Westchester, FL Indoor Activities

As they observe the vibrant exhibits of aquatic life inside the Miami Seaquarium, many guests don't realize that they are walking through a movie set and a hospital. In the onsite lagoon, bottlenose dolphins swim through waters once traversed by Flipper, who filmed several television episodes and films at the venue. The Seaquarium is also recognized as a manatee critical care facility. Its staff has accomplished several historic treatments, including monitoring the conception and arrival of the first manatee born under human care and conducting the first manatee neurological surgery.

These facets of the Seaquarium—along with its many conservation efforts, educational programs, and shows—underscore a united commitment to wildlife consciousness. The animal attractions enable visitors to witness the allure and fragility of oceanic fauna up close, whether they are petting the back of a stingray or washing a dress shirt on the rough back of an 8-foot nile crocodile. Special encounters decrease the distance even further, sending patrons on underwater Sea Treks through the reef display or helping them to lead marine-mammal training routines.

It's hard to pinpoint the biggest personality inside the Seaquarium tanks, but Lolita the killer whale—who performs daily alongside pacific white-sided dolphins—claims the title of heaviest, period. On the other end of the scale, macaws and cockatiels perch around the Tropical Wings section of the park, and endangered sea turtles lounge at Discovery Bay. Elsewhere, a watery playground and three-story ropes course keep legs from growing too wobbly after a trip to Shark Channel or a smooch from a sea lion.

The multitalented troupe of professional dancers at Salsa Mia infuses their students with the instincts to set dance floors ablaze during a schedule of Miami-Cuban-style salsa classes. The studio’s lively classes, which instructor Alex Ruiz described as “salsa speed dating” to NBC Miami, encourage participants of varying skill levels to frequently switch partners as they practice salsa’s energetic fusion of rhythm, footwork, and diced tomatoes. Friday-night instruction transforms into a raucous dance party, where participants can sip banana mojitos, mingle with their peers, and dance deep into the night. Salsa Mía also offers private lessons for those who’d rather receive one-on-one attention.

Drivers hunch over the steering wheels of their Technicolor cars, bearing down on the accelerator as wheels squeal in delight. Around the corner, a basketball thwacks on hardwood before swishing through the hoop. All of this seems to move in sync with the digital babble of arcade machines at GameTime, where a pantheon of video games tests hand-eye coordination and helps overcome fears of checkered racing flags. Players roll skee balls, drop coins, and spin wheels to earn tickets to redeem for a selection of prizes, including kid-size acoustic guitars and stuffed replicas of television characters such as Bart Simpson and SpongeBob Squarepants.

At the adjoining Arena Sports Bar & Grill, fans cheer on their favorite team or mascot trying to escape bath time as the action plays out on 20 flat-screen televisions. Plates of pasta, pizza, and sandwiches clatter, drowning out cheers from sports games that simulate the joy of athletic achievement.