Beyond the Beach: Three Attractions To Soak Up in Fort Lauderdale

Home to more than seven miles of beaches, Fort Lauderdale has long had a reputation for being a spring breaker’s haven, where the sands are soft and the bars are abundant. However, this Florida city is much more than just the beach. If you are turning a bit tomato in color from too much sun in Fort Lauderdale, it might be time to head indoors to these attractions that go beyond the beaches.

Tour Old Florida at the Bonnet House: Easily one of Fort Lauderdale’s most prized pieces of land, the Bonnet House sits on 35 acres of subtropical beachfront. The Old Florida home began as the land of Hugh Taylor Birch. He gave the estate to his daughter and son-in-law. The son-in-law, artist Clay Bartlett would add to the property in 1920 by building the Bonnet House. Today it stands as a museum to historic and environmental preservation. It also showcases the creative expression of Bartlett and mostly his second wife, Evelyn Fortune Lilly. The grounds of this Fort Lauderdale find are said to be one of the first sites of Spanish contact with the New World. Appropriately on the National Register of Historic Places, in order to see the home, you must take a guided tour. However, you can purchase a ticket for the gardens and roam the grounds on your own time.

Make a splash at the International Swimming Hall of Fame: When you tire of the beaches of Fort Lauderdale yet you still want to be surrounded by aquatics, you can head indoors to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. The site makes for a good stop for those that appreciate aquatic sports. The International Swimming Hall of Fame is home to the world’s largest collection of aquatic memorabilia. Throughout over 40 exhibits and displays, you can learn about the history of aquatic sports including the evolution of swimwear and the gold medals of the greats. The International Swimming Hall of Fame truly makes a splash with its Aquatic Complex. The area is the only one of its kind on the globe with two 50 meter pools, a diving well and swimming flume.

Rev up at the Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum: Certain sites in Fort Lauderdale have a way to transporting the traveler back to the days of old. The Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum is one of those sites, where you can see the largest collection of Packard cars in the United States. The luxury automaker’s existence stemmed from 1900 to 1958. In addition to showing off vehicles like the 1909 Speedster, the collection also details plenty of auto memorabilia. The museum is the collection of Arthur Stone.

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