Scottish Rite Temple

I recently had a pleasure of attending the Masonic Mozart chamber concert at the Scottish Rite Temple. What a treat it was to see this magnificent building from the inside. The orchestra and choir were superb, yet the audience a great disappointment: some people though it was acceptable to arrive half an hour late and disturb the listeners while they looked for their seats. At one point entire orchestra waited for two elder ladies to settle down and someone even brought a small child with them! I wish people showed more respect for the hard work the musicians put into their performance as well as their fellow listeners.

As a longtime member of the Scottish Rite of Miami I can tell you that many of our meetings are open to any interested party and a tour may be easily arranged by calling the office and speaking to Brother Herman Gonzalez. We are very proud of our Temple and it is presently undergoing renovations. Parts including the Auditorum may be rented. Please feel free to arrange a visit.

I have to admit that I have not been inside the Scottish Rite Temple, but from what I know of the society, it is quite secretive and you need to be a member to be allowed much access inside. I am rating this high as a high among the cultural and historic places to visit in Miami. The architecture of the building is very majestic with Greeks (or are they Roman?) columns supporting the entry way. There are enigmatic eagle statues at the top of the building with the number 32 on each of them. What could that mean?
The temple is in a historic section of Miami which is in the process of being revamped. Across the street in Lumus Park (see another review for that) and down the street are older building that are currently being used as low income apartments but look like they use to be hotels from the turn of the 20^th Century. And just at the end of the block is the Miami River where you can see a lot of freight coming and going.
The Temple and surrounding area is a great place for shooting photos if you are into urban stuff and non-​dominant culture.