Where is Rapunzel? Can you see the cut out hearts? This gem is called Coral Gables Wayside Park…read moreand is located in Coral Gables. Talk about Mediterranean Revival. It consists of 8 towers and a park at the western entrance to Coral Gables. Coral Gables Waterway passes right through this park. A pair of 13-foot square towers form the entrance with additional smaller towers that flank SW 34th and 35th street. On January 19, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

This park looks like something out of a fairy tale. Located at the western edge of Coral Gables…read morethis park has eight Mediterranean Revival style towers that were built in 1925. Two thirteen foot tall towers form the entrance while the smaller towers are on 34th and 35th street. The Coral Gables waterway passes through the park and it is filled with ducks and wading birds. This park was added to the US National Register of Historic places on January 19, 1989. It is a lovely spot to have a picnic under one of the large shade trees as you take in the charming view.

Griffing Park is the Veteran's Park that every town has. It has a clock, a fountain, and a few…read moresmall plaques recognizing the sacrifices of our soldiers. There is a community center across the street and a wide open field for play and exercise. Griffing Park takes it's name from Arthur Merlow Griffing who came to this area from New York in the 1920's during Florida's land boom years. He established a nursery and worked as the landscaper on developer Carl Fisher's projects. When demand for land became high he subdivided and sold off his tomato fields which became the development of Biscayne Park. The town was incorporated in 1931 and the name of the town was changed to the Village of Biscayne Park. There isn't much to draw someone here from outside the neighborhood but what caught my eye and why I stopped is the display of mass graves set up to honor people lost to Covid. This is the second memorial of it's kind set up in Miami. The first was erected on October 14, in Simonhoff park in Liberty City. So far more than 3,600 people have died from the Corona virus in Miami Dade County and 231,000 people have succumbed across the nation. The display in Griffing Park was put together by Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin and U.S. Representative Frederika Wilson. They put up the display to provide a place for people to grieve and to remind everyone what is happening in their community. They hope that the display will encourage people to wear their masks and save lives. This moving memorial will remain up through the month of November. Three stars for the park but five stars for the display.

Camp Matecumbe is the name of a summer camp created by the Diocese of St. Augustine on the Boystown…read moreland they purchased in 1955 in a rural part of unincorporated Southwest Miami-Dade called the Hammocks. In 2003, the 98 acre Boystown campus was sold to Miami-Dade to become a park marking the history of Operation Pedro Pan, a secret exodus of over 14,000 Cuban minors, ages 6 to 18 to the United States over a two-year span from 1960 to 1962. Parents sent unaccompanied children to the United States amid fears sparked by the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Many were sheltered here upon their arrival. Today the name Camp Matecumbe is more closely associated with a new type of nature themed playground designed by LandscapeDE. They are a design firm that creates very distinctive and creative outdoor play spaces for children. If you ever saw one you would know it instantly. They created the amazing ADA accessible playground in Pinecrest Gardens with the anole lizard ramp, a small nature themed playground for Biscayne Shores & Gardens Park, and what I think is the best example of their work, the brand new play area in Pioneer Park in Port St. Lucie. While not as large as the playground in Pioneer Park, Camp Matecumbe has more than enough to keep children entertained for hours. Invasive plants were removed and the design was developed to incorporate the endangered Pine Rockland preserve that exists in the park. A highlight of the play area is a hill with a 20 foot long slide. To reach the top children can climb native oolite block steps or a slope covered in mortared river rock. Other playground elements include musical instruments such as bells, metallophones, and chimes, a play house, swings, and a climbing net The park also has paved walkways, native plants and trees, seating, and recovered cypress river logs from Florida. I love how the design of this park incorporates elements from nature resulting in a very inviting and sustainable play area where children can enjoy the outdoors while strengthening their bodies and developing their imagination.

Only Con: no bathroom…read more Everything is on point! It has various types of swings for 10 months old and up. It has a cool slide that it's on top of like a little hill made out Coral looking cement. Then there's a toddler section with 2 slides and little section to sit on top of slide area. Also, chalkboard and musical area where kids can touch drums and bells. They have a climbing thing made out of rope. There's benches everywhere for parents to sit and to watch their kids and have a picnic (if wanted). CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN!

Van Smith Park is a little oasis of nature in the midst of a South Miami neighborhood. The land for…read morethis natural hammock 1.14 acre park was acquired by the city in 2003. The park features a walking trail, open green space, and picnic table. A memorial plaque in the park that states that in 1946 the Guitier family sold two acres of pineland to Howard Van Smith for $2,000. The Van Smith's had already built a wood frame house on the property in 1943. The Van Smith Nature Preserve was established in 1946 by Howard, his wife Anne nd their four young sons Garrett, Parris, Anthony, and William. The preserve was to be kept in its natural state for all to enjoy. The open area is a great place to play and the surrounding woods at the edge of the park beckon exploration by young adventurers.. Cone out and have a picnic or just enjoy a spot of nature in the midst of urban Miami.

A pleasant mini park which also doubles as a nature trail. I would imagine this is a hidden gem for…read morepeople in the know in South Miami. They have benches and tables and nice walkabout trail to follow. They even had a mini book library which is so nice to see. Drop a book off and take a book.

This is a small and pleasant park in Coral Gables on the canal. You can launch a kayak here and…read moretravel to the Biltmore! A pleasant little spot to be at one with nature. The park is named after Ruth. Here is some information regarding this historical woman. https://gablesinsider.com/opinion-once-upon-a-time-in-coral-gables-there-lived-a-significant-figure-in-womens-history/

This is a small but quaint park. I spans about 1.25 acres. There was no parking lot. I just pulled…read morein and made my own spot. In addition to ducks, I saw some decent sized iguanas there. The park has signs posted warning of animals attacking. There is a nice decks that overlooks the water. There are a few benches and picnic tables around the park. The grass is screaming for some maintenance..."cut me, cut me..." I do not know how good (or legal) it is, but someone was fishing while I was there. It is a peaceful spot minus the busy intersection that it sits off of. This is a simple, what you see is what you get park. It has so much potential. With a little investment and time it could be so much better.

This park is located in Wynwood and was originally named Wynwood Park. In 1974 Miami renamed the…read morepark, Roberto Clemente Park to honor the Puerto Rican Baseball legend. Wynwood has a rich Puerto Rican Heritage and was once known as Little San Juan. Roberto Clemente (1934-1972) was a right fielder with the Pittsburg Pirates for 18 seasons and an All Star for 13 of those seasons. Some of Roberto Clemente's records with the Pirates include most triples in a single game (three) and hits in two consecutive games. He won 12 Gold Glove Awards and shares the record of most won among outfielders with Willie Mays. Clemente was the first player from the Caribbean and Latin America to win a World Series as a starting position player (1960), to receive an NL MVP Award (1966), and to receive a World Series MVP Award (1971). Although Roberto Clemente is primarily remembered as a gifted baseball player he considered his charity work to be his most important legacy. Clemente was deeply involved in helping Latin American and Caribbean countries and he called the creation of a sports center for disadvantaged youth in Puerto Rico his greatest achievement. Clemente told reporters "The biggest thing I want to do is for the youths... for the kids. When I am ready to quit baseball I will have my sports center... to me it will be the most important thing in the world." Many professional Puerto Rican players have trained at the center. Roberto Clemente passed away at the age of 38 during a plane crash when he was attempting to bring relief supplies to victims of a earthquake in Nicaragua. His body was never recovered. His children carry on his humanitarian legacy through the Clemente Foundation. This gated three acre park includes a parking lot, playground, baseball fields, basketball court, picnic tables, and a community center with computers. It serves as a community hub hosting numerous community events, after school programs, winter camp, youth programs, sports leagues, fitness classes, and cultural celebrations throughout the year. The park is about to get several improvements which include an artificial turf baseball/soccer field, batting cage, LED lights, and drainage improvements which will make the park a more enjoyable recreational space for those who use it. It was a beautiful day to walk around the park and learn about Roberto Clemente. His passion for baseball and helping people has long outlived his short time on earth. I think he would be pleased to know that a park in his honor is still helping children and an entire community today.

Lovely passive park with beautiful art, walking trail, gardens, benches, amphitheater, and…read morepowerlines above. This park is truly lovely but the placement near an industrial area and townhome is weird. Although it is close to the highway this makes it convenient to visit. Basically one can walk the park in 15 minutes but if you study the art it will take longer. For me the vibe is freedom, starting over, and liberty for immigrants in the expression of the art. I can totally relate since my parents migrated from another county and struggled here and made it here. In my opinion, the art felt like it was a tribute to all the Latin artists and what they felt. I am glad I made my way to this park because I think the idea of art in a park is brilliant as well as using dead space among the power lines is smart.

Wow! Well done Hialeah! Opened in 2015, Garden of the Arts is a free botanical garden with art…read moreinstallations. It was created as a result of the Miami-Dade County Building Better Communities Bond Program. A paved half mile walking trail winds among art and plants located under power lines. This is an area that is usually left empty although I sometimes see other towns put passive parks under them. The art in the park is by local and world renowned artists. Artists featured include Alexander Mijares, Astrid Alcayaga Art, Reynaldo Artires, Villamil ART, Rafael Consuegra Studio, Noel Leon, Antonio Fortuna Art, Aristide, Juan Abuela, Zaida del Río, Roberto Perez Crespo, Ramon Pedraza, Florencio Gelabert, and Alexis Porro-Fortún Artist. There are 11 murals, some of which relate the history of Hialeah. There are also sculptures that range from small to quite large. I never got bored. As I wandered down the path there was always a cool plant or thought provoking piece of art to discover. As I walked it was a little disconcerting to hear the power lines crackling overhead. The park also includes an amphitheater, benches and seating areas, and an elevated stage with turf seating. The amphitheater can be rented for private events like weddings. Parking is in a free lot at the entrance to the park. What a wonderful place to experience the arts and culture in the setting of a beautiful botanical garden.

This park has a couple of decent sized parking area and has a nice fenced in playground area, a…read morerecreation center and a fitness trail. The park is also home to the Carlos "Patato" Pascual Baseball Complex. They have 4 very nice baseball fields that host many tournaments. The complex has all the facilities that comes with a baseball complex including concessions, restroom facilities and announcer's booth. The park is located right next to the Grapeland Water Park and behind a golf course. It is also close to MIA airport. The fitness trail is in need of some maintenance in certain areas and has old equipment along the route, but will get the job done. The trail circles the baseball complex. You will find some picnic tables on the perimeter near the front of the park between the parking lot and fitness trail that you can sit and eat or just kick back and relax. It is located off of a main drag so it is not very peaceful a spot. The playground, which is behind the recreation center is enclosed in a fence and has a very large jungle gym with a rock climbing wall, a bridge, and a couple of slides. There is a bench for parents to sit and watch there kids play. It looks like the equipment use to have a shade awning that covered it, but the frame is all that remains. The ground is lined with the rubbery mat material with a paved cement perimeter. The equipment is well maintained but limited. This park is decent. I would have probably given it a 3.5 if I could. The playground and baseball fields are top notch. But outside of that there is not much to offer.

I'm so happy to have found this park, it's hidden within the grapeland water park and is a gem. The…read morewhole playground area is gated in and the actual play equipment has awnings over them. There's benches all around the playground so you can sit and watch your little one from whichever side they choose to play on.