Museum Park (Miami)

Maurice A. Ferré Park (formerly Museum Park) is a 30-acre (0.12 km2) public, urban park in downtown Miami, Florida.[1] The park opened in 1976 on the site of several slips served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.[2] It was originally named "Bicentennial Park" to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States in that same year. Today, the park is maintained by the Bayfront Park Management Trust. The park is bordered on the north by I-395, Metromover, and the former Miami Herald headquarters, on the south by the American Airlines Arena and Bayside Marketplace, on the west by Biscayne Boulevard and on the east by Biscayne Bay.

Maurice A. Ferré Park
Museum Park as seen from the Marquis Miami in June 2014
TypeMunicipal
LocationDowntown, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Coordinates25.784°N 80.187°W / 25.784; -80.187
Area30 acres (0.12 km2)
Created1976
Operated byBayfront Park Management Trust
Public transit accessMuseum Park (Metromover station)

The park
Western corner of Museum Park seen from The Grand Doubletree in April 2008

The park is served by the Metrorail at Government Center Station and directly by the Metromover's Museum Park Station, Eleventh Street Station and Park West Station.

Museum Park is host to many large-scale events as the park can hold around 45,000 people. Some of these events include Ultra Music Festival, a large, three-day music event, numerous rock concerts such as Warped Tour, various conventions, concerts, as well as boat tours around Biscayne Bay. In March 2009, Museum Park was set to host the Langerado Music Festival, a large three-day festival that was held at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation every Spring since 2003, but was canceled due to poor ticket sales.

Seven blocks south, is Museum Park's partner park, the 32-acre (0.13 km2) Bayfront Park.[3]

Museum Park underwent a renovation for the Pérez Art Museum Miami and construction of the new Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. The $10 million revamp included a new bay walk and a promenade from Biscayne Boulevard to Biscayne Bay that provides pedestrian access to the museums.[4] as it is currently underutilized for large parts of the year. Pérez Art Museum Miami opened in December 2013 and the Frost Museum of Science opened its doors in May 2017. The Dogs and Cats Walkway and Sculpture Gardens opened officially in January 2023.[5]

The Miami Science Barge is a floating marine laboratory and education platform docked in the park. It was opened in 2016 and focuses on three areas, sustainability, alternative agriculture and marine ecology and conservation.[6]

History
Museum Park during Ultra Music Festival and Earth Hour in March 2010

From the early 1900s to the mid-1960s, the park had been the location of the Port of Miami, until the port was eventually moved to neighboring Dodge Island in the mid-1960s. Once the port moved out to Dodge Island, the land was cleaned up of industrial residue from decades of port trade, and the park was designed, finally opening up in 1976, as Downtown's second large park after Bayfront Park.

In May 1994, the Omni Loop of the Metromover opened, which brought a Metromover station to the park. In 1996, the station was closed due to lack of use. In 2013, the station was renovated and reopened as Museum Park Station to provide direct access to the art and science museums.

In early 2019, the park was renamed Maurice A. Ferre Park in dedication to former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferré.[7][8]

Auto racing
Track layout of the street circuit used by CART in 1995

Racing events were held on a temporary circuit at Bicentennial Park from 1983-1995 involving IMSA, Trans-Am Series, and CART, and again for FIA Formula E in 2015.[9]

Lap Records

The official race lap records at Bicentennial Park (Miami) are listed as:

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleDate
Formula E Circuit: 2.170 km (2015)
Formula E1:07.969Nelson Piquet Jr.Spark-Renault SRT_01E2015 Miami ePrix
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.014 km (1986-1995)
CART1:05.982[10]Scott PruettLola T95/001995 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami
IMSA GTP1:06.412[11]P. J. JonesEagle MkIII1993 Toyota Grand Prix of Miami
Indy Lights1:11.032[12]Greg MooreLola T93/201995 Miami Indy Lights round
GTP Lights1:14.578[11]Parker JohnstoneSpice SE90P1993 Toyota Grand Prix of Miami
IMSA GTS1:16.680[13]Paul GentilozziOldsmobile Cutlass1993 Toyota Grand Prix of Miami
IMSA GTO1:20.039[14]Pete HalsmerMazda RX-71990 Nissan Grand Prix of Miami
IMSA GTU1:22.434[14]David LoringNissan 240SX1990 Nissan Grand Prix of Miami
IMSA Supercar Championship1:29.885[15]Doc BundyLotus Esprit X180R1993 IMSA Supercar Miami
AC1:31.139[16]Carson HurleyBuick Skylark1989 Nissan Grand Prix of Miami
Trans-Am1:38.060[17]Tommy KendallFord Mustang1994 Grand Prix of Miami
Barber Saab Pro Series1:46.400[18]Juan Pablo MontoyaMondiale-Saab1994 Miami Barber Saab Pro Series round
Grand Prix Circuit: 2.977 km (1983-1985)
IMSA GTP1:23.987[19]David HobbsMarch 83G1985 Löwenbräu Grand Prix of Miami
IMSA GTO1:29.993[20]Willy T. RibbsFord Mustang1985 Löwenbräu Grand Prix of Miami
IMSA GTU1:30.256[21]Clay YoungPontiac Fiero1985 Löwenbräu Grand Prix of Miami
GTP Lights1:32.514[19]Kelly MarshArgo JM161985 Löwenbräu Grand Prix of Miami

References
  1. "Maurice A. Ferré Park in Downtown Miami Area/Brickell Area, FL".
  2. "Maurice A. Ferre Park". www.vamonde.com. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  3. "Commissioner Wants To Expand Museum Park By Filling Bay". The Next Miami. April 15, 2019. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  4. Museum Park’s vaunted plan shrinks as Miami deals with fiscal crunch, Miami Herald Archived 2014-04-07 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Carollo's Controversial Pet Sculpture Park Set for Grand Opening".
  6. Sentenac, Hannah (April 21, 2016). "Miami Science Barge to Debut in Museum Park Tomorrow for Earth Day". Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  7. "23-Acre Park In Downtown Miami Dedicated To Former Mayor Maurice Ferre". January 31, 2019.
  8. "Maurice A. Ferre Park". www.miamigov.com.
  9. "Bicentennial Park". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  10. "1995 Miami Grand Prix". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  11. "1 h 45 min Miami 1993". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  12. "1995 Miami Indy Lights". Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  13. "Miami [GT] 1993". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  14. "Miami Grand Prix - IMSA GT 1990". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  15. "IMSA Supercar Miami 1993". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  16. "Miami IMSA GTO 1989". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  17. "1994 Grand Prix of Miami". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  18. "Barber Pro:1994-01". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  19. "Miami IMSA GTP 1985". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  20. "Miami IMSA GTO 1985". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  21. "Miami IMSA GTU 1985". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
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