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Things to Do in Hollywood With the Family

Hollywood pairs a two-and-a-half-mile oceanfront Broadwalk with a downtown arts park and a 1,500-acre nature preserve, so a family day can move from beach to boardwalk to mangroves.

By Nanci Gilbert, PA September 28, 2026
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Hollywood was planned around recreation from the start, and it still is. The Broadwalk runs two and a half miles along the ocean, a downtown arts park anchors the land side, and a mangrove nature preserve sits on the western edge. Between the three, a family can build a whole weekend without a long drive.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk and Charnow Park

The Broadwalk is the brick promenade between the ocean and the cafes: bikes, skateboards, strollers, and ice cream, with live music at the beach theater in the evenings. Charnow Park, at Garfield Street, adds a playground, showers, and a splash fountain, which makes it the natural base camp for a beach morning.

ArtsPark at Young Circle

In downtown Hollywood, ArtsPark at Young Circle is a ten-acre park built around the arts: an outdoor amphitheater, public sculptures, a playground, and a splash fountain, with free concerts and family movies on the lawn through the year. It is the rare city park that feels like a destination, and the walkable downtown around it fills the rest of the afternoon.

Anne Kolb Nature Center

At the west end of the city, the Anne Kolb Nature Center protects roughly 1,500 acres of coastal mangroves at 751 Sheridan Street. Boardwalk trails loop through the wetlands, kayak and paddleboard rentals put families on the water, and a three-level observation tower gives a panoramic view of the preserve. It is the calmest hour of any Hollywood weekend.

Hollywood North Beach Park

At the quiet northern end, Hollywood North Beach Park spreads across 56 acres of beachfront with picnic tables, grills, and fishing piers over the Intracoastal. It is the patient alternative to the busy central beach: same ocean, fewer crowds, and more room for a blanket and a cooler.

A note from Nanci

The way a family spends a weekend is a preview of what living in a community will feel like. When Nanci shows you Hollywood homes, she can match the street to the rhythm you actually want: beach mornings, arts afternoons, or quiet days at the north end.

Nanci Gilbert, PA is a South Florida realtor who guides growing families, sellers, and buyers across Miami-Dade and Broward. Questions about this topic? She answers every message within one business day.