Crandon Park Beach & Family Amusement Center452

Crandon Park Beach, rated as one of the top ten beaches in the country, is two miles long, super wide, and has an offshore sandbar that provides calm, shallow waters just right for babies and toddlers. Older kids can head out beyond the sandbar for deep-water fun.

Sometimes at low tide the sandbar reveals itself as an L shape, which makes it possible to walk from the shore to its outer reaches without ever touching the water! A promenade, great for biking and walking, winds all along the beach.

Swimming is permitted only when lifeguards are on duty in one of the thirteen elevated lifeguard towers on the beach.

Crandon Family Amusement Center: This little park offers fun for the entire family. Check out the antique carousel, roller rink, squirting seahorse fountain, and playground, which is built to keep kids safe and busy. Most important, all is completely wheelchair accessible. From the accessible and wheelchair-friendly climbing area to the swing set which accommodates kids who need some extra support, this playground is a breath of fresh air kids of all abilities.

Crandon Park Carousel: The carousel, reopened in 1998 after sitting idly in storage for 20 years, first started spinning in 1950. Volunteer artists from the New World School of Arts participated in the restoration and created horses, each with its own design, that are works of art in themselves. Check out Danny Boy (distinguished by leopard spots), Pretty Phoebe (covered in butterflies), and Mean Captain Red (a pirate horse). Tickets are available at the concession stand. The carousel is open on weekends only, 10am-5pm.

Roller Rink: The paved, banked roller rink has guard rails and a central median with benches that invite rests between laps. Older children can inline skate while younger ones enjoy the carousel and playground. Skates (the old fashioned roller derby type) can be rented at the concession stand.

Seahorse fountain: It squirts, which makes it lots of fun for little ones. If it doesn't seem to be working, check with the concession stand staff. When we visited there were water restrictions, so the fountain only worked for a limited number of hours per day.

Crandon Park Gardens: This 200-acre garden, the site of the old Miami Zoo, contains trails winding through a tropical rainforest and a tropical hardwood grove, and abounds with wildlife, such as iguanas and birds. Don't miss the chance to take a canoe ride across one of the lakes in the Central Garden.

Parties: Shelters located in the recreation area and near the beach are available for parties. The large shelters and they must be reserved in person. For more information, call 305.361.5421.