This state park occupies an area of two hectares in the Coconut Grove neighborhood. The centerpiece of the park is the mansion of the same name, which was built in 1891 and is by now the oldest house in Miami-Dade County. Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of the founders of Coconut Grove, once lived here. In 1973, the Florida Park Service bought about 1/8 of the estate from Munroe’s heirs.

Ralph Munroe decided to settle in Florida in 1887. A keen yachtsman and yacht designer, he chose it as a much more suitable place to do what he loved than his native New York. Munro was later elected Commodore of the Miami Yacht Club, a position he held for 22 years. Over the course of his life, he designed plans for 56 different yachts. One of his last boats, the Mikko, was on display in the park until Hurricane Andrew, and a replica of his 8.5-meter boat, the Egret, is still on display here today.

Munro knocked out only a narrow road in the grove that a car could barely drive on. As a result, the lands of Barnacle today, with their many old trees, are very attractive for walking.

Commodore Munroe cherished his native nature, and the groves on his estate today remain some of the very few portions of Miami’s once vast coastal forests. Munro cut only a narrow road in the grove that a car could barely drive through. As a result, today the lands of Barnacle, with their many old trees, are very attractive for walks, picnics on the lawns, and all sorts of things to do here after seeing the mansion, at your pleasure.

There are always some kind of events going on in the park. There are concerts and theatrical productions, yoga classes and dog lovers meetings.
Inside the mansion you will find beautiful interiors of the times of the development of this part of the coast and quite a lot of original furniture. The museum’s exhibit focuses on life and life in Coconut Grove during the 1900’s. Visitors can tour the mansion on one of four guided tours of the grounds (you can’t do it yourself).

Another great time at Barnacle is bird watching. Because the trees here are so old and dense, there are many more birds than you’d expect from a typical city park. Especially during the spring and fall migrations. And pelicans, kingfishers, storks, and cormorants live in the park year-round.

Practical information

This is accessible by the Miami Metrorail, Douglas Road or Coconut Grove stations.

Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday (tours are at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.). Wednesday and Thursday entrance is open to groups by appointment.

Admission to the park is free. Cost for a tour of the estate is $3 USD for adults over 12 years old, $2 USD for children 6-12 years old.