The historic home that lent Coral Gables its name reopens for weekend tours Saturday, Aug. 1, after a two-month summer closure.
The Coral Gables Merrick House at 907 Coral Way shut its doors June 1 and remained closed through Friday, July 31. Starting Saturday, Aug. 1, docent-led tours resume at 1, 2, and 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, according to the Gables Gazette. No reservation is needed. Admission is cash only: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, military personnel, and students older than 12, $1 for younger students, and free for children under 6. Free parking is available behind the house.
The 14-room house is presented as it appeared in 1925, the year Coral Gables incorporated. Visitors walk through rooms furnished with Merrick family furniture, paintings, photographs, and personal objects. Outside, the 1.3-acre grounds hold a historic grotto stocked with 10 species of fish, a lily pond, and the Heritage Garden, all framed by an expansive wraparound porch and tropical vegetation, according to the city's Merrick House page.
A family homestead turned city namesake
Congregational minister Solomon Merrick, his wife Althea, and their children bought 160 acres here in 1899. Young George Merrick helped clear pine and palmetto, planted grapefruit and avocado, and hauled produce by mule cart to sell in Miami. An addition completed in 1910 used locally quarried native rock and incorporated features Althea adapted from New England homes. The family named the finished residence "Coral Gables," and the name followed George Merrick's planned city when he founded it.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The city acquired the property in 1976 and restored it to its 1925 appearance.
Visitors and volunteers
The house drew more than 800 visitors during a recent Coral Market event, according to organizer Carolina Castro, who cited the figure at the Merrick House Governing Board's May 11 meeting while advocating for expanding the vintage market to four events per year.
As of May, six volunteer docents led all tours. The city is recruiting new docent trainees; interested residents can email [email protected].
Plan your visit
- When: Saturdays and Sundays, 1, 2, and 3 p.m.
- Where: 907 Coral Way, Coral Gables
- Admission: $5 adults / $3 seniors, military, students 12+ / $1 students under 12 / free under 6 (cash only)
- Parking: Free, behind the house
- Note: Pets, food, open drinks, and strollers are not permitted inside. Group tours require at least two weeks' notice.
- Info: 305-774-0155
The Merrick House Governing Board discussed plans at its May meeting for a fall Pumpkin Palooza family event and quarterly Coral Market dates beginning Saturday, Sept. 26. Neither event has been officially confirmed.
