22 of the best things to do in Miami with kids

Miami isn’t an instantly obvious destination for a family holiday – but if bling, bars and beautiful bodies on South Beach are what springs to mind first, there are actually far more things to do in Miami with kids than you’d think.

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When I first visited, it was the Art Deco buildings (try this self-guided tour) and the unusual street art of Wynwood Walls which grabbed my attention. When I went back with my daughter for a short stay before and after a cruise and to start our Florida Keys road trip, the beach obviously topped our list.

But if you’re planning a trip to Miami with kids, that’s just the start. I’ve picked out some of the best family-friendly attractions and days out, and to make it easier for you to get your bearings around the city, they’re grouped into geographical locations.

Miami Beach

The chances are you’ll visit Miami Beach at least once during your trip to Miami with kids, even if you’re not staying here – and as well as all that glorious gorgeous golden sand, there are some great attractions for families.

Duck Tour

One of the most fun tours of Miami with kids, the Duck tour visits South Beach before splashing into the waters of Biscayne Bay.

Lasting 90 minutes, the amphibious vehicle takes you to some of Miami’s best sights on land, including Miami Beach’s Art Deco buildings, before heading into the ocean to spot some of the mansions along the shore.

There’s a chance to learn some of the city’s history along the way that’s guaranteed to be more fun for families than the traditional tours.

Tickets to the Duck Tour are included in the Miami: Go City pass, along with around 30 other attractions

Hop-on hop-off bus tour

For another family-friendly tour of Miami, there’s a choice of hop-on hop-off bus tours, including one from Big Bus, which takes you from South Beach to Bayside Marketplace, Little Havana and Wynwood Walls, among other stops on the loop.

There’s also the option to add a 90-minute boat cruise if you’d like to see some of the highlights of Miami Beach from the water.

Or there’s a second option for a hop-on hop-off bus tour with 90-minute cruise of Millionarie’s Row included too, following a similar route on land.

Tickets for the Big Bus tour are included in the Miami: Go City pass, along with around 30 other attractions

Boat tour of Miami with kids

If you’re not bothered about a bus tour but would love to get out into Biscayne Bay, there’s plenty of choice – a lot of boat tours leave from Downtown Miami, but I’ve grouped them together here as the focus is Miami Beach and the islands.

Kids will love the Pirate Adventure Sightseeing Cruise – including complimentary pirate hats and mustaches drawn on their faces, before setting off for the 80-minute bilingual cruise.

Or thrill-seekers will love the sightseeing speedboat tour – suitable for age 3+, it’s perfect for adventurous tweens and teens.

For a tour of Miami Beach with a difference, how about the Underground Donut tour which takes you along the oceanfront to discover more of the city, while also getting to enjoy a series of sweet treats

Flamingo Park

Any trip to Miami with kids would not be complete without a visit to Flamingo Park!

Quite simply, this place is child heaven. Set in the heart of Miami’s South Beach, the 36-acre park features a state-of-the-art aquatic center that has two brilliant pool areas, including one housing an eight-lane swimming pool, for those who want to do laps.

But there’s also a really cool kid’s splash area which has a water mushroom, and zero-entry pool, as well as a structure with swings, slides and lots of fountains. On a hot day, kids will want to spend hours here: ideal if you just want to lounge in the sun.

For kids who’d rather not get wet, there is also a separate playground and climbing wall nearby, along with the site’s other sports facilities, like a soccer field and baseball stadium.

For another amazing pool with a difference, head to Venetian Pool in Coral Gables – carved out of a coral rock quarry in the 20s, it’s the largest freshwater pool in the US, with the water refilled every day, and a string of waterfalls and grottos under the palm trees. Under-threes not permitted.

Miami (including Miami Heights & Downtown)

With museums, animal attractions, shopping and other entertainment, I’ve grouped together a few different areas of Miami in this section, including Downtown Miami (which is easy to combine with Miami Beach) and Miami Heights.

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

If your kids are into science, a trip to the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is unmissable on a family city break in Miami.

Located in Downtown, the museum is huge, covering 250,000 square feet across four buildings. And the great thing about this particular museum is that most of its exhibits are interactive, so kids will be doing everything from touching and smelling as they learn.

Temporary exhibitions have covered everything from Bugs to Da Vinci’s creations, plus there are some great permanent exhibits at the Frost science museum such as Feathers to Flight, covering both animal flight and human invention There’s also a three-floor aquarium, and a chance to marvel at the constellations of the night sky in the planetarium.

Miami Children’s Museum

With 14 exhibition halls to explore at Miami Children’s Museum, there’s no chance of anyone getting bored at this exciting museum on Downtown Miami’s Watson Island (tickets must be prebooked)

Kids will love scrambling around the full-size cruise ship and going behind the scenes at a TV studio, as well as getting hands on at the construction zone and letting their imagination run riot at the Castle of Dreams.

If you’re visiting the city with kids who have additional needs, there’s also a great multisensory room designed to reduce anxiety and aimed at children with conditions including autism and sensory processing disorders.

Tickets to the museum are included in the Miami: Go City pass, along with around 30 other attractions

Zoo Miami

For kids who love animals, don’t miss the chance to visit the fantastic Zoo Miami. Sprawled across almost 750 acres in South Miami Heights, this is the only subtropical zoo in mainland USA.

With everything from elephants, gorillas and koala bears to crocodiles, ostriches and camels, there are over 500 species of animals to see here.

As well as containing several rare species, you’ll find interactive exhibits and presentations which are really entertaining, including the chance to watch training sessions with the zoo’s ambassadors.

Between animal spotting, kids will also love the fun children’s area, splash pad, carousel and riding the monorail.

Tickets to the zoo are included in the Miami: Go City pass, along with around 30 other attractions

Jungle Island

If your kids are big animal fans, Jungle Island Miami should definitely be on your list of things to do with kids in Miami.

With more than 1,000 tropical birds, there are also daily feeding shows and everything from tigers to alligators to see plus special animal encounters.

But that’s only the beginning of the attractions at this eco-adventure park, with a special light show Luminosa as well as the Treetop Trekking high ropes course and Jungle Splash water park, and you definitely won’t have chance to get bored.

Miami Children’s Theater

One of the coolest things to do in Miami with kids is to take them to a show at the Miami Children’s Theater.

Founded in 1996, this venue was recently awarded the title of the ‘best regional children’s theater of the decade’ by no lesser judges than BroadwayWorld.

All the shows are performed by students aged six to 18 years old, and are specifically geared towards children of the same ages, so your kids will easily be able to relate to – and maybe even be inspired by – the productions they see.

The performances are put on by a non-for-profit performing arts theater group, which has been responsible for launching the careers of 12 Broadway actors over the last 15 years – so that gives a fair indication of what standard of show you will see.

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum is great for train enthusiasts big and small, with a dozen old railcars on display, 10 of which you can climb aboard.

You can also take a 10-minute journey through the rail yard aboard the Link locomotive, plus you’ll find model sets and memorabilia along with the vintage train cars and Thomas the Tank Engine play tables.

It’s right next to Zoo Miami, so an easy option to combine if you want to fill a day out without too much travel.

See a sports game

If your children love sports, then why not treat them to a live game in the city?

Miami is blessed with a number of professional sports teams, including the likes of the Marlins (baseball), Heat (basketball) and Dolphins (NFL), although the latter play a little further out at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Head even further towards Fort Lauderdale and you could also catch Inter Miami CF (soccer) and Florida Panthers (hockey).

Depending on when you’re visiting Miami with kids, you can buy tickets to watch any of these pro teams in action – although you may need to book well in advance of your visit, especially for the most popular games, to avoid disappointment.

Your kids will love the fast-paced action, even if they’re not already fans of the team, and chance to see their heroes up close and personal if they are.

If you can’t get tickets to a pro game, the University of Miami also has a number of sports teams you can watch too.

Dolphin Mall

Even if shopping isn’t normally top of your list of family-friendly activities, it’s worth considering the Dolphin Mall, the city’s largest outlet mall.

There are close to 250 retail stores in total, including the likes of Bloomingdales, H&M, Saks Fifth Avenue and OFF 5TH, Ross Dress for Less and Old Navy Outlet.

You could easily spend a day here, as the kids browse everything from clothes, make-up and accessories to toys, books and the latest gadgets.

There is also live music at weekends, while the 19-screen cinema shows plenty of child-friendly movies. The food courts here are also very good: check out Buffalo Wild Wings and Charcoal’s Latin Grill among many other options.

Museum of Ice Cream

For a day out that looks as good as it tastes, the Museum of Ice Cream is packed with photo ops and sweet treats.

You can play in the sprinkle pool, learn more about the history of ice-cream and tuck into some scoops along with exploring the multi-sensory installations.

it’s just a few minutes from the Frost Museum of Science if you want to combine some learning with more fun too. Get tickets with free cancellation.

Other Miami districts (North Miami, Wynwood & Key Biscayne)

Venture a little further north or south from Downtown and Miami Beach, and you can easily discover plenty of other family-friendly days out in Miami.

Oleta River State Park

Florida has no fewer than 175 state parks if you’re looking to make the most of the area’s natural beauty.

And the Oleta River State Park is a great place to visit if you’re exploring Miami with kids. It’s just a 30 minute drive from downtown, but feels like a completely different world.

Set across 1,000 beautiful acres in North Miami, there’s something for all ages at Florida’s largest urban park. You could choose to chill out on a bayfront beach, fish off the pier, or for something more active, try snorkeling, go kayaking through mangroves or hit the bicycle trails.

Dezerland Park

Over in North Miami, Dezerland Park is one of the largest indoor attractions in Florida, so if you’re trying to fill a rainy day or the blazing sun gets unbearable, this is one of the best places to go in Miami for families.

It’s got everything a kid could want in one giant space, including go-karts, roller skating and bumper cars, along with a trampoline park, a ropes course, rock climbing and simulators.

They’ve even got virtual reality displays, as well as an arcade and glow-in-the-dark mini golf.

Best of all, this 250,000 square foot entertainment center is completely free to enter – you just pay for the rides you want to go on. If you’re looking for theme parks or amusement parks in Miami, this should definitely be on your list as one of the best alternatives.

FunDimension

FunDimension is another excellent option for rainy days, or when the afternoon heat gets too much.

Situated in Wynwood, this fantastic, family entertainment center is spread across 15,000 square feet, and has been cleverly designed to ensure your kids will be entertained for hours.

One of the main attractions here is a massive three-story indoor playground, but there are also illuminated spinning bumper cars, laser tag, video arcade games, bungee jumping and a fantastic 7-D theatre.

And with an onsite bar for parents, there’s another reason a visit to FunDimension is one of the best things to do in Miami with kids, as you can sit back with a coffee or wine while they play. Get one hour of unlimited attractions here.

Paradox Museum Miami

Right in the heart of Wynwood, there are more than 70 illusions at Paradox Museum to challenge your sense of reality – and provide more than a few great photos too.

You could walk on the ceiling, challenge yourself to balance in the Paradox tunnel, or vanish entirely in the Camouflage Wall

One of a string of museums worldwide designed to trick your eyes and boggle your brain, it’s a few way to spend an hour or so with kids.

Museum of Graffiti, Wynwood

If you’re visiting Miami with teens, you shouldn’t miss the Museum of Graffiti in Wynwood telling the story of its move from despised decoration to art form.

Set among the famous Wynwood Walls murals in the former industrial district, the exhibitions space holds works from well-known artists but also archive material tracing its journey from its roots in 60s and 70s counterculture to today’s far more respected pieces.

There are also 11 exterior murals to see and a great art gallery as well, so it’s perfect for kids who love street art – or just art in general.

There are plenty more street art experiences in the area too – as well as entry to Wynwood Walls, you can get hands on with a tour that includes a 30-minute spray painting session

Crandon Park Beach

One of the most popular family beaches, you can take a breather in the beautiful Crandon Park Gardens on Key Biscayne, just south of Miami Beach.

This 800-acre escape was once part of the country’s largest coconut plantation and it’s perfect for getting outdoors. Look out for the nature trails in the protected Bear Cut Preserve within the park.

As well as the lovely beach, where you can splash in the waves, there’s a carousel and playground for younger kids, roller skating, waterspots like kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding plus a nature center.

For more of the best beaches in Florida with kids, check out my top picks

Biscayne National Park

Another gorgeous escape that’s perfect for active families, you can see Miami from Biscayne National Park – but it feels a million miles away.

This water-bound nature reserve has brightly coloured reefs teeming with with crustaceans and tropical fish to snorkel – this is the largest marine sanctuary in the National Park Service

Or take a canoe out for a few hours around the fascinating mangroves. With many activities free, kids can also quiz local rangers about the park.

The Everglades

While the Everglades are outside Miami itself, it takes an hour or less to reach them from the city, so it’s a perfect day out from Miami with kids – there’s a good reason these are the best-known of the national parks in the Miami area.

Check out my guide to Everglades National Park with kids for more tips, including what to see and do from the Shark Valley entrance

Everglades Alligator Airboat Ride

The Everglades is one of only two everglades systems in the world (the other being in Noosa in Queensland, Australia), so it’s an unmissable part of a trip to Miami with kids.

One of the best ways to explore is to book a private airboar ride, or semi-private ride around the national park, for a thrilling, adrenaline-fuelled experience your children will never forget, although you can find Everglades airboat tours galore, including plenty of bigger airboat tours of the Everglades too.

Propelled by an airplane engine that skims over just 6 inches of water, the airboat rides take you deep into the waterways, where you can see see alligators, turtles and a range of exotic birds which reside around the sawgrass mangroves.

Although this part of the experience is a fairly leisurely ride, at other times, you’ll be whisked around at speeds of around 30mph.

Miccosukee Indian Village

Whilst you’re exploring the Everglades, save some time to give your children a slightly different Miami experience by taking them on a guided tour of the Miccosukee Indian Village.

Giving you the opportunity to explore an authentic Native American village in a fun, engaging way, visitors can view displays and exhibits about the tribe’s culture and history.

This includes visiting a fascinating museum and eating the tribe’s traditional cuisine. There’s also a gift shop, where you can check out some of the authentic crafts and products made there.

The central attraction isn’t for everyone, with alligator demonstrations, although you can skip right past if you want – the tribe learned how to capture them with their bare hands, although the focus is now on conservation and education (and not wrestling!), although you’ve still got to be pretty brave to get close to a 9ft gator.

For ideas of more unusual things to do with kids in Miami, we took a great food tour of Little Havana along Calle Ocho – check out my review of the tour with a toddler, as well as my Florida Keys itinerary with kids, starting in Miami

*First published 2014, last updated 2026*

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Images: Depositphotos

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