Miami Gardens, Florida, is a Miami-Dade town on the Jupiter-to-Key West coast. This guide covers 12 beaches, parks and attractions, 6 places to eat and 14 upcoming events, kept current from official sources. Top picks: Hurricanes football vs Florida A&M (home opener) and Bruno Mars. One of the activities is free. Nearest towns: North Miami Beach (5.2 mi) and Hallandale Beach (6.6 mi).

Last updated September 7, 2026. Events refresh daily; places are hand-picked and re-checked monthly.

Miami Gardens is Hard Rock Stadium: Dolphins Sundays, Hurricanes Saturdays, the Miami Open, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and stadium concerts. Calder Casino sits across the street, and the rest of the city is residential.

For the live version of everything below, open the Miami Gardens page: things to do · events · where to eat.

Beaches & Parks in Miami Gardens

  • Anne Kolb Nature Center / West Lake Park (Hollywood) — 1,500 acres of mangrove estuary, 5-story observation tower, marked kayak trails with rentals. Price: $1.50 · Dogs: leashed (park, not center). (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • Oleta River State Park (North Miami Beach) — Florida's largest urban park: 15 mi of MTB single-track, mangrove kayak trails, Friday sunset and full-moon paddles. Price: $6/car · Dogs: leashed. (in nearby North Miami Beach, 5.2 mi)
  • Hollywood Dog Beach (Hollywood (North Beach Park)) — Fri–Sun afternoons (3–7 or 4–8 pm). Small friendly crowd. Price: $5–10/dog day pass · Dogs: yes. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • Dog-friendly trails (Various) — Birch State Park loop, Riverbend Park, Jonathan Dickinson, Loxahatchee NWR levee, Oleta, Bill Baggs, Big Cypress boardwalks, Barnacle Historic State Park grounds. Dogs: leashed. (in nearby North Miami Beach, 5.2 mi)

Attractions & Activities in Miami Gardens

  • Oleta River (North Miami Beach (BG Oleta)) — Mangrove trails to the Sandspur Island sandbar; Friday sunset paddles, monthly full-moon tours, Sunday SUP yoga. (in nearby North Miami Beach, 5.2 mi)
  • Jet ski, parasail, flyboard (Pompano / FTL / Hollywood / South Beach) — Fort Lauderdale Watersports / Splash Watersports (Pompano & FTL), Boucher Brothers (Hollywood & South Beach). Price: Jet ski ~$100–150/hr, parasail ~$90–120. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi (FTL / Hollywood / Pompano (30+ stops)) — The easy way to bar-hop the Intracoastal. Dog policy conflicts between sources (site says service animals only) — call. Price: All-day $38, evening $25 · Dogs: ask. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • Ancient Spanish Monastery (North Miami Beach) — 12th-century cloisters shipped over by Hearst. Often closed weekends for weddings — call. Price: $10 · Dogs: no. (in nearby North Miami Beach, 5.2 mi)

Shopping & Markets in Miami Gardens

  • Yellow Green Farmers Market (Hollywood) — Sat–Sun 10–6. 300+ vendors, bars, food stalls, live music — a half-day outing Outdoors and dog-friendly on a leash unless noted. Dogs: leashed. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • Dania Pointe & Gulfstream Park Village (Dania / Hallandale) — Open-air lifestyle centers; PopStroke, Lucky Strike, racing. Dogs: yes (outdoor). (in nearby Hallandale Beach, 6.6 mi)
  • Aventura Mall (Aventura) — Third-largest US mall — and officially dog-friendly (leashed; on-site dog park). Dogs: yes. (in nearby Sunny Isles Beach, 7.7 mi)

At Night in Miami Gardens

  • Casinos (Hollywood / Dania / Hallandale) — Seminole Hard Rock Guitar Hotel (casino, Hard Rock Live, Oculus light show, Bora Bora pool day passes); The Casino at Dania Beach (free live music, Stage 954); Gulfstream Park Village. (in nearby Hallandale Beach, 6.6 mi)

Free things to do in Miami Gardens

Nothing here charges admission (parking may).

  • Casinos — Seminole Hard Rock Guitar Hotel (casino, Hard Rock Live, Oculus light show, Bora Bora pool day passes); The Casino at Dania Beach (free live music, Stage 954); Gulfstream Park Village. (in nearby Hallandale Beach, 6.6 mi)

Miami Gardens with kids

  • Jet ski, parasail, flyboard — Fort Lauderdale Watersports / Splash Watersports (Pompano & FTL), Boucher Brothers (Hollywood & South Beach). (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)

Where to eat in Miami Gardens

Waterfront

  • Le Tub (Hollywood) — Bathtub-décor dive. The Oprah/GQ burger; slow, cash-leaning, worth it. $$ · dog-friendly patio. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • GG's Waterfront (Hollywood) — Upscale Intracoastal. Sunset happy hour. $$$ · dog-friendly patio. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • Billy's Stone Crab (Hollywood) — Stone crab house. Family-run since 1975 with its own boats; from Oct 15. $$$. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)

Casual & Family

  • Sonny's Famous Steak Hogies (Hollywood) — Since 1958. $. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)
  • Billy's Stone Crab (season pick) (Hollywood) — Family-run since 1975 with its own boats. The relaxed family alternative to Joe's; from Oct 15. $$$. (in nearby Hollywood, 7.6 mi)

Date Night

  • Mutra ★ (new 2026) (North Miami) — Israeli tasting. The breakout of the year; small and personal. $$$$ · book ahead. (in nearby North Miami Beach, 5.2 mi)

What's on in Miami Gardens

The next 10 events on the Miami Gardens calendar (dates are America/New_York; confirm with the organizer before you go):

  • Hurricanes football vs Florida A&M (home opener) — Thu, Sep 10 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports. Thu 8:00 pm
  • Bruno Mars — Sat, Sep 19 – Sun, Sep 20 · Hard Rock Stadium · Concerts & Live Music.
  • Hurricanes football vs Central Michigan — Sat, Sep 26 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports. 6:30 pm
  • Dolphins vs Kansas City Chiefs — Sun, Sep 27 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports. 1:00 pm
  • Karol G — Fri, Oct 2 – Sat, Oct 3 · Hard Rock Stadium · Concerts & Live Music.
  • Dolphins vs Cincinnati Bengals — Sun, Oct 11 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports. 1:00 pm
  • Hurricanes football vs Florida State — Sat, Oct 17 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports.
  • Hurricanes football vs Pitt — Sat, Oct 24 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports.
  • Dolphins vs New England Patriots — Sun, Nov 1 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports. 4:25 pm
  • Dolphins vs Detroit Lions — Sun, Nov 8 · Hard Rock Stadium · Sports. 1:00 pm

See the full list, refreshed daily: Miami Gardens.

Getting there and planning your day

Miami Gardens sits at 25.942, -80.246 in Miami-Dade. Parking rules, beach access and permits are on the City of Miami Gardens site; the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau calendar lists county-wide festivals; check the National Weather Service Miami – South Florida forecast before a beach or boat day (summer storms build after 2 pm); snorkelers and anglers should read the NOAA tides: Virginia Key, Biscayne Bay; Miami-Dade Transit (Metrorail, Metromover, buses) is the car-free way in; the official Everglades National Park (National Park Service) page has hours and entry fees.

Nearby towns

Each has its own page in this guide:

Official sources and further reading

We link to primary sources so you can verify hours, fees and dates:

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