Museo de la Brigada 2506 — the Bay of Pigs Museum in Miami

Museo de la Brigada 2506 — the Bay of Pigs Museum in Miami

25° 45′ 54″ N / 80° 13′ 30″ W

It is known as the Bay of Pigs Museum in Miami, by the Miami Times and on the streets of Little Havana. Officially the name is Museo de la Brigada 2506 (Museum of Brigade 2506) — but that is one of the wonderful aspects of Cuban culture, pragmatism with charm. That is how it has been since 1988 when the museum was established.

Brigade 2506 was organized during 1960 in order to overthrow Fidel Castro and Cuba’s current government in order to liberate Cuba from its communist government. They trained well and, with the aid of eight Douglas B-26 Invaders for air support, launched the invasion on 17 April 1961 in the Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs). A few of the Cuban Air Force’s T-33 and Sea Fury aircraft survived the initial raids and would become the undoing of the B-26 Invaders — by 20 April the battle was over. Trials as well as executions followed though most of the prisoners were repatriated to the United States on 24 December 1962. The failure to incite a liberation movement with the Bay of Pigs Invasion had the significant historical effect that Cuban expatriates became permanent citizens in Miami — no longer living there indefinitely — marking the beginning of increased emigration from Cuba to the United States which brought a warm culture and laudable work ethic to the United States.

The museum is easy to get to with paid parking on the street (payment is made by coin or credit/debit card — no bills please) at 1821 SW 9^th Street, Miami, FL  33135. Entry is through the front door which faces SW 9^th Street but is accessed from the right through the fence facing SW 18^th Avenue. There is no fee and walking into the essentially two great room facility the visitor is impressed with the verve of those who served in Brigada Asalta 2506. Restroom facilities are present and food is easily available elsewhere since one block to the north is Calle Ocho (SW 8^th Street) in Miami’s Little Havana. Immediately beyond the small entry is a well used conference room with an impressive wooden long table seating about 20. The room also has photographs as well as plaques and significant flags.

The adjoining second room has open seating for about two dozen facing a dais — but it is this room’s perimeter that is the main museum attraction. The back wall has portraits of so many that counting is a challenge. The remaining walls are filled with images and articles — many coming from Cuba — which recount or report the events during the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 17 April 1961. Many of these images are historic as well as graphic, some of the best of photojournalism may be on these walls, and most not found in publications on the invasion. There are also a few well appointed curio cabinets displaying artifacts such as equipment as well as weapons.

The hours are 9am–4pm Monday–Friday. There is no website but an email address which should be useful is, brigada2506@gmail.com.

The flag of Brigada Asalto 2506 at the Bay of Pigs Museum in Miami — photo by Joseph May

The front of the Bay of Pigs Museum in Miami with access to the door by way of the parking lot to the right of the photo — photo by Joseph May

A console displaying the basic cockpit instrumentation of the Douglas DC-4 and DC-7 as well as the Douglas B-26 Invader — photo by Joseph May

A scale model representation of one of the eight Douglas B-26 Invaders flown so well during the Bay of Pigs Invasion — photo by Joseph May

A different view of the cockpit instrument displayed in the Bay of Pigs Museum of Miami — photo by Joseph May

The part of SW 9th Street in front of the Bay of Pigs Museum in Miami has the local name of Brigade 2506 Way — photo by Joseph May

This history plaque on the museum’s grounds recounts the Bay of Pigs Invasion as well as the ripple effects — photo by Joseph May

Brigade 2506 has feet in two countries, the United States and Cuba — photo by Joseph May

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Paste “B-26 Invader” into the search window to find the posts on the B-26 dedicated to the pilots and crew who flew these aircraft during the invasion, as well as the memorial at the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, and the book review about the men of the Alabama National Guard who trained these men.