Historic Virginia Key Beach Park
Historic Virginia Key Beach Park
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Located off of Miami's Rickenbacker Causeway in Key Biscayne, this beach features a vintage carousel and train ride.
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4.0
157 reviews
Excellent
50
Very good
63
Average
29
Poor
6
Terrible
9
Gabe Da Russian
3 contributions
Mar 2022
This park has the bets trails for mountain biking in all of Florida, I am a regular here and have contributed to trail building myself every weekend as well as a good mountain biker and can say that they are maintained and serviced regularly as well as updated too so you always have a new challenge. As of right now there are 17 trails, a learning area for drops, dirt jumps that are being built, and a beginner/kid area for kids to practice their skill on near the entrance. The entry fee is $8 per car but will be free if you enter via bicycle or on foot! Remember to wear your helmets as they are mandatory on the trails and be mindful of more experienced riders. Be safe, respectful and have fun!
Written March 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arielfl
Coconut Creek, FL2,105 contributions
Jun 2018 • Solo
Virgina Key Beach Park is considered historic because in 1945 it was designated a "colored" only beach. This was done to appease the African American GI's who had just come back from saving the world from the Germans only to find that they could not even use the beach in their home country. Virginia Key Beach Park was created for the exclusive use of the black community while Crandon Park on Key Biscayne was designated for whites. Even though Virginia Key Beach Park contained a miniature railway and a carousel the beach was only a half mile long compared to Crandon Park being almost ten times larger. Segregation of the beach ended in the 1960's and Virgina Key Beach started to slide into a decline. In the 1980's the park was closed by the city who cited the high cost to maintain it. Through the years the beach was eroded by hurricanes and the buildings were vandalized. Activists got together and expressed their desire to have Miami's only public park on the Atlantic Ocean reopened. A Virginia Key Beach Park Trust was created and they worked on restoring the park which re-opened the park to the public in 2008. In 2002 the park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
Today you can visit this historic beach for an $8 cash only entrance fee on the weekends or $6 weekdays. Your kids can still ride on the antique carousel or play on the expansive playground. There is a restroom and vending machines in the park. A concession stand operates on a limited seasonal schedule. There are picnic tables, grills, hiking trails, mountain bike trail, wetlands, and ocean front cabin rentals. The worlds largest sandcastle built by Turkish Airlines is great for pictures as is the beautiful view from the beach. I came on a rainy Saturday afternoon to march with Lummi Nation from the Pacific Northwest. They were in town to ask for Tokitae/ Lolita who resides across the street in the Miami Seaquarium in the smallest orca tank in North America to be given back to them as she was stolen from their ancestral water. It is a short walk to the Miami Seaquarium from the park. It is well worth the entrance fee to the park to be able to enjoy some of the best beach front amenities Miami has to offer.
Today you can visit this historic beach for an $8 cash only entrance fee on the weekends or $6 weekdays. Your kids can still ride on the antique carousel or play on the expansive playground. There is a restroom and vending machines in the park. A concession stand operates on a limited seasonal schedule. There are picnic tables, grills, hiking trails, mountain bike trail, wetlands, and ocean front cabin rentals. The worlds largest sandcastle built by Turkish Airlines is great for pictures as is the beautiful view from the beach. I came on a rainy Saturday afternoon to march with Lummi Nation from the Pacific Northwest. They were in town to ask for Tokitae/ Lolita who resides across the street in the Miami Seaquarium in the smallest orca tank in North America to be given back to them as she was stolen from their ancestral water. It is a short walk to the Miami Seaquarium from the park. It is well worth the entrance fee to the park to be able to enjoy some of the best beach front amenities Miami has to offer.
Written June 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael Ž
Prague, Czech Republic9 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
Horrible! We paid 8$ to enter, then couldnt find any nice beach. There were no people, but there was a reason for that. During our search for a hidden beautiful beach, each of us got bit by mosquitos like 30 times. After 40 minutes of walking we found nothing. Terrible smelly water, dirty sand and thousands of mosquitos. We gave up and left not caring about those 8$. That experience was the worst. Never go there, ever!
Written September 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
622elianap
40 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
The park and picnic areas are clean and well maintained. Reserve picnic areas ahead of time for parties. We've celebrated young children and teen's birthdays. Always nice and not crowded.
The beach is pretty though not a lot of sand. It is good for walking or just sitting and staring out at the ocean.
The beach is pretty though not a lot of sand. It is good for walking or just sitting and staring out at the ocean.
Written January 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paulo R
Rio de Janeiro, RJ111 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
Virginia Key Park is across street from the Miami Seaquarium. There is a fee for each car entering the park, which I pay even if I am just spending an hour sightseeing. But the beach is a hidden paradise. You don't hear much about it but when you get there and find that beautiful beach with parking, cabanas, calm and very clean waters you feel like including this destination in your must see map of Miami. I would avoid weekends, since like most beaches in Miami, it is full of people making barbecue. But during week days, there is very few people and you feel like being on a private beach. Also like other beaches in Miami, there are pebbles (rounded/ pointless rocks) near the water but the "torture" of crossing the 6 feet layer is compensated by the wonderful water.
Written March 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jeweltones
Great Falls, VA482 contributions
Jul 2013 • Family
We drove around the Miami Marine Stadium, which is on Virginia Key, to see it again because I used to go to the boat races there in the 70's--what great fun they were!! Then we drove over to Virginia Key Beach, near the Marine Stadium. The beach is nothing like it used to be. Virginia Key Beach was THE beach in the 70's. Everybody went there. South Beach didn't exist. It was lined with old dilapated hotels filled with elderly people sitting around. It was known for that. The art deco hotel transformations came in the 80's. Virginia Key Beach was the main beach and it was beautiful. Palm trees studded the beach and other tropical vegetation You could cook out on the beach, picnic, and it was a major family beach. I still have photos of the way it was. The zoo was in Crandon Park on Key Biscayne--the Crandon Park Zoo. After the beach we would go to the zoo, it was close by. Everything was free. The beach was closed for a time, then it was decided to renovate it, which they are doing now. Unfortunately, it will never be like the old beach. The beaches on Key Biscayne are better, especially Cape Florida Bill Bagg's State Park. If you go to the end you can look out over the water and see Stiltsville, or see a manatee, or, go to the lighthouse area which is very pretty. We've seen weddings there.
Written December 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harry B
Coral Gables, Florida, United States14 contributions
Jul 2013 • Solo
Came this morning got to the entrance handed the guy a $5 bill he said it was six i asked when it went up he sarcastically said " like months ago" ...weeks ago i was going to come but didnt have cash only card and at that time it was $5 so i asked if he had needed a dollar for something. he said nothing. Feeling insulted i carried on to see a cop car parked in the middle of the street he approached my vehcle and asked what i was doing and where i was going in an interrogating tone(need i mind u i was not speeding or anything of the sort) asked if there were beaches there that thats where i was heading he says you can go now there were no signs and a fork in the rd so i asked him which way to go for the beaches he just looked back and said you csan go asked again which way says again you can go ahead. Got to beach it was like a ghost town all lots on the way to main area were closed off, nature trail closed off. i was wondering if the beach was opened at all. it was a ghost town even the raccoon looked sick that i saw. then i read somehing about a restoration project on a posterboard lasting till dec 2013 ...this place was a $6 insult. Do your self a favor drive a bit more south and visit bill baggs state park or crandon park. VA Key should not be open. Its very shady. Unpleasant experience to say the least. Its ashame to because you can see potential there but they shouldnt be charging their made up admission prices when nothing is open. >:(
Written July 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
businesstraveler05
Miami, FL209 contributions
I took three kids to this beach this week and this beach was disgusting. Trash and broken glass everywhere. Sea grass growing close to shore and one of the only good parts is that we saw huge crabs here. There are picnic tables and some tiki hut covers. Come on Miami, clean up your beaches. Cost 6 dollars to enter. Don't recommend.
Written July 5, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniela
Buenos Aires, Argentina9 contributions
Oct 2019
Really quiet beach. It has parking and walking and bike paths. Well maintained facilities.
Really nice place to spend the day,
Really nice place to spend the day,
Written November 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
madams4379
Rockford, IL65 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
This beach was less crowded than the other beaches we visited, but it (just like the rest) was full of stench and seaweed. We didn’t know the beach closed at 7 p.m., paid to park, and was told to leave less than an hour later. It was kind of a bummer. Oh, and we saw a few raccoons....that don’t seem too afraid of humans.
Written July 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am wondering if there is public transportation that gets to Virginia Key. Coming from south beach, would I have to go back into Miami and our onto the key, or is there a water taxi?
Written February 7, 2019
I believe they do! I saw the hop on hop off bus going there on a Saturday so you might want to look at their website. Miami’s Dade has public transit app you can download as well.
Written February 9, 2019
Puedo casarme allá sin necesidad de permiso? sólo somos los novios el notario y los 2 testigos será algo simple....
Written July 11, 2017
No se en realidad pero creo que no habría problema hablando con tiempo en el mismo lugar.
Si tienes esa intención realmente el lugar es maravilloso así que vale el intento
Written July 12, 2017
cebonsall
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Plan on spending some time MTB riding Virgina Key and Markham Park next winter. Where is the best..and affordable place to camp between these two destinations? Will either have a small RV or Truck Roof Tent ⛺️ to stay in. Any information would be appreciated, thanks 🙏
Written March 28, 2017
Millany C
Union Grove, North Carolina
Can you bring a bbq? What about alcohol?
Written February 10, 2016
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