to and after the bay of pigs. We were thrilled to get a guided tour by a service member who served during all the events. Moving experience overall.

The Bay of Pigs museum was an incredible experience. We had several hours after our cruise and before our flight, so we checked it out. Saddled with all of our luggage, we were greeted by our tour guide, who invited us to leave our bags in the lobby. This is a free museum of Bay of Pigs artifacts, proclamations and pictures. Our experience was led by one of the soldiers who lived it and then survived as a POW for 2+ years, in Cuba, after the invasion... very moving. The stories were riveting and our time there was well worth the trip into Little Havana. As we said good bye, we were invited back anytime, because, "we are all now friends for life." Please check it out- it is so special... you won't find this history anywhere else.

This little museum was the highlight of my trip to Miami. It was fascinating - and an honor - to learn the story of the Bay of Pigs from a Cuban American who fought in the invasion and was held by Castro as a POW for nearly two years. His passion for his homeland and for his adopted home was palpable. I'm grateful that the Brigade 2506 veterans show up every day to guide Museum visitors. It was quite a gift to learn the history from someone who lived it.