Opa-Locka, a neighborhood NW of Miami, was the dream city of aviator Glenn Curtiss. The city was originally called Opatishawockalocka by the Tequesta Indians and Curtiss shortened the name which means "big island in the swamp covered with many trees". The inspirations came from the book "1001 Arabian Tales,", the 1924 film "The Thief of Baghdad", and other sources. Curtiss had 105 Moorish Revival buildings constructed between 1925-1928. 86 of the original building were designed by Bernhardt E. Muller. Many of the original buildings were destroyed during a hurricane in 1926. The buildings were brightly painted with domes and elaborate minarets. Curtiss also built a zoo and a golf course. Sixteen residences and four commercial buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The City Hall Building was built in 1926 as the Administration Building for the Opa-locka Company, the project's development and sales offices. The building was inspired by the palace of the Emperor Kosroushah from the tale of "The Talking Bird". The building later housed City Hall. In 2013, City Hall moved out. The building fell into disrepair and was nearly demolished. These photos are from 2021. In 2023, the building was restored and now houses a health center and community development office. [map]

The Caliph Street Courtyard [map]

The Harry Hurt Building was also built in 1926 as a commercial building. It originally housed a post office, drug store, gas station, shops, and a cafe. It now houses offices. [map]

This Train Station was built in 1927 as the Seaboard Air Line Railway Station. The current rail station is located next door. [map]

The Opa-Locka Bank was designed to have columns with lotus capitals, modeled after the Temple at Karnak. However, there was a real estate bust during the building's construction and that never happened. In the end, it never housed a bank and was sold to the First Baptist Church of Opa-Locka. It was still housing the church in the 1970s. The building has been vacant for many years. [map]