Bayside Marketplace, Miami: history, boat tours, how to get there and hours

Bayside Marketplace is a shopping, dining and entertainment complex on Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami, at 401 Biscayne Blvd. People come for the bay and skyline views, the waterfront walk, a boat ride from its docks and Bayfront Park next door. The site lists no admission fee for the complex itself; you pay for parking, rides and boats. The free Metromover and the free Miami Trolley both get you close. Below: the history, what to see, how to get there, hours and the park's rules. For the city as a whole, see our Miami city guide.

History of Bayside Marketplace and Bayfront Park

Bayside's story is tied to the park beside it. According to the Bayfront Park Management Trust, the City of Miami trust that runs the park, a public gathering place stood on this shore from 1896 as Royal Palm Park. In the 1920s bay bottom was pumped in to build new land, and the new bayfront park opened in 1925. A 1926 hurricane threw boats onto the grounds; the city replanted, and a rock garden was finished in 1927.

In 1933 there was an attempt on the life of President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in the park, and Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was mortally wounded. The U.S. Navy used the park and waterfront during World War II. The Torch of Friendship was dedicated in 1960 and rededicated in 1964 in memory of John F. Kennedy.

The Miami Marina opened on the old yacht basin in 1970. In 1980 the city approved $10 million to redesign the park to a plan by Isamu Noguchi, and work began in 1981. In the mid-1980s, the Trust says, the Rouse Corporation replaced the marina with Bayside Marketplace, a $93 million shopping complex that took up half of the park's acreage at the time. By the end of the decade the redesign was done and the park was renamed Mildred and Claude Pepper Bayfront Park. Bayside's own site does not give an exact opening year.

Today Bayside calls itself an icon of Miami for shopping, dining and entertainment. The 32-acre park next door is still run by the city's trust, which holds concerts and events there.

What to see at Bayside and around it

• The waterfront. The complex sits right on the water, with docks, boats and the downtown skyline in view. Bayside's site mentions live entertainment by the bay.
• The observation wheel. Next to the complex stands a wheel more than 200 feet tall with 42 climate-controlled gondolas, one of them a VIP gondola with a glass floor. From the top you see Biscayne Bay, Bayfront Park and downtown.
• Shops and restaurants. Fashion and specialty shops, souvenirs, waterfront cafes and restaurants. The store list and its hours change, so check the directory on Bayside's site.
• Bayfront Park. At 301 Biscayne Blvd. Its Mildred and Claude Pepper Fountain has more than 800 synchronized jets and 500 color-changing lights and runs water, music and light shows. The park also holds the Torch of Friendship and a memorial to the Challenger astronauts, who died in 1986.

Boat tours from Bayside

Bayside's attractions page lists several kinds of trips:

• Thriller Miami's 45-minute speedboat sightseeing tours around Miami and Miami Beach, for ages 3 and up;
• sightseeing cruises on tour boats that leave from Bayside, including a dockside tarpon feeding;
• Island Queen trips with waterfront dining, cocktails, live music and performers;
• private yacht charters for weddings, corporate events and parties;
• bus tours that can be combined with a Biscayne Bay boat tour or an Everglades airboat ride.

Tickets are sold by the operators. Bayside's site does not list their prices or schedules, so check the operators through its attractions page before you go. More sights are on our Miami places page.

How to get to Bayside Marketplace

Bayside is on the Biscayne Blvd waterfront, about 7 miles east of Miami International Airport. Options from Bayside's visitor page and the transit agencies:

• Metrorail and Metromover. Ride Metrorail to Government Center, change to the Metromover Inner Loop and get off at College/Bayside, then walk one block east. Miami-Dade County lists Bayfront Park, First Street, College/Bayside and College North as the Metromover stops near Bayfront Park. Miami-Dade County says Metromover is free, runs 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, and has three loops (Omni, Inner, Brickell) and 21 stations.
• Miami Trolley. The City of Miami's trolley is free. Its route maps list Bayside as a stop on the Biscayne and Coral Way routes. The city's trolley tracker shows where each trolley is; for trolley questions the city gives 305-416-1132.
• Bus. From Miami Beach, Bayside says, take the S or C bus.
• Brightline. The station is at 600 NW 1st Ave, within walking distance.
• Taxi and rideshare. Taxis, Uber and Lyft pick up at the front of the property.
• Driving. Paid parking is in the Bayside Parking Garage next to the property, used by shoppers and by guests at Kaseya Center events. Event rates vary, so Bayside suggests calling ahead. Valet runs during some downtown special events. Two van-accessible spaces are on the south service road in front of the property.

Hours and tickets

Hours and prices checked November 5, 2026 on baysidemarketplace.com and bayfrontparkmiami.com.

These are mall hours. Bayside says individual store and restaurant hours vary and may differ, so check the one you want in the directory on Bayside's site. Metromover runs until 10 p.m., while the complex stays open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; plan your ride back with that in mind.

Good to know before you go

• Wheelchairs. Bayside lends wheelchairs free of charge.
• Luggage. A luggage storage service on site can also pick up or deliver bags to the airport, a hotel or the cruise port. A currency exchange is there too.
• Park rules. In Bayfront Park dogs must be leashed and owners pick up after them. Alcohol is banned except at authorized events. Motorized and battery-powered bikes and scooters are not allowed.
• Late parking. Cars left in the Bayfront Park lot after 11 p.m. may be towed at the owner's expense.

Questions people ask

Does it cost anything to enter Bayside Marketplace?

Bayside Marketplace's website lists no admission fee for the complex. What you pay for is parking in the Bayside Parking Garage, the observation wheel and the boat tours. The tour operators sell their own tickets and set their own prices, which you find through the attractions page on Bayside's site.

How do I get to Bayside by public transit?

Take Metrorail to Government Center, change to the free Metromover Inner Loop and ride to College/Bayside, then walk one block east. Metromover runs from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. The free City of Miami trolley also stops at Bayside on its Biscayne and Coral Way routes.

What boat tours leave from Bayside?

Bayside lists Thriller Miami speedboat tours around Miami and Miami Beach, Fiesta Cruises sightseeing cruises, Island Queen trips with dining and live music, and private yacht charters for events. The operators sell tickets themselves, and Bayside's site does not list their prices or schedules.

What was there before Bayside Marketplace?

According to the Bayfront Park Management Trust, the site held the Miami Marina, which opened on the old yacht basin in 1970. In the mid-1980s the Rouse Corporation replaced it with Bayside Marketplace, a $93 million shopping complex that took up half of Bayfront Park's acreage at the time.