Barnacle
State Historic Site
3485 Main Highway, Coconut Grove
(305) 448-9445
Hours:
Friday-Sunday: 9 am-4 pm
Monday-Thursday: Tours by reservation
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day
Admission/fees $1
Children under 6 free.
A terrific picnic spot with a gorgeous view of
Biscayne Bay, this place on the National Register of
Historic Sites commemorates the oldest home in Dade County, still in its original location. The
Ralph Middleton Munroe House, built in 1891 by one
of Coconut Grove's earliest settlers, Commodore Munroe, is a gem of a find for history buffs.
Munroe, commodore of the Biscayne Yacht Club for 22
years, was a noted yacht designer, shop salvager,
photographer, and naturalist. While constructing his
unique one-story house on 40 acres facing Biscayne
Bay, he preserved the original tropical hardwood
forest (known as a hammock). It is one of the few
places visitors can find a trace of the once
monstrous Miami Hammock. Munroe's house, which he called
the "Barnacle," is built of timber he
salvaged from wrecked ships. It is raised off the
ground on wood pilings and is filled with antiques
and lots of nautical touches.
Free guided
house tours, which take about an hour, are conducted
Friday through Sunday. Tours are limited to the
first 10 people who show up at the main house. Tours on other days are by
reservation. Tours of the grounds, which
includes the boathouse Munroe lived in during
construction of the house, are self-guided. Pets are
allowed on the grounds, but must be kept on a leash. Besides
the tours, this historic site has a Visitor Center
and an Interpretive Center.
The Florida Park Preserve
acquired the five remaining acres of Munroe's
homestead from his ancestors in 1973. It is one of
the best-preserved historic sites you will find.
The rare tropical hardwood hammock shelters the
grounds from the sounds of busy Main Highway.
Barnacle State Historic Site is an oasis of calm in
congested Coconut Grove. Bring a picnic lunch and
your pet and escape into the relaxed preserve of the
late 1880s.
