Crandon Park
Crandon Park | |
---|---|
Crandon Park beach in Key Biscayne, Florida | |
Type | Municipal |
Location | 6747 Crandon Boulevard Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, United States |
Area | 808.8 acres (3.273 km2) |
Created | 1947 (1947) |
Operated by | Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department |
Parking | Over 3000 spaces |
Website | Crandon Park |
Crandon Park is an 808-acre (3.27 km2) urban park in metropolitan Miami, occupying the northern part of Key Biscayne. It is connected to mainland Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway.
History
The land Crandon Park occupies was once part of the largest coconut plantation in the United States, operated by William John Matheson and his heirs. In 1940 the Matheson family donated 808.8 acres (327.3 ha) of their land to Dade County (now Miami-Dade County) for a public park. In return, county commissioner Charles H. Crandon promised that the county would build a causeway to Key Biscayne. World War II delayed construction, but the causeway opened in 1947.
Crandon Park included a zoo, occupying 48 acres (19 ha) of the park. The first animals in the zoo, including some lions, an elephant and a rhinoceros, had been stranded when a circus went out of business in Miami. Some Galapagos tortoises, monkeys and pheasants were added from the Matheson plantation. Other animals were added, including a white Bengal tiger. In 1981 the Crandon Park Zoo was moved from the park to a location south of Miami, and became the Miami MetroZoo, later renamed the Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens.[1]
Facilities
The park is more than 800 acres (320 ha) in size, and has 2 miles (3.2 km) of beach on the Atlantic Ocean side. Crandon Boulevard extends from the end of the Rickenbacker Causeway through the length of the park, providing access to the Village of Key Biscayne and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
The park has a variety of facilities, including a marina, a golf course, the Tennis Center at Crandon Park, a family amusement center, picnic shelters and a nature center. There is parking for more than 3,000 vehicles in the park. Part of the park is set aside as the Bear Cut Preserve, a designated natural Environment Study Area. Guided tours through the preserve are available.[2]
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center, also known as Biscayne Nature Center, is located at the north end of Crandon Park. Features include natural history exhibits, demonstration lab classroom facilities, an audio visual presentation room and a gift shop. The center is a project of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department and the not-for-profit community support group.
References
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Blank, Joan Gill. 1996. Key Biscayne. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press, Inc. ISBN 1-56164-096-4.
- Crandon, Charles H. (no date, circa 1976). Country Bumpkin. Miami: Johnson Press.
- Wilkinson, Jerry (2001). "Life and Times of William John Matheson". Retrieved March 2, 2011.
External links
- Crandon Park - official site
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center - official site
25°42′36.79″N 80°9′23.12″W / 25.7102194°N 80.1564222°W / 25.7102194; -80.1564222
- v
- t
- e
- Downtown Miami
- Arts & Entertainment District
- Brickell
- Central Business District
- Historic District
- Government Center
- Park West
and universities
- Barry University
- Broward College
- Carlos Albizu University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida International University
- Florida Memorial University
- Johnson & Wales University
- Miami Dade College
- Miami International University of Art & Design
- Nova Southeastern University
- St. Thomas University
- University of Fort Lauderdale
- University of Miami
- Alice Wainwright Park
- Amelia Earhart Park
- Arch Creek
- The Barnacle Historic State Park
- Bayfront Park
- Big Cypress National Preserve
- Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
- Biscayne National Park
- Brian Piccolo Sports Park & Velodrome
- Chapman Field Park
- Crandon Park
- Dinner Key
- Everglades National Park
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- Fort Dallas
- Fruit & Spice Park
- Greynolds Park
- Haulover Park
- Jungle Island
- The Kampong
- Margaret Pace Park
- Matheson Hammock Park
- Miami Seaquarium
- Monkey Jungle
- Museum Park
- Oleta River State Park
- Peacock Park
- Pride Park, Miami Beach FL
- Shark Valley
- Simpson Park Hammock
- South Pointe Park
- Tamiami Park
- Tropical Park
- The Underline
- Virginia Key
- Zoo Miami
- Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
- Amerant Bank Arena
- Bass Museum
- Bergeron Rodeo Grounds
- Biltmore Hotel
- Bonita Chita Key
- Broward County Convention Center
- Butterfly World
- Coral Castle
- Downtown Miami
- FIU Stadium
- Florida Grand Opera
- Fontainebleau Miami Beach
- Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop
- Frost Art Museum
- Frost School of Music
- Gulfstream Park
- Hard Rock Stadium
- HistoryMiami
- Holocaust Memorial
- Homestead
- Jewish Museum of Florida
- Kaseya Center
- Las Olas Boulevard
- LoanDepot Park
- Lowe Art Museum
- Lincoln Road
- Lummus Park
- MacFarlane Homestead
- Miami Beach Architectural District
- Miami Beach Convention Center
- Miami Children's Museum
- Miami City Ballet
- Miami Conservatory
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- New World Symphony Orchestra
- Normandy Isles
- North Shore
- Ocean Bank Convocation Center
- Ocean Drive
- Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
- Pérez Art Museum Miami
- Riverwalk
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
- South Beach
- The Miami Line
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
- Watsco Center
- Wolfsonian-FIU
- Wynwood Art District
- Aventura Mall
- Bal Harbour Shops
- Bayside Marketplace
- Boynton Beach Mall
- Brickell City Centre
- Broward Mall
- CocoWalk
- Coral Square
- Dadeland Mall
- Dolphin Mall
- The Falls
- The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale
- The Gardens Mall
- Lincoln Road
- The Mall at 163rd Street
- Mary Brickell Village
- Miami International Mall
- Midtown Miami
- Midway Crossings
- Miracle Marketplace
- Pembroke Lakes Mall
- The Promenade at Coconut Creek
- The Shops at Sunset Place
- Sawgrass Mills
- Southland Mall
- Shops at Merrick Park
- Town Center at Boca Raton
- Westland Mall
- Amtrak
- Broward County Transit
- Brightline
- Government Center
- Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport
- Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport
- Miami-Dade Transit
- Metrobus
- Metromover
- Metrorail
- MIA Mover
- MiamiCentral
- Miami Intermodal Center
- Miami International Airport
- Miami–Opa Locka Executive Airport
- North Perry Airport
- Palm Beach International Airport
- Palm Tran
- Pompano Beach Airpark
- Port Everglades
- PortMiami
- Tri-Rail
- East 6th Avenue
- North 36th Street
- North 54th Street
- North 79th Street
- North 103rd Street
- North 125th Street
- North 135th Street
- West 7th Avenue
- West 12th Avenue
- West 27th Avenue
- West 107th Avenue
- Allapattah Road
- Alton Road
- Bird Road
- Biscayne Boulevard
- Brickell Avenue
- Broad Causeway
- Collins Avenue
- Coral Reef Drive
- Coral Way
- County Line Road
- Douglas Road
- Flagler Street
- Galloway Road
- Gratigny
- Ives Dairy Road
- Julia Tuttle Causeway
- Kendall Drive
- John F. Kennedy Causeway
- Killian
- Krome Avenue
- William Lehman Causeway
- Le Jeune Road
- Ludlam Road
- MacArthur Causeway
- Miami Avenue
- Miami Gardens Drive
- Milam Dairy Road
- Miracle Mile
- Okeechobee Road
- Old Cutler Road
- Port Boulevard
- Quail Roost Drive
- Red Road
- Rickenbacker Causeway
- South Dixie Highway
- Sunset Drive
- Tamiami Trail
- University Drive
- Venetian Causeway
- West Dixie Highway
- WikiProject