Travel guide
Miami works with kids because so much of it is outdoors, free or close together. Here's where to spend your days, from splash pads and splashy museums to calm bay beaches.
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Miami gives you year-round sunshine and a lineup of things to do that doesn't depend on a single big ticket. You can build a day around a beach, a playground and a free concert, or spend it at a zoo or museum. The mix means you can pace yourselves instead of marching everyone through one attraction after another.[2]
The county has over 280 parks, so green space and playgrounds are rarely far away. Miami Beach itself is walkable and easy to get around by bicycle or by the free Miami Beach trolley, which helps when you're pushing a stroller or carrying a tired kid.[2],[5]
Timing matters. The best weather for a visit is from October to May, which also brings Miami Attraction & Museum Months. The off-season summer months can be more affordable and come with deals like Miami Spice, when top eateries offer specially-priced three-course meals at lunch or brunch and dinner.[1],[6]
Miami (MIA)
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Zoo Miami is the headline animal stop, with over 500 species. It's named among the fun things to do in Miami with kids, alongside the Venetian Pool and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science.[2]
The Venetian Pool is a former rock quarry turned swimming spot in 1924, with caves, stone bridges and waterfalls. It holds 820,000 gallons of fresh water from an underground aquifer and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Children must be at least 3 years old and 38 inches tall to enter, and the pool is generally closed on major holidays. It's open seven days a week from Memorial Day through Labor Day and closed Mondays the rest of the year. Hours vary by day and season, so check the city's website before you go.[11]
If you're visiting in summer, non-resident daily admission to the Venetian Pool is $21 per adult and $16 for children ages 3 to 12 between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. Between Labor Day and the end of November, it drops to $16 for adults and $11 for children 12 and under.[11]
For a different kind of big day, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is a 15-minute drive from Downtown Miami. The Cape Florida Lighthouse was built in 1825, and visitors climb 109 spiral steps to the balcony. Tours run at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Thursday through Monday. More than a mile of beach is open for swimming, but there are no lifeguards on duty.[8]
South Pointe Park, at the southernmost end of South Beach, is the easy family win. It has green spaces, a kid's splash pad and a waterfront pier, plus play areas, sculptures, restrooms and a snack shop. You can watch cruise ships come and go from the port, and there's shade and covered seating when the sun gets serious.[5],[6]
Lummus Park on Ocean Drive has a playground, public restrooms and sand volleyball courts. Mid Beach Park has a nautical-themed playground where kids can climb a lighthouse and slide down. Flamingo Park adds a running track, tennis courts, a swimming pool and a water playground.[5]
North Beach is the low-key option, between 63rd and 86th Streets on Collins Avenue. The beach at 75th and Collins has quick access to parking, restrooms, a playground and showers. North Beach Oceanside Park, between 78th and 87th Streets, is one of the biggest parks in Miami Beach, with restrooms, a large shaded playground, picnic areas, a dog park and room to spread out. It also has swings and a play area for children, and the walking paths sit under a natural shaded tree canopy.[5],[12]
For calm water, head to Matheson Hammock Park, on a peninsula that extends into Biscayne Bay. Its atoll pool is a manmade bayfront pool naturally filled by the tides, and the calm water makes it a safe, popular place for young children to swim. There's a playground in the middle of the park for young children, and the park is open from sunrise to sunset daily. Admission is charged.[10]
Crandon Park Beach on Key Biscayne is two miles long with calm waters, a popular sandbar, a waterfront promenade and concession stands. The historic carousel at the Crandon Park Amusement Center runs on weekends and holidays only. Note that no floatation devices are allowed on park premises, so leave the inflatable rings at home.[9]
The Beachwalk is a 7-mile palm-lined path that winds along the ocean in Miami Beach, and it's stroller-friendly. Citi Bike stands are easy to find along it if you'd rather ride. Unlimited Biking offers bike trailers for families.[5],[6]
The Miami Beach Botanical Garden has free admission and hosts family-friendly programming such as jazz evenings and Mommy and Me yoga throughout the year. From October to May, families can watch a free classical music concert or family-friendly movie at SoundScape Park. The New World Symphony offers free outdoor WALLCAST concerts there from October to May, and family-friendly movies show on select Wednesday nights.[5],[6]
The Miami Children's Museum on Watson Island is the one built for this trip. It has 14 interactive and bilingual exhibit galleries and daily programming for the whole family. Admission is $24 for adults and children, $16 for Florida residents, and free for children under 12 months and for MCM members. Parking costs $1 per hour, seven days a week.[3]
If your child needs a quieter visit, the museum runs a monthly Sensory Friendly Saturday program on the 2nd Saturday through Dec 12, 2026. It offers a sensory-adapted environment designed for children with disabilities and their families.[3]
The Bass in Miami Beach offers free Family Days on the last Sunday of each month, with scavenger hunts and hands-on art projects. Its Art Outside exhibition places colorful interactive sculptures and murals around Collins Park and South Beach, which makes for an easy, low-commitment art walk with kids.[5],[6]
The Wolfsonian - FIU hosts free family days on select Saturdays, each with a different theme. For a broader art fix, visitors can spend an afternoon at The Bass, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Museum of Miami or the Wynwood Walls.[2],[5]
South Beach has a free trolley that circulates around the area, and Miami Beach is easily navigable by the free Miami Beach trolley too. A new water taxi connects Miami Beach and Downtown Miami with a free scenic ride on Biscayne Bay — a boat ride that doubles as entertainment.[5],[6]
The Miami Water Taxi departs from Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, which has a modern, music-themed playground, restrooms, green space and shade. That makes a useful combo: play, then ride.[6]
Bikes are easy here. Citi Bikes can be rented at the Ocean Drive and 7th Street station, and you can rent a Citi Bike at 79th Street and Collins Avenue right outside North Beach Oceanside Park. From that park, there's a path close to the beach for enjoying the shoreline without riding on the street.[6],[12]
If you're driving, South Beach has plenty of paid public parking, from garages to open lots. Near North Beach Oceanside Park, street parking is plentiful and inexpensive, and you can pay with the ParkMobile app.[6],[12]
Ocean Drive is lined with cafes with sidewalk seating, many offering kid-friendly menus. Havana 1957 has a popular kids' menu. The Lincoln Eatery has 16 different eateries, which solves the everyone-wants-something-different problem.[6]
Near South Pointe Park, Le Rond serves gourmet burgers, fries and milkshakes. For pizza, MisterO1, Lucali and La LeGGenda Pizzeria serve authentic Neapolitan pies in South Beach. The Sugar Factory on Espanola Way serves chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, burgers and desserts like the King Kong Sundae.[6]
Lincoln Road is a pedestrian-only promenade in South Beach with more than 200 restaurants, sidewalk cafes, shops, art galleries and green spaces along its mile-long stretch. It also features five Gillie and Marc wildlife-themed sculptures, which gives kids something to spot between stops. The Lincoln Road Farmers Market takes place on Sundays.[5],[6]
At Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Boater's Grill in No Name Harbor serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with outdoor seating, and Lighthouse Cafe offers oceanfront views of the Atlantic. Bring exact change for purchases at the concessions.[8]
You don't need to haul beach gear. Visitors can rent beach chairs and an umbrella from Boucher Brothers instead of bringing their own, and chairs and cabanas can be rented from Boucher Brothers or South Beach Cabana Club on 17th Street even if you're not staying at a South Beach hotel. Boucher Brothers also offers water sport rentals such as banana boat rides and jet skis.[5],[6]
Check the calendar before you book. The NASCAR Cup Series comes to Miami from November 6-8, 2026, and Art Basel Miami Beach takes place from December 4-6, 2026 — both can affect crowds and prices. Miami Spice runs through October.[1]
Look at passes and deals before you buy individual tickets. The Go City Pass offers outdoor experiences, museums, attractions and guided tours with savings and flexibility, and Miami deals include admission savings and BOGO deals on various experiences. Hotels that partner with ResortPass offer day passes for hotel access without staying overnight — useful if you want a pool day without booking a room.[2],[6]
Build in shade and water breaks. At North Beach Oceanside Park, water fountains and dispensers let you refill water bottles with the swipe of a credit card, and South Pointe Park has shade and covered seating. If you're at Bill Baggs, note that physical distancing and facial coverings are required both outdoors and indoors.[6],[8],[12]
The All Kids Included Family Arts Festival takes place on May 1, 2027, a Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. It's returning for its 21st year and is designed for children with and without disabilities. The festival is free to attend and general admission, with entry to activities on a first-come, first-served basis. It's held at The Moss Center, and tickets are expected to become available in April 2027, with the full schedule announced in spring.[7]
The festival offers music, dance and sensory-inclusive programming in an accessible community setting, and families can explore multidisciplinary arts activities throughout the day. Performances are created with a range of sensory and accessibility needs in mind. Accommodations include ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices, noise-canceling headsets, closed captioning, large-print and Braille materials, audio description, sensory-inclusive programs and a quiet room.[7]
Earlier in the season, the Participate! Theater performance of Piggie & Gerald takes place on Nov 20, 2026, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. It's presented by Miami Children's Museum as part of Miami Book Fair's Children's Alley programming at Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus in Downtown Miami, at 300 NE 2nd Ave. The program includes selections from Watch Me Throw a Ball, Listen to My Trumpet, We Are in a Play and other stories featuring the elephant and pig friends. Admission is free, and it's held at the Participate! Stage.[4]
Start with Zoo Miami, the Venetian Pool and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, which are named among the fun things to do in Miami with kids. Add the Miami Children's Museum on Watson Island for its 14 interactive and bilingual exhibit galleries. For outdoor time, South Pointe Park and North Beach Oceanside Park both have playgrounds and restrooms.[2],[3],[5]
Admission is $24 for adults and children, and $16 for Florida residents. It's free for children under 12 months and for MCM members. Parking costs $1 per hour, seven days a week.[3]
Matheson Hammock Park's atoll pool is a manmade bayfront pool naturally filled by the tides, and its calm waters make it a safe, popular place for young children to swim. Crandon Park Beach on Key Biscayne is two miles long with calm waters and a sandbar. Note that no floatation devices are allowed on Crandon Park premises.[9],[10]
The Miami Beach Botanical Garden has free admission, and from October to May families can watch a free classical music concert or family-friendly movie at SoundScape Park. The Bass offers free Family Days on the last Sunday of each month with scavenger hunts and hands-on art projects. The South Beach Trolley and the Miami Beach trolley are both free.[5],[6]
The best weather for a visit is from October to May, which offers Miami Attraction & Museum Months. The off-season summer months can be more affordable and come with deals like Miami Spice. Check event dates too: the NASCAR Cup Series is in Miami November 6-8, 2026, and Art Basel Miami Beach runs December 4-6, 2026.[1],[6]
No. You can rent beach chairs and an umbrella from Boucher Brothers instead of bringing your own gear. Chairs and cabanas can also be rented from Boucher Brothers or South Beach Cabana Club on 17th Street even if you're not staying at a South Beach hotel.[5],[6]
The Venetian Pool is scheduled to re-open in summer of 2025. Children must be at least 3 years old and 38 inches tall to enter, and it's generally closed on major holidays. It's open seven days a week from Memorial Day through Labor Day and closed Mondays the rest of the year, with hours varying by day and season.[11]
Every rule, fee and deadline above is taken from these official pages, which we read on October 30, 2026. Rules change, so check the official page before you apply or pay.
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