Note: The park's official rules prohibit swimming and fishing in all park waters. Come for the history, the shade and the picnic grounds, not a swim.
Today at Virginia Key Beach
Rip current risk · Miami-Dade beaches
Sun 1 Nov · surf 3 to 4 feet
Mon 2 Nov: High, surf 3 to 5 feet
NWS Miami surf zone forecast, issued Sun 1 Nov, 3:31 PM
Water · Atlantic (Lake Worth Pier)
Warm · typical for November (typical 77–81°F)
NOAA reading Sun 1 Nov, 5:00 PM
UV Index · Key Biscayne
Protect your skin: shade at midday, SPF 15+, hat and sunglasses (EPA).
EPA forecast for Nov/01/2026
Tides today · Virginia Key, Biscayne Bay
- High 1:20 AM 2.6 ft
- Low 7:44 AM 0.5 ft
- High 2:04 PM 2.6 ft
- Low 8:18 PM 0.8 ft
NOAA predictions (MLLW datum)
Rip Current Statement until Tue 3 Nov, 7:00 PM (NWS Miami)
Coastal Flood Advisory until Mon 2 Nov, 7:00 PM (NWS Miami)
About Virginia Key Beach
Opened in August 1945 as the county's "Colored Only" beach during segregation, Virginia Key Beach was for decades the only place Black residents of Miami could legally swim in the ocean. Closed by the city in 1982, it was restored by the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust and reopened in 2008, and it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today it is a picnic and history park: pavilions, charcoal grills, palm shade, a historic carousel and a miniature train, and festivals through the year. Its rules prohibit swimming, so for a swim head across Bear Cut to the guarded beach at Crandon Park.
Facts, checked on the official page
- Hours
- November–March 7 a.m.–5 p.m., April–October 7 a.m.–6 p.m.; the main gate closes 30 minutes earlier. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. [2]
- Entry
- $5 per vehicle Monday–Thursday, $10 Friday–Sunday, $12 on holidays. The Rickenbacker Causeway toll also applies. [2]
- Swimming
- Prohibited in all park waters, as is fishing. There are no lifeguards. [2]
- Facilities
- Rentable pavilions, picnic tables and park charcoal grills (charcoal only), restrooms near the pavilions, a historic carousel and a mini-train. [1]
- Rules
- No pets except service animals; no alcohol; no helium balloons, confetti, Styrofoam or glass. [2]
- Without a car
- Metrobus Route 26 (Brickell–Key Biscayne) serves Virginia Key. [4]
Not stated on the official pages we read (so we don't claim them): showers, beach wheelchairs, and the nearest bus stop to the gate; the two official hours statements differ: 7 a.m. to sunset on the home page, fixed seasonal times on the park-information page (we show the latter).
Tides near Virginia Key Beach
NOAA predictions for Virginia Key, Biscayne Bay, the nearest tide station. All tide stations.
Nearby
- Crandon Park: Guarded swimming beach across the Bear Cut bridge.
- Miami Marine Stadium: The city's 1963 boat-racing stadium on Virginia Key, now used for events.
Worth knowing
- Opened in August 1945 as Miami-Dade County's beach for Black residents during segregation. [3]
- The county handed it to the City of Miami in 1979; the city closed it in 1982, and it reopened in 2008 after restoration by the Trust, set up in 2000. [3]
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2002. [3]
Sources
- Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, checked 2026-10-26
- Virginia Key Beach Park: park information and rules, checked 2026-10-26
- Virginia Key Beach Park: history, checked 2026-10-26
- Miami-Dade DTPW: Better Bus routes, checked 2026-10-26
Fees, hours and rules change. If something here is out of date, the official page wins.