BARNACLE STATE HISTORIC SITE

 

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.