Hialeah Indoor Activities

Line drives whistle and skid across Sluggers Batting Cages, where hitters perfect their swings against machines that sling pitches toward the plate at 40–80 miles per hour. Rounds of 18 pitches keep bats hurdling consistently through the zone, including inside two fast-pitch and two slow-pitch softball cages. For one-on-one schooling, private lessons are available by appointment, and cage rentals let teams and coaches practice without the distractions of a regular field, such as rain puddles or the forlorn howls of hot-dog-vending spirits. Between rounds, batters can browse the onsite pro shop's equipment and apparel or fill their mitts with snacks hauled in from the concession stand.

Lauded by The Miami Herald’s Christine Dolen for their “high artistic standards,” Area Stage Company’s founder, John Rodaz, and its producer, Maria Rodaz, have been providing a spotlight for South Florida’s rising talent since 1989. In addition to staging Broadway hits, the group seeks out compelling scripts by Hispanic playwrights, presenting them in both Spanish and English. Now settled into the Riviera Theater, the company has expanded to include music and dance series, a professional theatre program, and an invisible supporting cast for one-man plays.

Founded as a sanctuary for flowers, birds, and their admirers, Pinecrest Gardens has flourished into a family-friendly retreat that entertains visitors with horticultural exhibits and artistic events in a scenic setting. Spanning 4.3 acres of forested wetland, the gardens harbor more than 1,000 rare and exotic plants, including a 100-year-old coco plum tree, orchids, and a banyan tree that spreads across three-fourths of an acre. Waterways full of fish snake through these plants, their inhabitants impatiently pursing their lips at visitors for handfuls of food.

Pinecrest Gardens offers other entertainment opportunities for youngsters, who can splash around in the water playground, spot wildlife at Swan Lake, or play with potbellied pigs at the petting zoo. In addition, the 500-seat outdoor Banyan Bowl offers concertgoers pristine acoustics and cool evening breezes along with complimentary views of the stars.

Forrest Pilates's full-service staff looks after patrons' holistic well being with Pilates workouts, yoga classes, PowerPlate sessions, prenatal classes, massage, and theta healing sessions. Studio owner, certified instructor, and medical intuitive Maria Forrest began practicing Pilates while pregnant with her daughter, discovering that the strengthening classes prepared her body and mind for the rigors of labor and new motherhood.

Now in her own studio outfitted with specialized Pilates equipment and a serene practice space, Maria helps clients of all ages and experience levels to achieve their personal health and wellness goals with a cornucopia of sessions, from kids yoga classes to private Pilates sessions for advanced-level adults. After class, clients can relax with a warm cup of herbal tea and a hug from their abdominal muscles, still hot from their workout.

Over the course of 24 hours, audiences await as six sailing vessels speed into the Port of Miami, one by one. At the helm stand six crews of 11 men from 15 countries around the world, many of them Olympic gold medalists and America's Cup champions. In the past five months, each one has helped navigate a route from Spain eastward, around Africa, through Indonesian islands, skirting Antarctic waters, and up the eastern coast of South America. The race pauses in Miami’s Bicentennial Park—its only North American stop—on May 6 for a 14-day celebration at the Downtown Miami Race Village, a 27-acre expanse filled with interactive installations and scheduled race-centric events.

Throughout the festivities, visitors can step onto the deck of a simulator that emulates the movements of a Volvo Open 70, the race’s official ship model, or gain access to the harbor to witness a real ship without having to wear a fake captain’s beard. Both festival weekends contain a dense roster of events, including a classic car show, steamboat races, and paddleboard competitions, as well as multicultural food tastings and youth sailing regattas. On the final weekend, in-port races pit the tournament’s crews against each other on a short, close-quarters course within the harbor, giving audiences a chance to see the crews in action. Amateur VIP sailors can also pit their sail-wrangling and tide-control skills against the professional competitors in the harbor pro-am race before the six competing teams leave port again for their next leg to Lisbon.

At Artists at the Falls Studio, Talia Rodriguez's artistic voice and guidance helps to breathe life into the up-and-coming Falls Art District and imbue kids and adults with aesthetic judgment. Within a former industrial warehouse, Talia leads classes in acrylic and oil painting, lending advice or letting students freely explore portraits, still lifes, and abstract representations of their school's mystery meat. The fun of classes can be extended to day camps and birthday parties, which branch away from canvases to explore clay and international art projects. Talia also hosts BYOB classes during evening hours, allowing adults to find their inner Monet or O'Keeffe with the help of liquid inspiration.