By: Kara Franker
Hialeah offers plenty of public parks and areas to cool off with a swim. Head to Hialeah and explore one of the many public parks with community and Olympic-sized pools, lazy rivers, large green spaces, outdoor amphitheaters and more.
Bucky Dent Water Park
Bucky Dent Water Park Located in the heart of Hialeah and making up part of the 25-acre Bucky Dent Park, this water park promises fun for the whole family. The park features a zero-depth-entry swimming pool, an activity pool with a slide, two twin water slides that rise 30 feet in the air, a concession stand and various lounging areas.
The public pool is open from the spring to the fall, and swim lessons are available Monday through Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 2240 West 60th Street, Hialeah, FL 33016
Goodlet Park
Not far from Miami International Airport, Goodlet Park is a 28-acre park. It has 11 tennis courts, five racquetball courts, eight basketball courts and two softball fields—all well-lit for both day and evening use. There is a paved 440-yard track with bleachers, a fenced-in children's playground, a recreation center with a concession stand, and a 200+ seat theater that can be used for private events and local recitals. Finally, different from most parks in the area, this one has two fields specifically for Futsal, a Brazilian sport that's a lot like soccer, but played on a hard court with no court lines, walls or boundaries.
Goodlet Park is open year-round. 4200 West 8th Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33012
Amelia Earhart Park
This north Hialeah park has a little something for everyone. Packed with a range of outdoor activities and amenities, Amelia Earhart Park has everything from a petting zoo and dog park, to soccer fields, a pony rink, a 91-acre lake, the Miami-Wakeboarding Cable Complex, mountain biking trails, hayrides, and a mini-soccer complex.
This park is open everyday from sunrise to sunset. 401 East 65th Street, Hialeah, FL 33013
Milander Park
Milander Park spans more than 19 acres and is home to the Milander Park Aquatic Center, the Ted Hendricks Football Stadium, two well-lit tennis courts and basketball courts, a separate junior basketball court, a softball field and baseball diamond, and at the center of it all, a brand new performance venue: the Milander Center for the Arts & Entertainment. Perfect for everything from exhibits to concerts, this 34,500 square-foot, multi-purpose venue is known for being versatile, affordable and elegant.
The most-visited part of the park is the Ted Hendricks Football Stadium, which can accommodate 10,000 spectators and serves as “home field” for Hialeah Miami Lakes High School, Hialeah High School, Goleman High School, Miami Springs High School and American High School. Separate from other parks, the locale’s onsite Milander Park Aquatic Center has an Olympic-size swimming pool with slides, lifeguards and off to the side, even a wet tot lot.
Milander Park is open Monday through Friday, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. 4800 Palm Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33012
McDonald Water Park
The 17-acre McDonald Water Park is where the whole family can go to relax and disconnect. It has a water playground and tot lot for kids, a regular and a wave pool, waterfalls and even a lazy river that’ll wind you through caves and lush areas. McDonald Park also has basketball and tennis courts, walking trails, lakes and a dry playground.
The park is open Monday through Friday, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., while the water park is open seasonally, from March through the fall. 7505 West 12th Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33014
Cuban Culture in Exile Heritage Park
Unlike any other park in South Florida, Cuban Culture in Exile Heritage Park is dedicated to exactly what its name implies: Cuban heritage. Established by Pedro Roman, founder of the Academia de las Luminarias de las Bellas Artes (A.L.B.A.), this city-sponsored park is dotted with artsy, historic monuments honoring high-profile names in Cuban history, like singers Olga Guillot and Celia Cruz.
Cuban Culture in Exile Heritage Park is open Monday through Friday, from 2 p.m. to sunset. The park is located at the intersection of Hialeah Drive and Northeast 9th Avenue.