Family Activities in Miami Beach

Everglades Alligator Farm

Opened in 1982 as an airboat ride attraction, the Everglades Alligator Farm became a working farm in 1985. The farm is home to about 2,000 alligators of all sizes, as well as crocodiles, caimans, and other Everglades wildlife, along with a display of snakes including exotic species from around the world. Visitors can experience airboat tours, explore the alligator farm, and attend informative wildlife shows presented hourly, with opportunities to hold baby alligators and snakes. The Everglades Alligator Farm has preserved an authentic atmosphere and compliments a visit to the Everglades National Park.

Jungle Island

Jungle Island is home to rare animals, including Mama Cass, a tame Cassowary; a liger; and Orangutan twins born in captivity. Guests can participate in hands-on animal interactions, view animal presentations, and explore lush landscapes. Experiences include behind-the-scenes safari tours and interactions with Lemurs from Madagascar.

Miami Seaquarium

Miami Seaquarium is a marine-life entertainment park featuring dolphins, killer whales, moray eels in coral reef caverns, giant sharks, sea lions, and safe havens for endangered sea turtles and manatees. The park offers eight different marine animal shows and presentations daily for education and entertainment.

Monkey Jungle

Monkey Jungle gives visitors an experience of how monkeys live in the wild. Established in 1933 by animal behaviorist Joseph DuMond with the release of a small Java troop into a South Florida hammock, it has grown into a thriving sanctuary. A total of 30 species of primates are represented, including gibbons, guenons, spider monkeys, and colobus. Located off U.S. 1 in South Dade, it is one of the few protected habitats for endangered primates in the United States where nearly 400 primates run free on a 30-acre reserve.

Zoo Miami

Zoo Miami houses more than 2,000 wild animals in a cageless setting, allowing visitors to view animals in natural habitats. Featuring over 1,200 trees and plants, the zoo also holds a botanical garden designation. Open-air exhibits are divided into geographical regions: Asia, Africa, the Amazon, and Australia.

The 27-acre Amazon and Beyond exhibit features more than 600 animals representing Central and South America. Additional park activities include feeding giraffes, rhinos, and pelicans, riding a camel, renting kayaks, pedal boats, water bikes, or safari cycles, attending Meet the Zookeeper talks, and riding an air-conditioned monorail or guided tram.

The Wings Down Under: A Parrot Feeding Adventure allows visitors to feed Australian budgies and rosellas. The park also offers state-of-the-art wet and dry play areas.

Ancient Spanish Monastery

The Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux was originally built in Sacramenia, in the Province of Segovia, Spain, between 1133 and 1141. Dedicated as the "Monastery of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels," it was later renamed after the Cistercian Monk Bernard of Clairvaux.

In 1925, William Randolph Hearst purchased the Cloisters and outbuildings, which were dismantled and shipped to the United States. In 1952, the stones were purchased by W. Edgemon and R. Moss to create a landmark attraction. It was later acquired for the Episcopal Church with assistance from benefactor Col. Robert Pentland, Jr., preserving the monastery as a historic monument.

Barnacle Historic State Park

Located in Coconut Grove alongside Biscayne Bay, The Barnacle Historic State Park offers a view of Old Florida. Built in 1891, The Barnacle was the home of Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe, a Coconut Grove pioneer. The park preserves a remnant of the original Miami Hammock landscape. Visitors can enjoy picnics, porch rocking chairs, and seasonal events such as Moonlight Concerts, Old Time Dances, Starlight Movie Classics, and Firefly Lawn Parties.

Coral Castle Museum

A unique historic stone structure built by Edward Leedskalnin in Homestead, Florida.