Ancient Spanish Monastery
16711 W. Dixie Hwy, North Miami Beach, FL 33160
http://www.spanishmonastery.com
305 945-1461
Amazing Miami Attractions -- Built in Segovia, Spain in 1141, the Monastery Cloister is the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst brought the pieces to America, and in 1952 Miami developers reassembled the monastery on its current site. Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1:30-5 p.m. Adults $5, children (under 12) $2, seniors (55 and older) $2.50, students with valid I.D. $2.50.
Crandon Park / Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation
6747 Crandon Boulevard
(305) 361-5421
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156
www.fairchildgarden.org
(305) 667-1651
Behind the seemingly natural beauty of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden lies a carefully orchestrated blend of art and science. Documented botanical specimens provide valuable resources in science and education, while horticultural displays and the classic landscape design by William Lyman Phillips offer visitors an unforgettable aesthetic experience.
Since 1938 Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has assembled an outstanding collection of taxonomically arranged and well-documented tropical plants, emphasizing palms, cycads, flowering trees and shrubs, vines and fruit trees. Except for certain cultivated plants and critically endangered species, many of these plants are collected from the wild. These collections are now a resource of world significance. They also are an important local resource, providing the beauty which makes Fairchild a major cultural and visitor attraction, as well as offering a basis for education, research and conservation.
Jungle Island
1111 Parrot Jungle Trail
jungleisland.com
(305) 400-7000
Jungle Island (formerly Parrot Jungle) is an interactive zoological park in Watson Island, Miami, Florida, United States. It was originally Parrot Jungle and moved from its original suburban Pinecrest to its present location just east of Downtown Miami renamed as Parrot Jungle Island. In 2007, the park was again renamed to Jungle Island.
The theme park's landmark are its sails covering the Jungle Theater, an arena where visitors encounter wildlife from all over the world. On the other side of the theater lives Hercules, the 900-pound liger, a cross between a lion and a tiger. The park is also home to a trained bird show at the Parrot Bowl, and an exhibition of reptiles, penguins, flamingos and other animals at the Serpentarium.
Free transportation to the attraction from Miami Beach hotels is provided.
Miami Seaquarium
4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne, FL 33149
www.miamiseaquarium.com
(305) 361-5705
The Miami Seaquarium is a 38-acre (15 ha) oceanarium located on the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States and is located near downtown Miami. It is the longest operating oceanarium in the United States. In addition to the marine mammals, the Miami Seaquarium also houses various fish, sharks, sea turtles, birds, reptiles and manatees. The park offers eight different marine animal shows and presentations daily and attracts over 600,000 visitors per year. The park employs over 225 full and part-time employees. It is the third largest contributor to Miami-Dade County’s revenue through land lease payments and taxes.
From 1963 through 1967, 88 television episodes and two movies starring Flipper were filmed at Miami Seaquarium. One of the Park's attractions is Lolita, one of the world's oldest captive orcas. She is currently the park's only orca. Lolita arrived at the Miami Seaquarium in 1970, where she joined the park's first orca, Hugo.
Matheson Hammock Park
9610 Old Cutler Road
httpwww.miamidade.gov/parks/parks/matheson_beach.asp
(305) 665-5475
Matheson Hammock Park is a lovely scenic park with an unusual feature--a man-made atoll pool, which is flushed naturally with the tidal action of nearby Biscayne Bay. Its tranquil breeze-swept beach is a haven for families who enjoy its warm, safe waters and beautiful waterside views. Matheson is also a prime spot for Kite-Boarding. Its active breezes and calm shallow waters make launching easy.
The park also has a full-service marina, snack bar and restaurant built into an historic coral rock building, picnic pavilions and nature trails. Matheson also contains a sailing and power boat school.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
3251 South Miami Avenue
www.vizcayamuseum.org
(305) 250-9133
The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a stunning piece of Miami history. Lauded as a National Historic Landmark, the museum is a beautiful combination of man-made and natural resources
Vizcaya was built in 1916 by James Deering, founder of International Harvester. Vizcaya hosts an impressive collection of art and artifacts, furniture and more, spanning approximately 2,000 years. Pieces come not only from throughout North America but also from Europe and Asia. Especially noteworthy are the home's original furnishings.
Guided tours of the interior of the mansion are available daily. The tour includes all 34 furnished rooms on the first floor and takes about 45 minutes to complete.
Outside the museum, the gardens are lush and present myriad photo-taking opportunities. The gardens are linked together in a series of "rooms'' and include not only plantings but also sculpture and a number of other accent items.