Homestead’s variety of family-oriented attractions and proximity to some of the world’s rarest and most beautiful natural lands and waters is fast making this area a top vacation destination. Whether you want to experience the thrill of the race at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Park or glide silently through the Everglades in a canoe at dawn, the area’s many things to see and do provide lots of excitement or ultimate relaxation.

Nearby parks provide easy access to our valuable resources while protecting them for the education and pleasure of future generations. Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in North America, lies less than half an hour to the west of Homestead on Hwy. 9336. Take a self-guided canoe trips into the backcountry or a naturalist-led stroll on wheelchair accessible boardwalks. Among the many activities available are camping, biking, fishing, wildlife observation, tram tours, ocean and backcountry cruises. The marshland, mangrove islands and sawgrass prairies are home to rare wildlife such as panthers, crocodiles, manatees and wood storks, as well as alligators and wading birds.

A short trip to the east on S.W. 328^th St. is the entrance to Biscayne National Park, one of the few aquatic parks in the country -- 95 percent underwater and best experienced, of course, by boat. Those who explore the bays, keys and reefs enter the fragile world of manatees, mangrove and coral. Fishing is excellent year-round. Visitors without boats can rent canoes, schedule glass bottom boat tours or participate in guided scuba diving and snorkeling expeditions. Launch facilities are available at Homestead Bayfront Park and Black Point Marina. Primitive camp sites, nature trails, picnic areas and a harbor providing free docking are located on Elliott Key. Dockage is available on Boca Chita, a small island with a lighthouse and no facilities on the north side of Elliott Key. For information call the park and the Convoy Point Visitor Center at 1-305-230-PARK.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a divers’ favorite since its creation in the 1960s, lies just south of Biscayne National Park. Here scuba divers and snorkelers swim through tunnels of coral, around sunken ships, past stingrays, barracudas and the famous Christ of the Deep statue. Snorkel, scuba and glassbottom boat tours both within the park and outside in Key Largo provide unsurpassed views of the coral reefs. Other activities include canoeing, boating (rentals available) and enjoying the beach. The park entrance is located at Mile Marker 102.5 in Key Largo on U.S. 1. Contact park headquarters at 1-305-451-1202.

John Pennekamp park is part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary established in 1989 to protect the only living reef system in the continental United States. The sanctuary covers 3,000 square miles of land and sea surrounding the entire chain of the Florida Keys. Banned from the area is any activity destructive to the coral reefs, which are thousands of years old. Encouraged is the careful enjoyment of the area by divers and boaters who, thanks to this protection, continue to marvel at silver tarpon, roseate spoonbills and staghorn coral. For more information about the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary call 1-305-451-1644

Besides our breathtaking natural wonders, Homestead/Florida City offer an abundance of fun attractions for the whole family. The Homestead Sports Complex is one of the most complete training and tournament centers for all levels of baseball in the country. As America’s finest Major League Spring Training Facility, the Stadium seats 6,500 and expands to 9,000 and features Major League natural turf playing field. The Stadium’s award-winning design provides today’s sports enthusiasts with optimum sight lines and an intimate scale that brings them close to the action. The state-of-the-art training center, adjacent to the stadium, serves the community year-round.

Other popular attractions include Coral Castle (248-6344), America’s mysterious "Stonehenge." Designed and built by Latvian immigrant Ed Leedskalnin in the 1920s, these fascinating carvings were sculpted and moved with only handmade tools, a remarkable engineering feat. The Everglades Alligator Farm (247-2628), located in Homestead, offers airboat tours throughout the Everglades. Explore Florida’s wildlife and foliage in their native habitat. The Fruit and Spice Park (247-5727), also located in Homestead, features an impressive array of over 500 exotic fruits, herbs, spices and nuts from around the world at this 20-acre park. Another unique Homestead attraction is Monkey Jungle (235-1611), where the monkeys run free and the people are caged! Explore this tropical jungle filled with hundreds of wild monkeys. Tropical Fun Center (246-3731) is perfect for family fun, with eighteen holes of adventure-style mini-golf, Indy-style go-kart racing, hi-tech batting cages and game rooms.

Farther to the north Miami offers a host of attractions, from the sparkling beaches to a sophisticated arts and culture scene. Besides the big-city glamour, this international city also offers family-oriented activities. The Miami Metrozoo (251-0400) is one of their most popular attractions. Considered one of the nation’s largest zoos, it features more than 2,000 animals from around the world that live in a cageless environment that closely resembles their natural habitat.

The Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, long considered one of the finest auto-racing facilities in the world, are debuting their newly constructed racetrack. Formerly, the track featured a quad-oval design, which has now been changed to a constant radius (continuous turn) oval. The new asphalt is curing in preparation for the Jiffy Lube Miami 300 in early November. The rounding off of the corners into this new design allows for even better competition and racing excitement. The elevation of the backstretch turns has also been increased by nine feet, further improving sightlines from the grandstands. This state-of-the-art racing facility currently features the new constant radius oval, an 8-degree banked turn track and a 2.21 mile road course. Corporate hospitality suites built over the garages and skyboxes overlook the entire complex. Future plans include a racing history and educational museum. Four major events and eight minor events contribute over $100 million to the local economy each year. Ancillary businesses such as driver-training, tire and fuel testing and others will provide additional economic stimulus. For more information, call 230-RACE.

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