Main Page - The Barnacle Historic State Park

Manager's Message

Enjoy Family, Friends, and Fun at one of your Florida State Parks!

Need a refuge from the hustle and bustle of modern life? Would you believe that you can find it in the heart of Miami’s Coconut Grove? The Barnacle Historic State Park offers a lovely view of Biscayne Bay and of Old Florida. Commodore Ralph Munroe's home and boathouse are right out of the 19th century and one can well imagine how life may have been as he and his family made a home on the frontier in South Florida. The Commodore was known to share this paradise he'd found, and it is in that spirit that we plan our special events and programs.

Enjoy the park after hours each Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m. for Yoga by the Sea, with Amy Burleson - you'll enjoy the peace and tranquility that the park offers as the sun sets and the city slows down.

We're busy planning the next full season of events, Moonlight Concerts, Old Time Dances, Starlight Movie Classics and the Firefly Lawn Party…and that’s just what we have in store from September through December! You’ll want to join us, so watch this website for dates and details.

Until then, bring your family and friends for a visit during our regular park hours, for a picnic on the grounds and a guided tour of The Barnacle. You'll love our view of "...the Real Florida" and the old Grove.

- Katrina Boler, Park Manager

Welcome to The Barnacle Historic State Park

This beautiful house with a whimsical name dates to a quieter time. The Barnacle, built in 1891, offers a glimpse of Old Florida during The Era of the Bay. Situated on the shore of Biscayne Bay, this was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove´s most charming and influential pioneers. Munroe's principal passion was designing yachts. In his lifetime, he drew plans for 56 different boats. As a seaman, civic activist, naturalist, and photographer, Commodore Munroe was a man who cherished the natural world around him. A walk into the park passes through a tropical hardwood hammock. In the 1920s, it was representative of the original landscape within the city of Miami. Today, it is one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock. Enjoy sitting in the rocking chairs on the spacious porch used as a gathering place or on a bench under a tree for solitude.

Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries.
For Information about The Barnacle Historic State Park, please call 305-442-6866.

Hours of Operation

The Barnacle is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with tours at 10, 11:30 a.m.; 1 and 2:30 p.m. Friday through Monday and for groups by reservation Wednesday and Thursday. The park is closed on Tuesdays, New Year´s, Thanksgiving and Christmas days.