Historic Virginia Key Beach Park
Miami, FL
Historic Virginia Key Beach Park was Miami's segregation era beach for its Black residents, opened in 1945 and now restored as a city park with a mile of shoreline, an antique carousel, and a miniature train that circles the grounds. The water here stays calm and clear enough for easy swimming, with lifeguards on duty.
The civil rights history and genuinely calm swimming water make it a meaningful stop beyond just another Miami beach, though the weekend parking fee is steep compared to nearby options.
How we score beachesVisit the small museum and exhibit near the entrance before heading to the sand, the park's civil rights history is worth the twenty minutes it takes to see. Weekday visits mean a much lower parking fee than the weekend rate, worth timing around if the schedule allows.
Parking runs 5 dollars per vehicle Monday through Thursday, jumping to 10 dollars Friday through Sunday and 12 dollars on holidays. Entry on foot is free.
Paved paths and a boardwalk lead from the lot to the beach and through the coastal hammock trails, mostly flat and easy going. The historic bathhouse and carousel area are both accessible from the main paved walkways.
Leashed dogs are welcome throughout the park.
Winter and spring bring South Florida's driest, mildest weather and the biggest crowds drawn by it. Summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, thin the crowds some on weekdays despite the warmest water of the year.
More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.