Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Bonnet House Museum and Gardens in Fort Lauderdale is dedicated to the preservation of the area’s history and surrounding environment. Also known as the Bartlett Estate, the plantation-style house was built by Chicago-born artist Frederic Clay Bartlett on land given to him by his wife and later named after his second wife, Bonnet Lily. The museum is home to an art gallery that showcases the Bartlett’s impressive collection of paintings and other works, both self-painted and collected.

The Bonnet House also features spectacular and historically significant gardens that display five distinct ecosystems, ranging from mangrove wetlands to maritime forests. These gardens include an arid Desert Garden, a hibiscus garden, and a lovely courtyard filled with lush tropical vegetation. The Bonnet House also presents one of the largest collections of orchids in the Southeast United States. Visitors can enjoy an Orchid Greenhouse Tour or a Private Living Quarters Tour, both of which are led by expert guides and need to be booked in advance.

900 North Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, 954-563-5393

Explore Las Olas Boulevard and its shops, galleries, restaurants, boutiques and nightclubs.

Built in 1986 at the Fort Lauderdale Art Center, the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale is dedicated to showcasing contemporary and 20th century art. Located on Las Olas Boulevard in a 75,000-square-foot modernist building designed by Edward Barnes, the museum features several exhibition areas throughout several floors and a sculpture terrace. The museum is home to a collection of over 6,000 pieces with a strong representation of the cultures of South Florida and the Caribbean, as well as a world-renowned collection of ceramics by Pablo Picasso and a collection of more than 125 artists from Cuba. The NSU Art Museum is one of the best things to do in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Other excellent exhibits include a collection of over 500 works by American realist painter William Glackens, which is housed in the newly added Glackens Wing, and a traveling exhibition of relics from the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The museum is associated with Nova Southeastern University and offers a range of educational programs, workshops, and classes for all ages.

1 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, 954-525-5500

Fort Lauderdale Beach Park is a picturesque park just south of the Bahia Mar Resort, and it offers a variety of facilities and amenities to maximize fun in the sun. Located on Seabreeze Boulevard, the park features picnic areas with tables and grills for cooking, clean restrooms and outdoor showers, and an exclusive playground for children.

There are full basketball and volleyball courts for a game, and a boating ramp is available for non-motorized boats.

1100 Seabreeze Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, 954-828-7275

Enjoy a full day of fun and adventure at the fascinating Museum of Discovery and Science. This large museum attracts kids of all ages with its two floors of interactive, hands-on exhibits. Travel through simulation to the Moon or Mars, or test your pilot skills in a simulated cock-pit. If you are looking for fun Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with kids, this is a great place to visit.

You can also visit the new EcoDiscovery Center to take the Everglades Airboat Adventure, catch a live animal show, or dig for fossils beside dinosaurs from Prehistoric Florida. AutoNation IMAX 3D Theater offers a variety of film adventures on the biggest screen in South Florida. The museum hosts year-round special events for all ages.

401 SW 2nd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, 954-467-6637

An education center and historical landmark, the Old Dillard Museum is a historically important site in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that was originally built in 1924 as Broward County’s first school only for black children. This is also how it got the nickname of “The Colored School.” The building was named for Dr. James H. Dillard, a teacher and prominent philanthropist. The Old Dillard Museum today acts as a community heritage center featuring exhibits about African American culture and the people of Broward County. The museum also supports Black History-related educational opportunities and provides cultural activities for the local community.

1009 NW 4th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311, 754-322-8828

Southern Florida's Everglades Holiday Park is a family-friendly park in the heart of the Everglades that offers something exciting for everyone. From exhilarating airboat rides to adrenalin-rushing live alligator shows, the Everglades Holiday Park is a must-see when visiting Fort Lauderdale. Zip across the Everglades’ miles of wetlands at top speed in an airboat as you take in the vast River of Grass that stretches for miles and come face to face with alligators and other wild creatures that call the glades their home.

The airboat tour finishes with a fantastic live alligator presentation by the Gator Boys Alligator Rescue team, who delight visitors with exciting stunts and tricks and impart valuable knowledge about the importance of conservation and preservation of the American alligator. For something on the quieter side, head out to fish for largemouth bass in the glades, home to some of the best bass fishing spots in the state. Everglades Holiday Park is open seven days a week, year-round.

21940 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33332, 954-434-8111

Overlooking the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts is a performance venue that delivers quality entertainment, educational opportunities, and inspiring moments to the community. Hailed as one of the top ten most-visited theaters in the world, the center presents more than 700 concerts, shows, and performances to more than 600,000 patrons, including Broadway musicals, ballets, operas, ballets, plays, concerts, and multi-cultural events.

The center also hosts lectures, workshops, and educational events, and it offers one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the country.

201 Southwest 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, 954-462-0222

More ideas: Airboating in the Everglades

Stranahan House Museum is a historic house museum and the oldest surviving structure in Broward County. Built in 1901, the house was first constructed as a trading post and later converted into a residence for the pioneers of Fort Lauderdale, Frank and Ivy Stranahan. Visitors to the beautifully restored and maintained house can learn about its heritage and the role it played in the history of Fort Lauderdale on daily guided tours such as the River Ghost Tour, which includes a boat ride on the New River.

The museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and hosts several events throughout the year, including a Victorian Christmas and Peter Pan’s Party. Special school and group tours of the museum are also available.

335 Southeast 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, 954-524-4736