Museums
There are plenty of marvelous museums clustered in central Fort Lauderdale and spread throughout the wider metropolitan area, showcasing everything from aviation history to impeccably preserved historic houses and gardens.
You don’t have to be a petrolhead to enjoy this museum. Anyone with a smidgen of interest in the past will love the impeccably preserved and shiny vintage exhibits, with the earliest cars dating back to 1900. Each has a placard which tells you a little about its history, altogether offering a picture of America’s stellar engineering progress across the decades.
1527 SW 1st Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33315.
Art galleries
Lovers of local and international work, both unknown and world-renowned, will find themselves stimulated by Fort Lauderdale’s arts scene. The city has a strong undercurrent of avant-garde artists, whose work can be found in the independent galleries.
Museum of Art
Based in a white Modernist building that boasts a collection of over 6,000 pieces, the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale is a place you’ll want to explore for hours. Unlike other South Florida galleries, this one has a key focus on contemporary art, displaying surreal ceramics by Pablo Picasso among other masterpieces.
1 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale FL 33301.
Las Olas Fine Arts
There are plenty of independent art galleries speckled along the bouncing bohemian Los Olas Boulevard, but what better place to start than at one which takes the boulevard as its namesake? At Los Olas Fine Arts, you’ll discover a range of mind-boggling sculptures - such as clay statues embedded with fossils - and a mix of paintings from shocking portraits to explosions of abstract colors.
701 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale FL 33301.
Landmarks
Relaxing in a beachside bar, or ambling along the bustling boulevard, it’s easy to forget that Fort Lauderdale is built on a strong and fascinating heritage, established as a European settlement as far back as 1830. Thankfully, the city still holds onto several historic landmarks.
The Stranahan House is the oldest surviving structure in the wider Broward County, a white-washed wooden building with a hint of French-influenced plantation-style architecture. The house was owned and lived in by Fort Lauderdale pioneers Frank and Ivy Stranahan, and subsequently used as a key trading place. There are daily guided tours of the house, which contains a beautifully arranged period setting museum.
335 SE 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33301.
Performing arts
Give your legs a rest by relaxing on comfy seating and taking in a dynamic live show. There's plenty to be seen in Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale loves its live music, hosting a range of eclectic bands in its dive bars and swanky clubs. But the city’s performing arts really flourish at the Broward Center, a huge, flashy building spread across 5.5 acres. The Center has a friendly and inclusive atmosphere, thanks to its wealth of community-led programs and events. There are several halls and theaters, where, year-round, you can find world-class jazz, grand opera, graceful ballet, and elegant theater.
201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33312.
