Tropical Park is a 275-acre (1.11 km²) urban park in metropolitan Miami, Florida. The park is located just southwest of the intersection of the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826) and Bird Road, just east of South Miami.

History [edit]

The land opened as a county public park in 1979^[1] on the grounds of the former Tropical Park Race Track, which had used the lands since 1931.^[2] It has fields for softball, soccer and football as well as places to run Or jog, ride bike, play basketball and volleyball. For those who enjoy racquet sports, Tropical Park has a tennis center with 12 tennis courts which are wheelchair-accessible. Racquetball facilities are also available and a boxing center. There are four lakes within the park, a 2-acre (8,100 m²) dog park as well as paddleboating, and freshwater fishing. Joggers and cyclists use the miles of paved pathways circulating through park.

Facilities [edit]

Throughout the year, the park hosts horse shows, rodeos and other special events at the Tropical Park Equestrian Center. The equestrian center hosts over thirty horse shows a year, including international shows. The old racetrack's stables were used as part of the equestrian center. The Tropical Park Stadium is home to the Miami-Dade Track and Field Team. The stadium has hosted prestigious national track and field meets such as the Junior Olympics, USA National Track and Field Championships, and many local high school football games.

From early November through the beginning of January, Santa's Enchanted Forest takes over a large part of Tropical Park. The annual holiday event features six million lights, a giant Christmas tree and carnival rides.

References [edit]

Notes