Miami vacation fun for families

Evoking the essence of Miami with a mix of history, education and just plain fun, local tourist attractions offer much more than a break from the beach for families visiting Miami.
Jungle Island, which relocated in 2003 to Watson Island in close proximity to resorts and cruise ship terminals, is a 18.6-acre theme park that is home to more than 3,000 exotic animals and 500 species of plants. Here, visitors enjoy animal stage shows, one-of-a-kind interactive aviaries, plant nurseries, jungle trails, a petting farm and educational exhibits, as well as world-famous parrot shows, a new Serpentarium and Jungle Theater, an Everglades Habitat and much more — all nestled on a lush tropical island.
Nearby, the Miami Children’s Museum features interactive exhibits, including a miniature supermarket, television news studio, cruise ship and a giant sandcastle slide. MCM is one of the ten largest children’s museums in the United States and destined to be one of the most successful.
One of Florida’s most popular tourist attractions, Miami Seaquarium, gained notoriety as the location for filming of 1960s hit TV show Flipper. Indeed, “Flipper” still has his own daily show at the Seaquarium, as does Lolita, the killer whale, and the other fascinating sea creatures who reside at South Florida’s largest marine aquarium. Miami Seaquarium also offers Salty’s Pirate’s Playground, feeding sessions with sharks and manatees as well as many other educational programs. The Seaquarium unveiled its new dolphin habitat, Dolphin Harbor, in 2007. The new $5 million habitat features a 12,000-square-foot, 700,000-gallon dolphin pool surrounded by an 8,000-square-foot meeting facility and is home to the park’s expanded “Swim with our Dolphins program.”
Families also enjoy spending time with the rest of the animal kingdom at Miami’s acclaimed Metrozoo. One of the world’s great zoos and the only one in the continental United States located in a subtropical climate, Metrozoo opened a new $35 million exhibit, Tropical America, in 2007. Larger than the average American zoo, the 27-acre exhibit features jaguars, anacondas, giant river otters, stingray touch tanks and more. The zoo is also home to the American Bankers Family Aviary Wings of Asia exhibit, with more than 300 birds representing 70 species of exotic, rare and endangered Asian birds in a large free flight area that feels like an Asian jungle. Another popular attraction at the zoo is Dr. Wilde’s World, including a new Wild Earth Jeep Simulator where guests can take a virtual African safari.
Several attractions located in the area near Metrozoo hold special appeal for families. Monkey Jungle, owned and operated by the DuMond family for three generations, is home to 400 primates, most running free on a 30-acre reserve. It is one of the few protected habitats for endangered primates in the United States and the only one that the general public can explore. Another homegrown family-owned attraction, Everglades Alligator Farm invites visitors to enjoy an exhilarating airboat tour into the surrounding Everglades and a stroll around the farm to see the alligators, crocodiles, caimans and wildlife that reside there, as well as a great display of local and exotic snakes. Coral Castle probably wins the designation for “most offbeat” tourist attraction. Kids will love the quirky construction, built over the course of 20 years with homemade tools by one man in a seemingly impossible display of strength and obsession.
At the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, the kids will be clamoring to play with wooden model train sets, including the beloved Thomas the Tank Engine, while everyone will want to climb on board displays of historic railroad equipment, including such treasures as the Ferdinand Magellan, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s private railroad car. Transportation buffs will also want to check out the Weeks Air Museum, located at Tamiami Airport west of downtown Miami. Visitors can explore the fascinating history of aviation, reliving the events of World War II from a pilot’s perspective while viewing a historic display of aircraft and aviation artifacts.
Families who seek insight into Miami’s early settlers can visit the Miccosoukee Indian Village and discover centuries-old culture alive and well just minutes from downtown. Guided tours take you through the past, present and future of the tribe through craft demonstrations, a museum and alligator wrestling, while airboat rides through the River of Grass are available. Other nearby facilities offering alligator exhibitions, airboat rides and natural wildlife and plant tours also include Coopertown Airboat Rides and Florida Seminole Tourism and AH-TAH-THI-KI Seminole Museum Everglades Adventures. The Miccosoukee Tribe also operates a multi-service gaming and entertainment complex that offers plenty of video games and recreational activities for the whole family to enjoy.
Parents of stargazers and budding naturalists will also want to schedule a trip to the Miami Science Museum. Traveling and permanent exhibits are largely geared toward children exploring subject matter from dinosaurs to the properties of physics. Daily shows point out the stars of the season, while the Wildlife Center houses rare birds of prey and reptiles. While exploring this neck of the woods, everyone will want to check out nearby Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, the lavish waterfront Italian Renaissance mansion built by industrialist James Deering in 1916. Perfectly suited for Miami’s subtropical climate, Fairchild Botanical Tropical Garden draws thousands of horticulture lovers annually to the 83-acre botanical garden which boasts extensive collections of rare tropical plants, including palms, cicadas, flowering trees and vines. Children can enjoy a naturalist treasure hunt, identifying various plants, insects and animals as they wander the lush, expansive grounds. After all that walking and exploring, the kids will want to cool down — right next door to Fairchild is Matheson Hammock Park, which features a toddler-friendly lagoon style beach, perfect for a late afternoon dip.