MIAMI — Burn Notice is one of the most iconic television shows of the last two decades.
The show aired seven seasons from 2007 to 2013 on the USA network. For show fans, no visit to Miami would be complete without taking in some of the more iconic locations that served as Burn Notice’s backdrop — and made it the visually iconic show it was.
While compiling a complete list of filming locations would be challenging, here are a few of the more iconic locations where Michael Westen, Sam Axe, and Fiona Glenanne helped out those Miami residents in need.
Bayfront Park
Burn Notice used Bayfront Park multiple times throughout the series. Of course, its most iconic role might be that scene used in the opening credits. “Bottom line? Until you figure out who burned you… you’re not going anywhere.”
Miami Beach
There is arguably no place more iconic in the Miami area than downtown Miami Beach. Unsurprisingly, Miami Beach was a filming location for many scenes throughout the series.
Among the hotels featured was the McAlpine, which Michael walked out of during the first episode of the third season, “Friends and Family,” after jumping out of a helicopter to escape from Management and swimming back to shore.
Seven Mile Bridge
While a drive along the overseas highway from Miami to Key West is always a good idea, Burn Notice fans will want to pay particular attention to the Seven Mile Bridge. That’s where Michael drove at the end of season one, during the episode “Loose Ends, Part 2,” where he drove his car into a waiting tractor-trailer and would eventually meet his new handlers — and his new reality.
Miami City Hall
Miami City Hall, a former Pan Am seaplane terminal, is one of the most iconic buildings in Miami. Its Art Deco design screams Miami.
Show fans will recognize Miami City Hall as the setting for several locations, including in the last episode of season two, “Lesser Evil,” where Michael meets another burned spy and eventually kidnaps him. Michael also meets a couple of dirty cops outside the building in the sixth episode of the first season, “Unpaid Debts,” when they are trying to recover stolen money from a group of Haitians.
Gold Coast Railroad Museum
The Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Kendall served as the designated location where Michael and his team planned to kidnap Rufino Cortez so they could send him back to Venezuela. Unsurprisingly, things didn’t go according to plan.
However, Burn Notice fans should spend a few minutes walking around the museum grounds and taking in its amazing rail car collection, including the Ferdinand Magellan, former president Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s coach.
The Barnacle Historic State Park
The oldest house in the area might seem like an unexpected location for spies to meet. But this is where Michael encountered Pakistani spy Waseem in the third episode of season two. Of course, for non-spy visitors, the state park makes for a unique window into Miami’s less art-deco-inspired history.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
While Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is a popular destination for lighthouse aficionados, it was the perfect location for Michael, while impersonating a Russian businessman, to meet with a Polish intelligence official in the 14th episode of the show’s third season, “Partners in Crime.” Lighthouse fans will note the structure dates to 1825 and was reconstructed in 1846.
Little Havana
Miami’s Little Havana is as iconic as its Art Deco beachfront hotels. So, it should be no surprise that this Miami neighborhood is the perfect backdrop for a spy, such as the 10th episode of season two, “Do No Harm.”
Dinner Key Marina
Like many Burn Notice locations, Dinner Key Marina in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood appeared in multiple episodes throughout the series.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens was the backdrop of a secret location where Westen met assassin Simon Escher in the 10th episode of season four, “Hard Time.”
Miami Marine Stadium
Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key was completed in 1963 and abandoned in 1992 when officials declared it unsafe following Hurricane Andrew. While the stadium doesn’t look like much today aside from a magnet for graffiti artists, in 2018, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In “A Dark Road,” the 10th episode of season three, Westen goes to the former stadium and is shot at six times while there.