South Beach in Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Rainbow Crosswalk

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, March 21, 2024

1. The Rainbow Crosswalk Marker

Inscription. Dedicated on November 9, 2018, the Rainbow Crosswalk celebrates Miami Beach as a diverse and inclusive city and salutes the many LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+) people who worked for decades to preserve and revitalize this unique historic community.

Found on the intersection of 12th Street and Ocean Drive, the crosswalk is purposefully located in a section of Ocean Drive known for its deep roots in the LGBTQ community, dating back to 1988. Adjacent to the popular gay beach area, 12th Street was home to The Palace for decades, a gay bar exceptionally famous for its drag queen performancers.

The crosswalk was designed using the pastel color palette that Leonard Horowitz (b. 1946-d. 1989), the co-founder of the Miami Design Preservation League and an openly gay man, created for the Art Deco District. The terrazzo pavers in the crosswalk feature a multi-directional pattern and a glow-in-the-dark aggregate that provides a soft glow at night, which symbolizes the vibrant energy that can be found on Ocean Drive at any given time of day.

Erected 2018.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Entertainment. A significant historical date for this entry is November 9, 2018.

Location. 25° 46.961′ N, 80° 7.803′ W. Marker is in Miami Beach, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It is in South Beach. It is on Ocean Drive, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1207 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach FL 33139, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida,

on the Gold Coast,

and in Greater Miami.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

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and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Casa Casuarina (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Barbara Baer Capitman (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Barbara Baer Capitman (about 500 feet away); Alfredo Gonzalez, Sr. (about 600 feet away); Barbara Baer Capitman – Historic Preservationist (approx. 0.2 miles away); South Beach Art Deco District (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Josephine Baker Pavilion (approx. 0.2 miles away); Egyptian Filling Station (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Miami Beach.

Additional keywords. lgbt, lgbtq

The Rainbow Crosswalk image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, March 21, 2024

2. The Rainbow Crosswalk

The terrazzo paver platforms of the rainbow crosswalk. The colors are taken from Leonard Horowitz's palette for Miami Beach.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, March 21, 2024

3. The Rainbow Crosswalk

Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 28, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 218 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 28, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.