Imagine leaving your home country behind to start over in the United States.
For many, that means one word: freedom.
“I look at the building as, symbolically, of a whole nation of people that chose to abandon their homeland in order to find freedom elsewhere,” said José Azel, a Cuban political exile.
Azel fled his home country in 1961 as a 13-year-old through Operation Pedro Pan — when more than 14,000 Cuban children came to the U.S. without their parents. Today, Azel writes and lectures about Cuba’s politics, society and economy.
He was one of more than 350 people interviewed for Miami Dade College’s new oral history project at the renovated Freedom Tower in downtown Miami.
“[The building] is symbolic of the sacrifices that people are willing to make in order to find freedom and to never forget that and to be defenders of that freedom in every face of our lives,” Azel said.
Freedom is just one of four themes at the exhibition — along with opportunity, home and love. All of them are drawn directly from the stories of people who came here looking for a new life.
Voices of Miami turns the interviews into a touch-activated wall where visitors can tap a word and hear a first-person story tied to it.
The oral history project is part of several new exhibitions Miami Dade College is launching to mark the Freedom Tower’s 100th birthday.
READ MORE: 'It’s like the Statue of Liberty': Miami’s Freedom Tower set to turn 100
“ This has been the project of a lifetime,” said Clara Toro, the photographer of the oral history project. “Every time I see it, I really wanna cry because it was a beautiful opportunity to learn more about the Cuban community, about what it's like to be in the exile, under difficult circumstances.”
In the project, Toro made headshots in black and white to unite everyone interviewed, no matter their age, language and story.
She also used a white background: “I figured it will be a bit of like a reminder of how when we come to a new country, it is a blank slate,” Toro said.
The Freedom Tower has designated two floors of its newly renovated space to pay tribute to the different eras the building has experienced in the past century.
When visitors step into the first floor of the museum, Freedom Hall, they are greeted by three welcome screens showing photos of South Florida that include mangroves and beaches with prompts in English and Spanish like, “What is home?”
Six miniature replicas of the tower line the room — each one unlocking a short film about a different chapter in the building’s life, from its 1925 newsroom origins and WIOD radio days to its role as the Cuban Refugee Center and its modern stewardship.
“We wanted to bring the full beauty and architecture of the towers within reach of our audiences here in Freedom Hall and really to honor all that the tower has stood for through its many chapters,” said María Carla Chicuén, executive director of cultural affairs at Miami Dade College, which oversees management of the tower.
Further in the room, a new theater runs an intro documentary that connects those eras to the voices people hear throughout the tour. A section called “Languages of Migration,” pairs rare maps, books and colonial-era objects with many contemporary works and hands-on interactive displays.
On the second floor, the corridor titled “Journeys of Freedom” pairs photo stories from recent Miami street life and protests with quieter everyday scenes — an entry point into how migration still reshapes the city.
“ This hallway is an opportunity to speak to a broader cross section of Miami and Miami experience,” said Amy Galpin, the executive director of Miami Dade College’s Museum of Art and Design, the College’s flagship museum.
Around the corner, there’s also a research desk with transcripts, logbooks including Pedro Pan records and family photos people can browse through.
A gallery named “El Refugio in Context” recreates the processing rooms, folding chairs, service counters and International Rescue Committee sign — and mixes artifacts and replicas like comfort kits, ration cards, medical diplomas and the coats many received before resettlement.
'A labor of love'
In the Skylight Gallery, a reflective sculpture and a giant video wall loop Miami scenes filmed with music by local artists, while photo essays spotlight neighborhood businesses and celebrations — a nod to the idea that we “carry our homes with us.” Visitors can even take home broadsheets inspired by the tower’s newspaper past printed with lines from the oral histories and a space for people to tell their own stories.
“ This is a space that we hope people feel good in. We hope people gather in,” Galpin said. “We wanna have poetry readings and talks in this space.”
A sports-culture gallery, “Unidad: The World’s Game,” folds soccer into the story of Miami and migration — pegged to the city’s run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“ It's been a multi-year labor of love for everyone who's been involved in restoring the tower and development of new visitor experience,” Carla Chicuén said.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime for all of us, so it means a lot as we're about to reopen to really see the excitement and the support of the community.”
“ We have been enjoying welcoming community members back for some previews and it's always an honor when we hear a positive response and especially that we were able to honor such a meaningful experience,” she added.
The Freedom Tower will host preview tours on select days beginning Friday, Sept. 19. Limited to 25 people per tour, the curated experience guides guests on a behind-the-scenes sneak peek through each of the four exhibitions. Individual tickets are $50 and include a champagne toast and branded gift.
General admission will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Its hours of operations will be Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tickets will cost $18, with discounts for seniors and military members. Miami Dade College students, faculty and staff, as well as children under 5 years of age will be free.
