Family Friendly Attractions In Miamiby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 22 Aug 2007 12:20 PM Miami is known for its hip nightclubs, luxury hotels, and fast cars. Not exactly kid-friendly offerings. But, dig a bit deeper and you'll find that the tropical locale really does cater to families. Here are a few of noteworthy attractions that will delight children of all ages: Miami Children's Museum The Miami Children's Museum is filled with brightly decorated rooms that are crammed with bilingual, interactive exhibits. Your children can take turns dressing up as a police officer, a clown or a doctor before they head off to another room to spin records in a mock recording studio. Meanwhile, animal loving kids will have a blast learning about pets in the museum's mini veterinary office. And, children who can't get enough of the green stuff can enter a pretend vault through a door shaped like a pink piggybank. The quietest time to go is "Wonderful Wednesday." However, tickets cost $10 no matter what day you show up. Fruit and Spice Park The Fruit and Spice Park is home to more than 500 varieties of exotic and subtropical fruits, nuts, spices and herbs. And all are at your disposal as you stroll the winding paths on the 32-acre property. You can see, taste and learn (with help from your tour guide) about unique treats such as papayas, guavas, tart carambolas, sweet finger bananas, mangoes and more. Before you leave make sure you make a pit stop in the park's gift shop. That's where you'll find cookbooks, plant books, spices, seeds and dried and canned fruits. The park is located just outside of Miami in Homestead, Florida. It is open daily and admission is $5 for adults and $1.50 for children. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Located in beautiful Coral Gables, Florida, the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is worth the 30-minute drive from Miami. It features 83 acres of man-made lakes surrounded by native and rare fruit trees, cactus gardens and plants from around the world. A brick path leads visitors to the Windows to the Tropics conservatory, where orchids, ferns and Bird of Paradise thrive. Next to the conservatory sits a two-acre rainforest and a tropical fruit pavilion where sweet treats hang from trees. If you have young children I would recommend taking the narrated 40-minute tram tour. It covers the most ground and the tour guides offer useful (and somewhat humorous) information. The park is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission ranges from $10 to $20 depending on your age. Related Articles: Family-Friendly Attractions In Charlotte, North Carolina Wisconsin: Family Friendly Parks Summer Travel: Family Friendly Shows Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags florida, family travel, kid activities, Miami, Travel Discuss this article
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