The Barnacle Historic State Park

This beautiful house with a whimsical name dates to a quieter time. The Barnacle; built in 1891; offers a glimpse of Old Florida during "The Era of the Bay." Situated on the shore of Biscayne Bay; this was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe; one of Coconut Grove’s most charming and influential pioneers. Munroe’s principal passion was designing yachts. In his lifetime; he drew plans for 56 different sailboats. As a seaman; naturalist and photographer; Commodore Munroe was a man who cherished the natural world around him. A walk into the park passes through a tropical hardwood hammock. In the 1920s; it was representative of the original landscape within the city of Miami. Today; it is one of the last remnants of the once vast "Miami Hammock." Visitors enjoy sitting on rocking chairs on the spacious porch used as a gathering place or on a bench under a tree for solitude.