Birthday Parties at the Farm, Educational Farm Tours, and Tradewinds Farm Hands Inc.

For additional information and reservations regarding Birthday Parties at the Farm and Educational Farm Tours (PDF–214.13 KB), please contact Bette Estep at 954-491-4605 or e-mail TWFARMTOURS@comcast.net. Please see our Field Trip Guide for Preschool through Middle School (PDF–567.59 KB).

Activities included in the Birthday Package: Creating a Scarecrow Baby (birthday child takes it home). "Story Time with Aunt Martha" in the Country House Museum. A visit to the Farmyard for interaction with the farm animals.

The Country House Museum provides a glimpse of Tradewinds Park's past in this reconstructed farmhouse that once belonged to the site's original owners.

For information regarding Tradewinds Farm Hands Inc., View flyer (PDF–240.09 KB).

Tradewinds Educational Farm was developed to reflect the history of farm activities in Broward County and to educate the public about the various types of farm animals native to the area. The Tradewinds Educational Farm is home to numerous farm animals including a cow, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. Other animals that can be seen at Tradewinds Park are horses, ponies, and peacocks. Educational Farm Tours are available to school groups, senior citizen groups, and children of all ages. The two-hour program is offered Mondays through Fridays beginning at 9:30 a.m.

The Educational Farm Tour fee is $6 per person. There is no gate admission fee on weekdays (except holidays).

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Fun Fitness: Workout Classes

Chris Carr, a Florida Atlantic University graduate-exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer, certified Pilates instructor, weight management instructor, and certified nutritional specialist, is offering "Fun Fitness" classes at Tradewinds Park on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. For additional information, rates, and class enrollment forms regarding Fun Fitness, please contact Chris Carr at 954-304-3922, e-mail NaturalBodyMan@Yahoo.com, or visit www.NaturalBodyMan.com. Exercises included in the Fun Fitness class are stretching, Pilates, cardio, and full-body workout. Back to Top

Tradewinds Park Farm and Stables

Guided Trail Rides are available on Saturdays, Sundays, and designated holidays, with scheduled trail rides beginning at 9:30 a.m. and running until 3:30 p.m., weather permitting. Trail rides are one hour long and are on a first-come, first-served basis. Trail ride sales close 30 minutes prior to the scheduled ride time. The cost is $30 per person. Children must be 9 years old or at least 52 inches tall and must be accompanied by an adult.

Gift certificates are available for purchase at the Tradewinds Park office. Each gift certificate is redeemable for one guided trail ride within 12 months from the date of issuance and during normal operating hours. Please contact the Tradewinds Park Stables at 954-357-8720 for information on redeeming gift certificates. Each certificate equals one guided trail ride and costs $30. *Gift certificates are not redeemable for cash and will not be replaced or refunded.

Weight limit is 200 pounds; no double riding permitted. Please honor our Horse Trail Do's and Don'ts (PDF–92 KB).

Payment for Guided Trail Rides is taken at the General Store. Weekday trail rides are available from October through May by appointment only.

Pony Rides are offered on Saturdays, Sundays, and designated holidays from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weather permitting. Children must be less than 52 inches tall to ride the ponies. The cost is $2 per ride or $6 for four rides, with payment taken at the General Store.

Public Farm Tours are offered on the third full weekend of each month, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., weather permitting; the cost is $2 per person for the 30-minute tour.

Note: Farm animals are viewable from outside the fence during park operating hours. For direct interaction with the farm animals, Public Farm Tours are offered as indicated above or by scheduling an Educational Farm Tour with Bette Estep.

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Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad: Steam Train Rides
Steam Train Rides are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the third complete weekend of each month, excluding November and December. Rides are available to children and adults alike, and the cost is $1 per ride.

The trains that operate in Tradewinds Park are one-eighth life-size, or scaled at one and a half inches per foot, which makes them 11 times bigger than the typical HO scale train you might have in your home. The track gauge is seven and a half inches, a worldwide standard. Trains may be powered by steam, batteries, or small gas engines. Steam locomotives might burn coal, propane gas, or fuel oil depending on the builder.

Trains are operated by the Florida Live Steamers, a club that maintains and improves the facilities and provides educational programs for its members and the general public. For more information, please read the Tradewinds and Atlantic Railroad flyer (PDF–364.90 KB).

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Athletic Leagues and Field Rentals

The Spring 2009 Flag Football and Softball Leagues are now underway.

Bats Banned by the ASA for Tradewinds Park Softball league
Banned Bats (PDF - 2.80MG)      Additional Banned Bats (PDF -796KB)

Spring team schedules

Athletic field rentals are available to the public for various sporting events, practices, and games on Mondays - Fridays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A cricket pitch is available for all-day rentals at a cost of $40 per day.

Field rentals during day: $20 per hour; during evening: $35 per hour. A two-hour minimum rental is required.

Insurance is required to reserve all athletic fields at Tradewinds Park. For insurance requirements, please see our insurance requirements.

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Insurance Requirements and Information

Athletic Fields: Insurance  is required to reserve all athletic fields. For details, please call to speak with a park manager.

Athletic Events: Insurance is required for all athletic events, i.e., walk-a-thons, 5K runs, tri/duathlons, etc. For details, please call to speak with a park manager.

Special and/or Public Events: Cultural festivals or fundraising/awareness events that will be open for public attendance, and for which vendors will be contracted for providing catering, bounce houses, or other services, require insurance. Additionally, city requirements and/or fees may apply. For details, please call to speak with a park manager.

Private Events: Private events, such family reunions or birthday parties, for which a vendor  will contracted to provide catering, bounce houses, or other services, require the vendor to be an insured, approved vendor with Broward County. To receive a current listing of vendors, please contact our office and a listing can be e-mailed directly.

Please review insurance requirements and vendor information for additional information and details.

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Disc Golf Course

A Disc Golf Course is available to the public, free of charge, with guests supplying their own equipment. Disc Golf maps and score cards are available at the park office. The Disc Golf Course is available during park operating hours.

Butterfly World Explore more than three acres of aviaries filled with live butterflies and free-flying birds. Experience the wonder of the Tropical Rain Forest as you enter a living habitat complete with a mist-filled cave and a cascading waterfall. Enjoy exotic birds in the Jewels of the Sky and Wings of the World aviaries as well as the Macaw Landing and Lorikeet Encounter.

Enter a blooming paradise in the Lakeside Botanical Gardens, Rose Garden, and Secret Garden, home to one of the largest collections of flowering plants, trees, and vines in the world!

Please visit the Butterfly World Website for admission rates, hours of operation, and amenities, or call 954-977-4434.

Horses and the Handicapped of South Florida Inc.

Horses and the Handicapped is a nonprofit organization founded in 1982 and located on the north side of Tradewinds Park. The group is dedicated to providing effective therapeutic horseback riding and other equine-assisted activities for children and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional difficulties.

The riding facilities have been designed with the program's participants in mind, seeking to provide a safe and recognizable setting that fosters a greater level of comfort and familiarity for our handicapped riders. Horses and the Handicapped has been inspected and approved as a Premier Accredited Center by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) standards. This puts the program in the top 25 percent of all 726 accredited programs.

Horses and the Handicapped is a place where people come to heal, to learn, and to make friends who last a lifetime.

Hayrides
Hayrides are available to groups; a two-week advance reservation is required. Capacity per hayride is 30 occupants. Costs are:

• $75/hour during daylight hours; $45 per additional hour.
• $100/hour during evening hours; a two-hour minimum is required.
• Reservations available only on weekends; no weekday reservations.

Playgrounds
Two large, equipped playgrounds are available for you and your family's enjoyment.

One playground is conveniently nestled on the south side of Tradewinds Park, surrounded by Butterfly World, Buckeye Shelter, Crescent Shelter, and the Lake House; the other is on the north side of Tradewinds Park, within walking distance of the Farm Complex, including Pony Rides, Guided Trail Rides, the Country House Museum, and the General Store.

Uncovered picnic tables are available in these areas and throughout the park on a first-come, first-served basis. No charge.

Picnic Shelters
Tradewinds Park offers 10 rental picnic shelters of various sizes for you to host your gathering of friends and family as well as corporate events or cultural festivals. Reservations are required.

Please review Broward County Parks and Recreation's detailed Facility Rules and Regulations (PDF–139.60 KB) regarding rentals.

Please see the individual shelter pages below for additional detailed information in Adobe PDF format, or view a comparison chart (PDF–1.55 MB).

South Side Shelters Atala (Corporate · 250+) (PDF - 144KB) Buckeye (Medium · 40) (PDF -128KB) Crescent (Medium · 40) (PDF -164KB) Daggerwing (Large · 60) (PDF -136KB) Elfin (Large · 60) (PDF -136KB) Fritillary (Extra-Large · 150) (PDF -128KB)

North Side Shelters Appaloosa (Large · 85)| (PDF -128KB) Belgian (Large · 85) (PDF -160KB) Clydesdale (Large · 85) (PDF -144KB) Shetland (Small · 30) (PDF -152KB)

Fishing Fishing is encouraged throughout the park unless specifically prohibited. License required. Jogging and Biking Paths Paved jogging/biking paths run throughout the south side of the park with an approximate length of one and three quarters miles.

Nature Trails
There are two raised boardwalk trails. The longest trail, located on the south side of the park, is 3,000 feet long and winds through the largest cypress/maple stand in the county. (Both boardwalks are currently closed for renovations.)

Gate Admission Fees and Information
The gate admission fee of $1.50 per person is charged on Saturdays, Sundays, and designated holidays (children 5 and younger are free); $8 maximum charge per car or van (nine or fewer occupants); $20 per commercial school bus.

Park Passports are available; inquire at the park office.

A little history about the park...

A little history...Trade Winds Farm was a horse-breeding and boarding business owned and operated by William K. and Margueritte C. McLean from 1944 to 1975.  Their original farmhouse still stands and is a museum on the north side of the park. In 1975, Broward County bought the property from the widowed Mrs. McLean for $1.75 million, $150,000 of which she returned to the County for the development of the park. 

The initial 90-acre site, on the north side of Sample Road, was developed as a park for equestrian activities and opened in February 1977.  Funds from the 1978 bond issue allowed for the expansion of the park by 450 additional acres (on the south side of Sample Road) and it opened in 1985.  A subsequent land purchase of 31 acres from the 1989 bond issue along with additional out-parcel acquisitions and the purchase of several acres of land known as the Vinkemulder property have brought the park to its current size of roughly 627 acres.