Musa Isle Indian Village In Miami, Florida

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Musa Isle Indian Village In Miami, Florida

by Sanel Beer
(Miami, Florida)

Musa Isle Seminole Indian Village

Old timers in Miami tell me that the Everglades essentially began right about where 27th Avenue is today.

Everything west was The Swamp, and land was filled for development over the years until now the sprawl heads out west almost to Krome Avenue.

They say there was a natural rapids or waterfall near where NW 27th Avenue today crosses the Miami River. Just downstream of the waterfall was Musa Isle, and Seminole Indian village that was created as one of Miami's earliest tourist attractions.

I don't think you can see any remnants of the attraction, and I believe it closed in the 1950's. It was on the south bank of the Miami River just east of the current NW 27th Avenue bridge over the Miami River.

Musa Isle featured all kinds of alligator wrestling shows, Seminole dancing, weaving, jewelry, clothing and other hand made items from the Seminole nation.

Only old timers remember the place, but they speak fondly of the simpler days when it was a big attraction.

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Musa Isle Indian Village In Miami, Florida

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Mar 30, 2012

I Wish I Could Go Back In Time as a Tourist
by: Greg May

This article reminded me of the time they closed the Miami Serpentarium. The landmark attraction was located on US1 in Miami and had a 30-foot tall concrete cobra out front.

The owner of the Serpentarium - Mr. Haas- decided to donate the cobra to a high school that were known as The Marching Cobras.

One Saturday morning as the band played and the girls twirled their batons, a crane lifted the 30-foot cobra off its pedestal to place it on the back of a flatbed truck. All of a sudden the concrete cobra tipped and broke into a million pieces all over US1!

I would love to find that news video and post it on YouTube!

Mar 30, 2012

Souvenir Folder
by: Anonymous

Happy to find your site!

I have an old souvenir folder of "Musa Isle, Seminole Indian Village NW 16th Street & 25th Avenue Miami, Florida", and as I had never heard of the place, I googled it.

The folder was sold for 15 cents; there isn't any date. You mention alligator wrestling, and there are 3 pictures involving the animals: one is of "alligators and crocodiles", one of "Tommy Carter, famous white alligator wrestler, he is seen with a gator twice his own weight", and one "Seminole Indian Capturing Live Alligator with his Bare Hands".

The rest of the folder involves the Seminole culture; dug out canoe, dress, kitchen etc. Interesting.

Jan 19, 2012

Alligator Joe's
by: Florida Backroads Travel

There is an article in our January 2012 E-Zine about Alligator Joe's, an attraction in Palm Beach that operated in the early 1900's. We thought perhaps that "Alligator Joe", the Florida Cracker character that owned the place, may have been the first Alligator wrestler.

A Florida history student at the University of South Florida wrote us and says that the Seminoles started alligator wrestling at Musa Isle.

We haven't been able to confirm this, and it would make an interesting project for somebody to research and document.

Oct 18, 2011

Home movies of Musa Isle
by: Richard

We were looking at some old home movies recently and came across a video of an indian wrestling an alligator. Location: Musa Isle Indian Village. Also numerous colorful plants and landscaping in the video. I'm not sure of the date, I'm guessing late 40's or early 50's.

Feb 27, 2011

1957
by: jean

In the spring of 1957, my 4th grade class took a field trip to musa isles. We saw the alligator wrestler and after could go into a little hut they called a museum to see a thumb in a jar. It was bitten off by an alligator. I couldn't look. I always wanted to go back as an adult, hadn't realized that it had closed.

Feb 26, 2011

They paved paradise
by: Pat

The Indian village I remember was on 17th right next to the river. My grandmother lived in the house on the corner next to the entrance road.
There was an Indian there by the name of Johnny
Tiger who wrestled alligators. We went back to the
spot recently and its all gone. There are apartment buildings in its place. So sad.

Jan 10, 2011

Alligator Farm on Miami River
by: Mike Miller

Greg: I remember hearing or reading about that Alligator farm. That's right near downtown now, but way back then I imagine it was on the western edge of what they new as the City of Miami.

Jan 07, 2011

Ah, Those Long-Lost Alligator Farms!
by: Greg May

Mr. Beer's description of Musa Isle Indian Village
coincided with my readings in Steve Rajtar's HISTORIC PHOTOS OF FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: There was an alligator farm located at the junction of the Miami River and Seybold Canal - which is now Spring Garden Point Park - that operated from 1896 until 1913.

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Musa Isle Indian Village In Miami, Florida

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Musa Isle Indian Village In Miami, Florida