Miami with kids

Best things to do with kids

Museum · Downtown Miami

1.Frost Science Museum

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Museum Park has a three-level aquarium built around a huge Gulf Stream tank, a planetarium and hands-on science galleries for all ages.

Look up through the giant oculus lens at the bottom of the aquarium to watch sharks and rays swim overhead.

Time needed

3 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Kids
• Rainy day
• Nature

Zoo · South Miami-Dade

2.Zoo Miami

Zoo Miami, about 35 km south-west of Downtown, groups animals by region in open habitats, with Asian, African and Australian species and Florida wildlife. The site is large, so plan a full morning and use the tram or rent a bike.

Arrive at opening; the animals are more active and the afternoon heat is intense.

Time needed

Half a day

Cost

Mid-priced

• Kids
• Nature
• Outdoors

Park · Key Biscayne

3.Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

At the southern tip of Key Biscayne, this state park has a long sandy beach, shady trails and the Cape Florida Lighthouse, built in 1825 and the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. From the seawall you can see the Stiltsville houses standing in the bay.

Ask at the park about guided lighthouse climbs, then rent a bike and ride the island's trails.

Time needed

Half a day

Cost

Low cost

• Outdoors
• History
• Views
• Kids
• Nature

Historic site · Coral Gables

4.Venetian Pool

Created in 1924 from a coral-rock quarry, the Venetian Pool is a public swimming pool filled with fresh well water, with waterfalls, grottoes, a stone bridge and Venetian-style loggias. It is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

Check the age and height rules before you go; very young children are not admitted.

Time needed

2–3 hours

Cost

Low cost

Book ahead

Entry is capped; reserve online in advance for summer and weekends.

• Kids
• History
• Architecture
• Off the beaten path

Experience · Downtown Miami

5.Biscayne Bay boat tour

Sightseeing boats from Bayside Marketplace circle Biscayne Bay past the cruise port, Fisher Island and the waterfront mansions of Star Island, with views back to the Downtown and Brickell skylines.

Take a late-afternoon departure for the best light on the skyline and the mansions.

Time needed

1.5 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Views
• Kids
• Couples

Garden · Coral Gables

6.Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

This 33-hectare garden in Coral Gables has collections of palms, cycads and flowering tropical trees around a chain of lakes, plus a rainforest area and a butterfly conservatory. A narrated tram tour gives an overview of the grounds.

Visit in the morning in warmer months and start with the tram tour to get your bearings.

Time needed

2–3 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Nature
• Outdoors
• Couples
• Kids

Park · South Beach

7.South Pointe Park

At the southern tip of Miami Beach, South Pointe Park has lawns, a playground, a waterfront promenade and a fishing pier overlooking Government Cut, the channel where cruise ships pass close to shore on their way out to sea.

Come in the late afternoon, when cruise ships often depart and the light falls on the water.

Time needed

1 hour

Cost

Free

• Free
• Outdoors
• Views
• Kids
• Couples

Rainy-day ideas

• Frost Science Museum — Look up through the giant oculus lens at the bottom of the aquarium to watch sharks and rays swim overhead.

Where families should stay

Family travel tips

• Crandon Park on Key Biscayne has calm, shallow water protected by a sandbar and lifeguards, better for young children than the open beaches.
• Watch for purple beach flags, which warn of jellyfish or Portuguese man o' war.
• Use high-SPF sunscreen, hats and shade; the sun is strong even in winter.
• Save museum visits for summer afternoons, when thunderstorms are most likely.
• Mid-Beach resorts with pools and direct beach access suit families better than nightlife-heavy South Beach.

Day trips for families

• Everglades National Park (About 1 hour by car) — The Everglades is a vast subtropical wetland of sawgrass, mangroves and hardwood hammocks.
• Key Largo (About 1.5 hours by car) — The first of the Florida Keys is home to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the United States, with glass-bottom boat trips, snorkelling and diving over the reef, and kayaking through mangrove channels.
• Fort Lauderdale (About 30–45 minutes by train or car) — Fort Lauderdale has a long beach backed by its wave-shaped beachfront wall and the boat-lined canals around Las Olas Boulevard, where water taxis shuttle between restaurants and shops.
• Biscayne National Park (About 1 hour by car) — About 95 per cent of this national park is water: coral reefs, mangrove shores and small islands in Biscayne Bay.

When to go with children

The best months overall are December–April. December–March are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask