Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces

county parks department · Outside South Dade

Created

1930

Community

Outside South Dade · outside South Dade

Pinned at

community centroid (no address recorded)

Status as of 11 September 2026

active

Historical state

pre Andrew

Connections

10 edges, 10 distinct neighbours · betweenness 0.056 (rank 6 of 371) · moves and capital only 0.000 (rank 18)

Confidence

High · sources: [A66], [A67] (register)

Dade County opens its first county park, Matheson Hammock, in 1930 under first parks director A. D. Barnes. The department now runs more than 200 parks from the Hickman Building in Miami and owns the Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead Bayfront Park, Black Point Marina, Larry and Penny Thompson Park, Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate in South Dade.

Connections

Moves, founders, developers

• founded byA. D. BarnesFirst director of the county park system1930
• developedBill Sadowski Park and Nature Centercounty operated 30 acre preservepresent
• developedChapman Field Parkcounty acquires 483 acres in 1949 and operates the park1949 to present
• developedHomestead Air Reserve Parkcounty operated parkpresent

Plans, funding, partners

• plannedDeering EstateCounty operates the estate bought with the state in 19851985 to present
• plannedHomestead Bayfront Park and Herbert Hoover MarinaCounty heritage park and marina1939 to present
• plannedFruit and Spice ParkCounty park department owns and operates the park1944 to present
• plannedBlack Point Park and MarinaCounty marina set aside by 1972 referendum1972 to present
• plannedLarry and Penny Thompson Memorial ParkCounty park and campground1977 to present
• plannedZoo MiamiCounty owned zoo1980 to present