Blog > Things to Do in Hallandale Beach, Grouped by How You'll Use Them

Things to Do in Hallandale Beach, Grouped by How You'll Use Them

by Julia Ray

✓ Reviewed by Julia Ray, Broker and Owner, Raydiant Realty · Florida broker license BK3433857 · Reviewed October 21, 2026 · Our research process

Key takeaway: Most things to do in Hallandale Beach are city-run and close together: two beach parks on 3/4 of a mile of beach, the Golden Isles Tennis Center's 4 clay and 6 hard courts, two off-leash dog areas, BF James Park's year-round pool and a free electric shuttle between them. Gulfstream Park adds thoroughbred racing, a casino and shops. If you're choosing where to live, pick the address by which of these you'll use most.

Who this guide is for: You live in Hallandale Beach, are about to, or own a condo you rent to visitors, and want the places you'll use every week rather than a tourist list.

At a glance
Beach	3/4 mile; open 365 days; lifeguards certified by the US Lifesaving Agency
Beach parks	North City Beach Park and South City Beach Park, plus four public accesses
Tennis	Golden Isles Tennis Center: 4 clay, 6 hard courts, pickleball lines on 2 basketball courts
Pool	BF James Park, open year-round
Dog parks	Golden Isles Park and Joseph Scavo Park (dogs not allowed on the beach)
Racing and casino	Gulfstream Park; The Big Easy Casino
Marina	City Marina, 26 annual slips, 3 transient slips
Free shuttle	The Cloud, four routes

Things to do in Hallandale Beach Start at the City's Parks

The city's Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department runs seventeen park facilities on more than 53 acres, plus 3/4 of a mile of beach, and many of them were rebuilt under the citywide parks master plan the city adopted in July 2011. That's why the list below leans on city places: they're where a resident's week happens, they're close together, and many cost nothing. The commercial draws, Gulfstream Park and The Big Easy Casino, are the exception.

Place	Use it for	Good to know
North City Beach Park	Beach, volleyball, dining	Beach Ball Water Tower; ETARU restaurant
South City Beach Park	Beach, bocce, playground	Discounted parking before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
Golden Isles Tennis Center	Tennis, pickleball, bocce	4 clay and 6 hard courts
Joseph Scavo Park	Fitness trail, dog park	Eight-station outdoor circuit
BF James Park	Swimming	Pool open year-round
Peter Bluesten Park	Field sports, YMCA	Three baseball fields
City Marina	Boat slips, pump-out	17 ft bridge clearance
Gulfstream Park	Racing, casino, shops	Pegasus World Cup, Florida Derby

Things to do on the Beach in Hallandale Beach

North City Beach Park

North City Beach Park is home to the Beach Ball Water Tower, designed by local artist Jim Weinberg, and it's the city's beach with a restaurant: ETARU serves Japanese-inspired food indoors and out on the sand. There's a sand volleyball court, restrooms and outdoor showers. Parking is by the PayByPhone app, and the meters are enforced.

South City Beach Park

South City Beach Park is the easier beach day: parking, restrooms, outdoor showers, a playground, a sand volleyball court, a beachfront concession stand, a pavilion you can rent and two bocce courts you can reserve. Its lot has a discount rate if you arrive before 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m., and residents can register for discounted beach parking.

Public beach accesses and lifeguards

Four public beach accesses, kept open under easements with the neighboring properties, let you walk onto the sand between the two parks. The beach is open 365 days a year with lifeguards certified by the United States Lifesaving Agency. Beach wheelchairs are lent free at Towers 1 and 2, first come, first served, and can go into shallow water. For conditions, call Beach Safety at (954) 362-9198.

Outdoor things to do: Courts, Trails and the Pool

Golden Isles Tennis Center

The Golden Isles Tennis Center has 4 clay and 6 hard tennis courts, 2 bocce courts and 2 lit basketball courts lined for pickleball, plus a pro shop, locker rooms and a multipurpose room. All Florida Tennis runs it, and memberships and court rates are listed on the Golden Isles Tennis Center website. If you play on clay, this is the reason to look at an address nearby, such as the houses in Golden Isles.

Joseph Scavo Park fitness trail

The fitness trail at Joseph Scavo Park is .33 miles, or about half a mile with the loop around the playground, and it passes an eight-station HealthBeat outdoor circuit: stretch, pull-up and dip, plyometrics, chest and back press, ab crunch, squat press, cardio stepper and assisted row. Parking is by PayByPhone and strictly enforced.

BF James Park pool

BF James Park's pool is open year-round, which matters in a city where you'll want laps in January as much as in July. The park also has two basketball courts and a playground, and the pool is certified sensory inclusive by KultureCity. Call the pool for current lap and program schedules.

Peter Bluesten Park and the YMCA

Peter Bluesten Park opened on September 28, 2019 with an artificial turf soccer field, three baseball fields, tennis, basketball, racquetball and a stage, and the Hallandale Beach YMCA is inside the park. The park is LEED Gold certified.

OB Johnson Park gym

OB Johnson Park has the Nelson Butch Brown Gymnasium, a fitness gym, a computer lab and a multipurpose field, with indoor rooms you can rent for events.

Things to do with a Dog in Hallandale Beach

Off-leash dog areas at Golden Isles and Joseph Scavo Parks

Dogs aren't allowed in the city's parks or on its beach, except in the two off-leash areas at Golden Isles Park and Joseph Scavo Park. Each has a small-dog area for dogs under 30 pounds and a large-dog area on artificial turf. They're open 7:30 a.m. to dusk six days a week: Joseph Scavo closes Wednesday mornings and Golden Isles Thursday mornings for maintenance. If your building restricts pets, that's a separate question for the association; check the rules before you buy or rent.

Things to do on the Water in Hallandale Beach

City Marina on the Three Islands Waterway

The City Marina at 101 Three Islands Boulevard has 26 slips for annual lease and 3 transient slips for stays of up to 30 days, with water, electric, Wi-Fi, a gated entry, restrooms with showers and a pump-out station. It's the southernmost dockage and pump-out in Broward County. It sits west of the Three Islands Boulevard Bridge, a fixed span with 17 feet of clearance at mean water, so check your boat's height before you sign. Call (954) 457-1653 for availability.

Things to do at Night: Racing, Casinos and Dining

Gulfstream Park

Gulfstream Park is a thoroughbred racetrack and casino in Hallandale Beach. It runs the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series and the Grade 1 Florida Derby, and during its Sunshine Meet live racing runs Friday to Sunday. Visit Lauderdale describes a two-story casino, more than 20 restaurants and bars, and shopping at the Village at Gulfstream Park. Check the track's calendar for race days before you plan around it.

The Big Easy Casino

The Big Easy Casino, formerly Mardi Gras Casino, has 700 slot machines and 30 poker tables, according to Visit Lauderdale.

Dinner on the beach at ETARU

ETARU, inside North City Beach Park, is the city's beachfront restaurant, with seafood and wagyu beef from the grill and seating indoors and out.

Historic Things to Do in Hallandale Beach

Curci House and the Historic Village

Frank and Rosina Curci built Villa Providence at 324 SW 2nd Avenue in 1924, with terra-cotta block walls, Dade pine floors, Cuban tile and Italian colored glass pressed into the stucco so the walls sparkled in sunlight. During the 1926 hurricane, dozens of neighbors sheltered in it. The city restored it in 2007, and it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic Hallandale Schoolhouse

The schoolhouse at 648 NW 2nd Street was built in 1910 and is the oldest building in Broward County known to have been built as a school. Residents hauled the lumber from Miami themselves after the 1910 hurricane. Tours of both sites are suspended for now, so check with the city before you go.

Free Things to Do: City Events and Concerts

Sofar Sounds concert series

From September 2026 through February 2027 the city is running a Sofar Sounds concert series ahead of its centennial, with the location of each show kept secret and revealed through clues to registered guests. Advance registration is required. All city-hosted events are held in city parks and are free to attend, though some activities can carry a fee; the current list is on the city's Special Events page.

Getting to Things to Do Without a Car

The Cloud, the city's free all-electric shuttle, runs four routes linking neighborhoods, parks and shops, with onboard Wi-Fi. Routes 1 to 3 run Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m.; Route 4 runs daily from the Hepburn Center. It stops only at marked stops. Beach and park meters are enforced by license plate recognition, with fines from $50, so the shuttle can save more than a parking fee.

If you're deciding where to live around these places, the towers on the sand are compared in the oceanfront condo guide, the areas in our guide to Hallandale Beach's neighborhoods, and safety data and commuting in what living in Hallandale Beach is like. Condo prices and the buying steps are in the guide to buying a Hallandale Beach condo. If you rent your unit to visitors, this list is what guests ask about; the rules for hosting are in Hallandale Beach condo rental rules.

Things to do in Hallandale Beach FAQs

Is there a boardwalk in Hallandale Beach?

The city's own beach pages describe two beach parks, North City Beach Park and South City Beach Park, and four public beach accesses, and don't list a boardwalk. Visit Lauderdale's Hallandale Beach page mentions a boardwalk for walkers, joggers and cyclists. The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is in Hollywood, the city just to the north.

What is happening at Hallandale Beach today?

Check the city's Special Events page for free events in city parks, including the Sofar Sounds concert series running from September 2026 through February 2027, and Gulfstream Park's calendar for race days. For beach conditions on the day, call the city's Beach Safety Division at (954) 362-9198.

Is Hallandale Beach a nice beach?

It's a city-run public beach of about 3/4 of a mile, open 365 days a year, with lifeguards certified by the United States Lifesaving Agency. North City Beach Park has the Beach Ball Water Tower, volleyball and a restaurant; South City Beach Park has parking, a playground, bocce and a concession stand. Free beach wheelchairs are lent at Towers 1 and 2.

Are dogs allowed on Hallandale Beach?

No. City rules don't allow animals in public parks or on the beach, except in the off-leash dog areas at Golden Isles Park and Joseph Scavo Park. Each has separate areas for dogs under 30 pounds and larger dogs, open 7:30 a.m. to dusk six days a week, with one weekday morning closed for maintenance.

Where do you park for Hallandale Beach?

At North City Beach Park and South City Beach Park, paid through the PayByPhone app and enforced by license plate recognition, with citations from $50. South City Beach Park offers a discount rate before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m., and Hallandale Beach residents can register for discounted beach parking. The free Cloud shuttle is the no-parking option.

What can you do at Gulfstream Park?

Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach has thoroughbred racing, including the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series and the Grade 1 Florida Derby, and a casino. Visit Lauderdale describes a two-story casino, more than 20 restaurants and bars, and shops at the Village at Gulfstream Park. Live racing during the Sunshine Meet runs Friday to Sunday.

Reviewed by Julia Ray, Broker and Owner, Raydiant Realty, October 21, 2026. This guide explains how the rules work; it is not legal, tax or insurance advice.