Miramar's Rebuilt Water Playground Has a Short First Season

The City of Miramar opened its renovation file for the Regional Park Aquatic Complex on August 22, 2023. Once the water playground finally reopened, how many weeks did it have before the city's own schedule closed it again?

That's about five weeks. Mayor Wayne M. Messam hosted a Grand Re-Opening for the Miramar Regional Park Aquatics Water Playground on Saturday, September 26, starting at 11:30 a.m. The city's Aquatic Complex page says the water playground and splash pad are "closed from November through February." If you're reading this on Thursday, October 22, that leaves two Saturdays and one Sunday under the posted schedule: October 24, October 25 and October 31. Two of those dates also have big events at The Amp, which sits in the same park.

Why Miramar replaced the old structure

The city's budget documents explain plainly why the old playground had to go. The FY 2027–FY 2031 Proposed Capital Improvement Program calls it "over 15 years old and … extremely outdated," and says its features "can only accommodate users shorter than 50 inches in height."

That height limit explains the whole project. A water playground built for preschoolers loses a family once the oldest child outgrows it. The CIP states the goal directly: "To compete with neighboring water parks, we must upgrade our facility to include uses for all ages and sizes."

Families with taller kids should check one detail at the gate. The city's facility page still says "children over 50 inches will not be allowed to ride the slides." The same page also still shows an older "Temporary Closure" notice saying renovations have begun and completion is expected "by the end of March." Some of that page hasn't been updated for the reopened structure, so ask staff before promising a ten-year-old the big slide.

What the city paid, and what's still on the list

The playground was one part of a larger package. The Miramar City Commission approved an agreement with L Squared Enterprises, LLC for "a new water play and aquatic recreational structure" at the Miramar Regional Water Playground, according to a Citizen Portal summary of the March 19, 2025 meeting.

The two totals cover different scopes. The CIP project also includes resurfacing the Olympic-size pool's Diamond Bright surface, replacing a steel motor pump base, and adding a cabana. The funding came from the city's Capital Projects Fund ($659,608), the 2020 CIP Loan ($283,441), the 2017 CIP Loan ($7,304) and $40,000 from the Park Development Fund in FY 2027.

The CIP still lists the project as "Ongoing," with a projected completion date of September 30, 2027. The playground is back, but the full renovation isn't finished. The pool and cabana work may still affect the complex over the next year.

Counting what's left of October

The water playground costs more than the pool, and residents pay less than non-residents. The city's posted fees:

For two adults and two children, an afternoon on the slides costs $40 with Miramar residency and $50 without it. A resident adult paying $25 for a monthly pass at the main pool could swim most of a month for about what two kids pay for one playground visit. The prices show the gap between a daily-use city pool and an attraction built to compete with water parks.

One more detail matters as the weather cools. The city notes that the main pool is heated in winter and chilled in summer, but the playground is not heated. Late October afternoons are probably the best of what's left.

Same address, two very different weekends

The water playground's last weekends overlap with The Amp's fall schedule at Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Parkway. Here's what the next several weeks look like at that address:

1. Saturday, October 24. No Amp event at the park. Allen Stone and Teedra Moses perform that evening at the Miramar Cultural Center, 2400 Civic Center Place, with tickets at $65 to $85 plus fees.
2. Sunday, October 25. The Music Fridge brings a lineup of local talent to the Miramar Amphitheater from 3 to 11 p.m.
3. Saturday, October 31. Loe Shimmy's Zombieland runs from 8 to 11 p.m. with a costume contest and haunted house. The Amp lists BigXthaPlug, Sexyy Red and Rob49 as special guests.
4. November 1. The water playground's posted seasonal closure begins.
5. Sunday, November 15. The 13th Annual Flanigan's Rockin' Rib Run 10K starts and finishes inside the park.

Parking matters on event days. According to The Amp's directions and parking page, self-parking on the amphitheater grounds is first come, first served. Accessible spaces are on the northeast side, rideshare pickup and drop-off is at the Corporate Pavilion on the northwest side, and advance parking prices vary by event. On Sunday, October 25, the Music Fridge starts at 3 p.m., while the pool's weekend open swim runs from 1:30 to 6 p.m. A family arriving mid-afternoon will be pulling in around the same time as concertgoers. October 31 has less overlap because Zombieland doesn't start until 8 p.m.

After the slides close, the park keeps going

Families still have reasons to come back in November. The main pool stays open all year. Weekday open swim runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and weekend open swim runs from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Daily admission is $1.50 for resident children and seniors and $2.50 for resident adults, compared with $2.00 and $3.50 for non-residents. The city warns that space may be limited because of swim programs.

The Rib Run fills the park on a Sunday morning, and you don't have to run to join in. The Active.com registration listing shows the 10K entry as sold out, with the field capped at 4,000 runners. The race's official site still lists a Last Chance Charity Entry option. Non-runners can buy $20 food and beverage wristbands at packet pickup or at the event, while supplies last. Each wristband covers unlimited ribs, beer and wine from Flanigan's.

The race-day schedule starts early:

• Park opens at 5 a.m.
• 10K starts at 7 a.m.
• Miami Marlins Kid's Race starts at 8:45 a.m.
• Post-race feast and awards ceremony follow

The course is a flat out-and-back on Miramar roads. If you live near the park, expect runners on nearby streets early that Sunday morning. There's no race-day registration or packet pickup. Packet pickup is at Runner's Depot, 2233 S. University Drive in Davie, starting Wednesday, November 11, from noon to 7 p.m. All proceeds go to the HOPE mission programs of Miami Lakes United Methodist Church.

Under the posted November-through-February closure, the new water playground's next season starts in March. Until then, the main pool, The Amp and the Rib Run keep families coming to 16801 Miramar Parkway through the cooler months.

Being close to a park that Miramar keeps reinvesting in is part of what makes a home here appealing, and buyers do notice it. If you're curious what your home is worth today, High Equity Realty can walk you through a free home valuation, with no pressure and plenty of local context.