Things to do in Homestead: two national parks, a coral castle and a fruit park
Homestead is the gateway to two national parks and the Redland farms. Here is what each stop costs, when it opens, and the Everglades fee foreigners miss.
En corto
- Free: Biscayne National Park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center, 9 am to 5 pm daily.
- Cheapest paid: Fruit & Spice Park, $15 adults, tram tour included.
- Oddest: Coral Castle, $25 adults, tickets at the gift shop.
- Everglades: $35 per car for 7 days; non-US residents 16+ pay $100 more.
- Racing: NASCAR Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, November 6 to 8, 2026.
Homestead makes a full day from Miami if you pick two stops: Biscayne National Park's free visitor center and the Fruit & Spice Park are the best value, and the Everglades entrance is worth it only after you check the new nonresident fee.
Lo que cuesta
No entrance fee at Biscayne. The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is open 9 am to 5 pm daily; the Convoy Point grounds 7 am to 5:30 pm.
Children 6 to 11 are $8 and under-5s free. The tram tour is included; the tasting tour is extra.
Children 5 to 12 are $10, and 4 and under free. Pay at the gift shop.
Good for seven days at all entrances; $20 per person on foot or bike.
Non-US residents aged 16 and up pay it on top of the entrance fee, unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass.
Why Homestead, and how to plan the day
Homestead and the farmland around it, the Redland, sit at the southern edge of Miami-Dade, past the end of the suburbs. It is the closest town to two national parks: Biscayne, which is mostly water, and the Everglades, whose main entrance is just west of town. Add a fruit park, Coral Castle and the farm stands, and you have more than one day of options.
Pick two or three stops. Morning is best for the parks, before the heat and the afternoon storms; the fruit park and Coral Castle are fine later in the day. Most visitors come from Miami by car, since the stops are spread across farm roads.
Homestead stops: hours and what to know
| Stop | Address | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biscayne NP, Dante Fascell Visitor Center | 9700 SW 328th St | 9 am to 5 pm daily | Free; boat trips go from here |
| Fruit & Spice Park | 24801 SW 187th Ave | 10 am to 5 pm daily; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas | Tram 11 am and 1:30 pm; tasting tours noon and 3 pm |
| Coral Castle | 28655 S Dixie Hwy | Its site lists both 9 am to 8 pm and 9 am to 7 pm | Call (305) 248-6345 before a late visit |
| Everglades Alligator Farm | 40351 SW 192nd Ave | 9 am to 5:30 pm daily | Airboats about hourly, 9:20 am to 5:20 pm |
| Everglades NP, Homestead entrance | Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center | Entrance open 24 hours; visitor centers generally 8 am to 5 pm in the dry season | Entrance fee applies |
| Robert Is Here | 19200 SW 344th St | 9 am to 6 pm daily; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas | Older articles mention a seasonal break; call ahead |
nps.gov, miamidade.gov, coralcastle.com and everglades.com, checked October 2026; Robert Is Here from robertishere.com via search
Biscayne National Park - Dante Fascell Visitor Center
Biscayne is almost all water, and this visitor center on the bay is the only part you can reach by car. The National Park Service says there is no entrance fee, and the center is open 9 am to 5 pm every day.
Walk the jetty, look at the exhibits, and decide whether to book a boat trip out to the islands.
Biscayne National Park Institute
The park's partner runs the boat, snorkel and paddle trips into Biscayne from the same visitor center. It is the practical way to reach islands with no road.
We did not confirm current trip prices; check its booking page, and book ahead in the dry season.
Fruit & Spice Park
A Miami-Dade County park with tropical fruit trees from around the world. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for ages 6 to 11 and free for 5 and under. The garden tram at 11 am and 1:30 pm is included; it may wait 30 minutes if lightning is within 10 miles.
The daily tasting tours at noon and 3 pm cost extra and take 30 people; call (305) 247-5727 at least 30 minutes ahead. Homestead residents get half off on Tuesdays.
Everglades Alligator Farm
Open daily from 9 am to 5:30 pm. The general admission plus airboat ticket covers a 20 to 25 minute airboat ride and both live alligator shows, with boats leaving about every hour from 9:20 am.
The farm's pages show prices only at online checkout, so we have left them out. Online tickets do not reserve a specific boat; your ride time is set at check-in. Children under 5 wear a life vest on board.
Dónde están
Everglades, Coral Castle and the speedway
The Everglades' main entrance is just west of Homestead and leads to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, Royal Palm and, much farther on, Flamingo. The entrance is open 24 hours. Visitor centers are generally open 9 am to 5 pm from April to October and 8 am to 5 pm from November to March. The fee is $35 per vehicle for seven days. On top of that, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 nonresident fee per person; budget for it if you are visiting from abroad.
Coral Castle on South Dixie Highway is a garden of carved coral rock built by one man. Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for children 5 to 12. Its site lists two different closing times, so call before a late visit.
Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts NASCAR Championship Weekend on November 6 to 8, 2026: the Truck Series on Friday, the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday and the Cup Series championship on Sunday, November 8. Expect heavy traffic around the track that weekend.
Lo que pregunta la gente
What is there to do in Homestead, Florida?
Visit Biscayne National Park's free visitor center, the Fruit & Spice Park, Coral Castle, the Everglades Alligator Farm and the Robert Is Here fruit stand, or drive into Everglades National Park through its Homestead entrance.
How much does it cost to enter Everglades National Park?
$35 per private vehicle, valid for seven days, or $20 per person on foot or bike. Non-US residents 16 and over pay an extra $100 nonresident fee unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass.
Is Biscayne National Park free?
Yes. The National Park Service says there is no entrance fee. The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is open 9 am to 5 pm daily; boat trips cost extra.
How much is Coral Castle?
Coral Castle lists $25 for adults, $10 for children 5 to 12 and free entry for 4 and under, paid at the gift shop.
When is the NASCAR race at Homestead in 2026?
Championship Weekend runs November 6 to 8, 2026, with the Cup Series championship race on Sunday, November 8.
Más guías
Everglades airboat tours from Miami, and the other tours worth bookingTours · Everglades · 10 min de lecturaBiscayne National Park: how to actually see a park that is 95% waterNational park · Boat tours · 6 min de lecturaCoral Castle: tickets, hours and how to make the drive to Homestead worth itLandmarks · Homestead · 4 min de lecturaFees and hours from nps.gov (Everglades fees and hours, Biscayne accessibility page); Fruit & Spice Park from miamidade.gov; Coral Castle from coralcastle.com; Alligator Farm from everglades.com; Robert Is Here from robertishere.com via search; NASCAR dates from NBC Miami and the speedway's events page via search; all checked October 2026.