T.Y. Park in Hollywood is the rare Broward County park where you can book a shelter for 30 guests or for 300, and the gap in price is smaller than most families expect. Thirteen picnic shelters ring a swimming lagoon, a paved trail loops the water, and Castaway Island — the park's own water playground — is a short walk from most of them. For a birthday party, that combination does something no backyard can: it keeps kids busy three different ways without anyone getting back in a car.
It is also a park with real rules, and they are not the Miami-Dade rules. Broward County publishes exactly what a vendor may and may not bring onto the grass. This guide covers what T.Y. Park costs, which shelter fits your guest count, what the county allows, and how House Of Party Rentals sets up a bounce house there.
The practical details
Address: 3300 N Park Rd, Hollywood, FL 33021 Park office: 954-357-8811 · TYPark@Broward.org Hours: 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM, seven days a week Gate admission: $3 per vehicle (up to 8 occupants), $20 for 9 or more — weekends and county-observed holidays only. Weekdays are free.
That last line matters more than it looks. A weekday party at T.Y. Park costs nothing to enter, and the shelter itself is cheaper Monday through Friday. If the birthday falls near a school break, a Thursday party can land at less than half the cost of the same party on Saturday.
Castaway Island, the park's water playground, is billed separately: $10 per person for the day (10 AM–5 PM), $6 per person after 3 PM, free for children 12 months and under. Put it in the invitation so parents know before they arrive.
Which shelter to book
Shelter fees are per day, and the weekend rate is not a small bump.
A refundable security deposit also applies: $100 for small and medium shelters, $200 for large, $500 for Shelter 12.
Shelter 12 is the one people ask about. It runs 65 by 65 feet under roof, looks out over the lake, sits at the back of the park near the campground — and it is the only shelter at T.Y. Park where DJs, sound equipment and amplified music are permitted. Shelters 07, 08, 09 and 12 can't be closed online; you call the park office for those.
Reserve at webtrac.broward.org. One thing catches people out every season: an online request is not a confirmed reservation. Park staff call you, take payment, and only then is the date yours.
Know your date and your guest count? Send us both and we'll come back with the shelter that fits and the all-in price, in one message. No back and forth.
How we set up at T.Y. Park
Broward County asks two things of every bounce house in its parks, and neither is negotiable.
A generator. The park does not supply power for inflatables, and running a cord to a shelter outlet is not allowed. We bring a quieter inverter generator — it hums rather than roars, so it can sit behind the shelter without competing with the music or the kids.
An attendant. County rules require a trained attendant, at least 16 years old, actively watching the inflatable the entire time it's running. Ours stays for the block you booked and runs the loading and unloading, so no parent ends up playing referee.
We give the park its required 48 hours' notice, set up the morning of your event, and break down as soon as you're finished — the county doesn't allow equipment to stay overnight. House Of Party Rentals is a registered Broward County vendor with current insurance on file, which is what gets us through the gate.
Rules worth knowing before you send the invitations
- No inflatable water slides. Broward County prohibits inflatable waterslides, dunk tanks, slip-and-slides, trackless trains and bungee jumpers outright. This is published policy, not a maybe. Plan on a dry inflatable and send the kids to Castaway Island for the water.
- Decorations go up with tape, string or sticky putty only. No tacks, staples or nails in the shelter structure.
- Beer and wine are allowed; everything stronger is not. Glass containers of any kind are prohibited.
- Every vendor must be registered with the county — bounce houses, caterers, entertainers, all of them. An unregistered vendor gets turned away at the gate, with your deposit already spent.
- The shelter must be clean and empty by park closing, 7:30 PM.
Questions we get about T.Y. Park
Can I bring a water slide, since there's already a lagoon? No. Broward County bans inflatable water equipment across its park system. Castaway Island is the water plan — $10 per person, and it's a better water park than anything we could tow in.
Do my guests pay to get in? On weekends and county holidays, $3 per car for up to 8 people, $20 for a van of 9 or more. Every car pays, so say it in the invitation. Weekdays are free.
How far ahead should I book the shelter? More than six days out, and here's the reason: cancel with six or more days' notice and the county refunds you in full; cancel at five days or fewer and they keep the entire fee. Booking early costs nothing and protects you.
Which shelter for 40 kids plus parents? A medium — Shelters 01 through 07, or 10 — holds 50 at $100 on a weekday and $150 on a weekend. That's the sweet spot for most birthdays.
Can we have a DJ? At Shelter 12, yes. It's the only one where amplified sound is permitted. Anywhere else, keep it to a portable speaker.
Is there shade and seating? Every shelter is roofed and comes with picnic tables. For overflow or a dessert table, we rent tables and tents separately.
Book your T.Y. Park party
Our Broward packages are built around the county's rules. Each one includes the generator, the attendant, delivery and setup — so the price you see is the price of a party that's actually allowed to happen.
Primary Castle Package — Broward Park Approved · $370. A classic bounce house with generator, attendant, delivery and setup. The right call for a small or medium shelter.
Combo Castle & Slide — Broward Park Approved · $451. Bounce house plus slide, with 4 hours of attendant service. This is what most birthdays pick.
Decoration Classic Setup — Broward Park · $249. Balloons and themed decor installed at your shelter before guests arrive — tape and string only, exactly the way the county requires it.
Booking Shelter 12 for something bigger? Ask about the Obstacle Course Adventure package at $793, or browse all our park packages.
Planning at a different park?
If T.Y. is booked or you're closer to west Broward, C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines runs on the same county rules and the same packages. Heading south, we have full guides to Kendall Indian Hammocks Park and Homestead Bayfront Park, plus a roundup of the best Miami-Dade parks for birthday parties.
