Tropical Park

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 west of South Miami.

History

The land opened as a county public park in 1979, on the grounds of the former Tropical Park Race Track, which had used the lands since 1931.

Facilities

It has a boxing center, fields for football, soccer, and softball, as well as facilities to play basketball and volleyball. For those who enjoy racquet sports, Tropical Park has a tennis center with 12 tennis courts that are wheelchair-accessible, and racquetball facilities. There are four lakes within the park, a 2-acre (8,100 m²) dog park, as well as paddleboating, and freshwater fishing. Cyclists, joggers, and runners use the miles of paved pathways circulating through park.

Equestrian Center

Throughout the year, the park hosts horse shows, rodeos, and other special events at the Tropical Park Equestrian Center. The equestrian center hosts over 30 horse shows a year, including international shows. The old racetrack's stables were used as part of the equestrian center.

Stadium

The Tropical Park Stadium is home to the Miami-Dade Track and Field Team, and 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.

Santa's Enchanted Forest

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

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