Fort Lauderdale Attractions Guide: Things To Do in the Fort Lauderdale Area

Spotlight

Fort Lauderdale

Attractions

The 33-square-mile city of Fort Lauderdale proper is the central element of a Broward County patchwork of 31 municipalities sprawled across 1200 square miles, extending from Hallandale and Miramar along the Miami-Dade County line northward to Deerfield, abutting Palm Beach County (specifically, Boca Raton). Most of the attractions, along with the Intracoastal islands and canals, are concentrated in a core area east of Interstate 95, but if you're a golfer, for example, you may find yourself teeing off in towns such as Dania, Hollywood, and Pembroke Pines to the south; Plantation, Sunrise and Lauderhill to the west; and Pompano Beach, Coconut Creek, and Coral Springs to the north. Other must-see attractions include the mammoth Sawgrass Mills and the natural Everglades/Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Hollywood, meanwhile, boasts the glitzy new Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

You can of course tour Fort Lauderdale both via terra firma and water; we especially recommend the latter. To see the intricate network of waterways and islands lined with stately homes that gives this town the nickname "Venice of America," you can hit the water with several local cruise companies: Carrie B. (954/768-9920; $14.95), the Mississippi River-boat-style Jungle Queen (954/462-5596; $14.50) or the Sea Escape (877/732-3722; $25+), though this is really more about the onboard casino. Another way of touring aquatically is to simply hop on a water taxi (954/467-6677; all-day pass $10). There are fewer options on land, but on Friday and Saturday nights (weather permitting) you can hop aboard a Royal Horse-Drawn Carriage (954/971-9820) for a romantic ride along Las Olas, into quaint little side streets, and along the beachfront; you can also schedule your ride.

Following is a rundown of the top things to see and do around here; you can get additional information from the very well-organized Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (800/22-SUNNY). Once in the area, a local info line (954/765-4466) will answer your questions on the spot; details on the local gay scene are available at 954/463-9005.

Fort Lauderdale Beachfront
Stretching some 3.5 miles south from Sunrise Boulevard to East Las Olas Boulevard is Fort Lauderdale Beach, one our favorite Florida city strands. It has a more easygoing feel than the one along Ocean Drive in South Beach, for example; while it too is lined with hotels, restaurants and some shops, it sports a slightly less packed, urban feel. It also admittedly doesn't boast the architectural funk that Miami Beach's Deco District offers, and there are several spots under construction, with old-timey mom-and-pops blasted out of the way for big-name resorts (the first of which, The Atlantic, is already in place). Nonetheless, we don't feel the changes are likely to be overbearing, and heading southward along Route A1A (at various times known as Ocean, Atlantic, and Fort Lauderdale Beach boulevards), it's a pleasure to stroll the attractive and fairly new beach promenade, with its wavy motifs dividing the street from the tawny beige sands. One noteworthy landmark along the way is a mini-mall and bar-restaurant complex at Valencia Street called Beach Place (17 S. Ft. Lauderdale Beach Blvd./A1A; 954/760-9570), built in 1997 on the site of the late, notorious Marlin Hotel. Down toward the Las Olas end is the gay-popular section (around Sebastian Street) and a series of eateries and bars including Elbo Room (see Nightlife, below), another famous spring-break-era icon that's still with us. All along you'll find showers and toilets, glorious sand for sunning, and Atlantic waters to plunge into when you need to cool off.

We highly recommend setting aside part of a day for the northern end of this stretch. Taking a left onto the major east-west artery called Sunrise Boulevard, just before you get to the drawbridge you'll find a couple of blasts (actually more like gentle breezes) from the past: Bonnet House (900 N. Birch Rd.; Tue-Sat 10am–4pm, Sun noon–4pm; $15, $9 grounds-only) is a surprising Old Florida gem; the 1920 plantation-style manse and 35-acre spread once belonged to Frederic Bartlett, an artist and art collector (who donated some of the biggest names in 19th- and 20th-century painting to the Art Institute of Chicago). Then, just across the street, check out the 180-acre Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area (3109 E. Sunrise Blvd.; daily 8am-sunset; $1/person, $2–$5/vehicle), an unexpected oasis of "maritime hammock" (primeval Florida subtropical hardwood forest, all but wiped out in these parts) where you'll glimpse birds, small animals, and lots of butterflies. You can rent canoes, walk the nature trails on your own or with park rangers, roast wienies in the picnic area, visit the mid-century home of Mr. Birch (who, by the way, was Mr. Bartlett's father-in-law), and even stay overnight in guest cabins or your own tents. If you absolutely have to have a mall fix, the main game in this central region of Fort Lauderdale is right across the bridge, the Galleria Mall (2414 E. Sunrise Blvd.; 954/564-1036), with the upscale likes of Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Coach, Victoria's Secret, as well as retailers along the lines of Pottery Barn, Abercrombie & Fitch, and of course, the ubiquitous Gap.

Las Olas Corridor
Veering inland from the beach, you'll follow East Las Olas Boulevard over the Intracoastal, and through a grid of long, skinny little islands called the Nurmi Isles. Not far along, on your left at S.E. 5th Street, is the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1 Hall of Fame Dr.; 954/462-6536; daily 9am–5pm; $5), where bathing beauties from Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmüller to Mark Spitz and Greg Louganis grace the walls, display cases, and movie theater of this waterlogged wonder; you're welcome to bring your suit and do laps in the two enormous on-site pools.

Just over a mile in from the Atlantic you'll come upon the genteel Las Olas shopping district (954/937-7386), between S.E. 15th and 1st Avenues. Interspersed with restaurants both upmarket and modest are a slew of shops and art galleries with merchandise ranging from stuffy and traditional to pretty out-there (think paper pants). One of our funky favorites is Elements (no. 1034), where you'll find everything from cool Italian espresso cups to antique reproductions to just plain weird (but usually tasteful) knick-knacks both cheap and pricey.

After S.E. 1 Avenue, things get a little high-risey for several blocks, then you're in the museum/arts/entertainment/historic zone. First up is the gracefully designed Museum of Art (1 E. Las Olas Blvd.; call 954/525-5500 for hours and admission; special exhibits vary), which boasts an impressive permanent collection of 20th-century European and American art, the biggest contemporary Cuban art collection outside Cuba, and smaller collections of African, South Pacific, and Native American works. The likes of Warhol, Johns, and Lichtenstein come a-calling regularly, in temporary exhibitions; the blockbuster "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" is among the museum's more recent exhibits.

Las Olas Riverfront/Riverwalk Area
Just west of the art museum is Las Olas Riverfront (300 SW 1st Ave.; 954/522-6556), a multi-level Mediterranean-style shopping/entertainment complex on the New River, with a bevy of eateries, nightclubs, arcades, and even local sightseeing cruises departing from a riverside dock. Continue past this along Riverwalk to several other cool stops, starting with Stranahan House (335 SE 6th Ave.; Wed–Sat 10am–3pm, Sun 1-3pm; $6; guided tours available), Broward County's oldest building. Founded as a trading post in 1901, this atmospheric little gem is now a small museum mixing Mr. and Mrs. Stranahan's mementos with relics of early Fort Lauderdale. For more on the old days, check out the nearby Old Fort Lauderdale Village and Museum (219 SW 2 Ave.; Tue–Fri 11am–5pm, Sat–Sun noon–5pm; $5; tours Tues–Sat 2.30–3.30pm; $8), a white-picket-fence-enclosed collection of fine old houses (and a replica schoolhouse) dating from around the turn of the last century. Another cool must for families in this area is the Museum of Discovery and Science (401 SW 2 St., at 4th Ave.; Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat–Sun 12–6pm; $9 galleries only, $14 with IMAX), a well-done example of the interactive, high-tech, kid-pleasing science museums that are all the rage these days. Highlights include an IMAX screen and an area with a recreated coral reef.

Broward County: Beaches, Dania, & More
Heading southward from central Fort Lauderdale, our pick for Broward's top laid-back, natural-feeling beach is the town of Dania's John U. Lloyd Beach State Park (6503 N. Ocean Dr.; daily 8am–sunset; $1/person or $2-$5/vehicle). Apart from the beautiful strand itself, there's plenty else to do on this small barrier island. The waterway that runs through it, linking the Atlantic with the Intracoastal, is also a manatee sanctuary; you can hike a nature trail, snorkel, and rent canoes and kayaks, and to join ranger programs tocatch a glimpse of nesting loggerhead sea turtles in season (June/July). There's also a snack bar and restrooms.

Also in Dania, parents might like to know about a kid-pleaser called Boomers (1700 NW 1st St., between N. Bryan Road and I-95 Griffin Road exit; 954/921-1411; Sun–Thur 10am–midnight, Fri–Sat 10am–2am; $16.95-$42.95 passes or $1–$6.95/attraction), the local outpost of a California-based amusement park chain. OK, it isn't quite Orlando, but it does offer a few chills and thrills, with the Hurricane, a huge wooden roller coaster, bumper cars, and a few other games and rides of varying levels of wildness.

Old junk enthusiasts might get a good afternoon's worth out of the 150 or so shops along Dania's Antiques Row (N. Federal Hwy. between Dania Beach Blvd. and NE 2nd St., Dania), just so long as you keep in mind that this isn't exactly the Berkshires in terms of quality. But who knows, if you've got a good eye you could very well pick up something special.

Heading in the other direction, northward, we also like Butterfly World (3600 W. Sample Rd., between Florida Turnpike and Coral Tree Circle; Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 1–5pm; $18.95), a tropical rainforest habitat in the town of Coconut Creek, with its gardens and hummingbird aviary that will set the little ones' hearts colorfully a-flutter. Finally, a bit south of Coconut Creek but well north of Las Olas, baseball fans down here mid-February through March might want to make time to catch the Baltimore Orioles spring training at Fort Lauderdale Stadium (1301 NW 55 St.; 954/776-1921; http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com).

Scattered in all directions, greater Fort Lauderdale’s selection of over 40 golf courses ranges from the top-drawer, 18-hole Iverrary Country Club in Lauderhill (3840 Inverrary Blvd.; 954/733-7550) and Emerald Hills in Hollywood (4100 North Hills Dr.; 954/961-4000) to the venerable Orangebrook, also in Hollywood (400 Entrada Dr.; 954/967-4653), an 18-hole municipal course that's high-quality and low-cost.

Finally, for a couple of experiences most of you won't find at home, Dania Jai Alai (301 E. Dania Beach Blvd.; Tue–Sun noon–midnight; $1.50) is the place to see – and bet on – jai alai, a singular, 180mph cross between handball and lacrosse imported generations ago from Spain's Basque country (there are card rooms and simulcasts of the ponies here, too, and slots are forthcoming). For something even more far out (literally), head back to the airport for the Zero-G Experience (888/664-7284) in which a specially-adapted Boeing 727 swoops around up at 34,000 feet to create 30-second periods of absolute weightlessness; the experience ain't cheap though – a full-day program will set you back a whopping $3750.

DAY TRIPS
Got a bit more time on your hands? Southern Florida has plenty to keep you occupied, from ritzy, Rolls-choked Palm Beach (a half-hour drive to the north) to Naples (a couple of hours west, over on the Gulf Coast). The Keys and Key West (see our Miami Spotlight for more on the Keys) are well worth seeing, but the distance (some four hours to Key West) means they're better tackled as an overnighter. In terms of trips that will more easily get you back to your hotel or condo that same night, the following pair are our favorites:

The Everglades/Seminole Reservation
This majestic, wildlife-rich river of grass, cypress, live oaks and mangroves takes up millions of acres of South Florida's western reaches, and in Broward County its main subsection is the Big Cypress Preserve, within which is the Seminoles Indians' Big Cypress Reservation, a 2200-acre spread some 90 minutes west of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Get airboat and swamp buggy rides through Billie Swamp Safari (800/949-6101; $49), which also operates nature trails, a camp with herpetarium and café (frogs legs and gator nuggets, anyone?). There's even an option to overnight out here, in replicas of chickees (native huts). Tours run 11am–4pm and include a stop at the fascinating Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum (941/902-1113).

Miami/Miami Beach
Just over 20 miles down I-95 (or A1A if you'd rather take the slower, "scenic" route), the Art Deco Historic District of the offshore barrier island that is Miami Beach remains one of America's hottest, sexiest vacation destinations. By now pretty universally referred to as South Beach, its happening beach, hot nightlife, high-powered dining scene, and regular sightings of celebs, models, and simply garden-variety beautiful people are still going strong. And that's not even mentioning the pair of world-class museums, various high-quality art galleries, and theater and performance venues, all surrounded with the funky, colorful, tropical Deco architecture that in recent years has become one of America's best known cityscapes. If you like laid-back Lauderdale but still want a taste of souped-up SoBe, it's 45 minutes there and back. If, on the other hand, you want to venture over to mainland Miami, don't-misses include Coral Gables (historic Biltmore Hotel, Venetian Pool, stately homes, happening Miracle Mile), Coconut Grove (great little shopping/dining downtown, planetarium, historic Vizcaya mansion and Barnacle house), and Little Havana (funky Latin shops, galleries and eateries). For more info, check out our Miami Spotlight for full coverage of what to see and do in SoBe.