What to Do in Fort Lauderdale for a Day
Fort Lauderdale often gets overlooked for the glamorous city to its south. And, although Miami is certainly worth exploring, don't sleep on all the fun things to do in Fort Lauderdale!
After calling Fort Lauderdale dwelling house for the last four years, I'd fence that Fort Lauderdale is even more than worthy of exploring actually.
That'south why I've compiled this epic list of 33 absurd things to do in Fort Lauderdale – 33 incredible activities unique to Fort Lauderdale. We'll become over the best activities, historical sites, attractions, beaches, boat rides, and world-class food in the area.
I've worked hard to pack this guide to what to practice in Fort Lauderdale with loads of value for visitors and locals alike. Only meet for yourself and exist sure to permit me know what you recollect in a comment later!
Table of Contents
- All-time Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale
- Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
- Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale
- Snorkeling or Scuba Diving
- Las Olas Boulevard
- Rent a Bike
- Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
- Paddle the Venice of America
- Bonnet House Museum and Gardens
- Flamingo Gardens
- Everglades Vacation Park
- All-time Boat Tours in Fort Lauderdale
- H2o Taxi
- Bluefoot Pirate Adventures
- Las Olas Gondola
- Jungle Queen Riverboat Tour
- PaddlePub Cycle Boat
- Sailing Lease
- Food & Drink
- Louie Bossi'southward
- 925 Nuevo'south Cubanos
- Funky Buddha Brewery
- Elbo Room
- Tacos El Papi
- Ann'due south Florist and Coffee Bar
- Invasive Species Brewing
- Museums & Civilization
- Historic Stranahan House Museum
- NSU Art Museum
- Museum of Discovery and Science
- Broward Eye for the Performing Arts
- Fort Lauderdale Fire and Safety Museum
- Seminole Hard Stone Hotel and Casino
- Beaches
- Loggerhead and Vista Park
- Fort Lauderdale Beach Park
- Las Olas Beach
- Beach at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
🔖 Bookmark This: If you're wondering where to stay in Fort Lauderdale, bookmark my epic guide to the best places, hotels, and areas. Plus, for more fun ideas for excursions around the surface area, definitely check out my list of the best day trips around Fort Lauderdale. Information technology even includes a day trip to some other country!
Disclosure: Travel Lemming is an independent reader-supported blog. You can support u.s. by purchasing via the chapter links on this folio, which may earn us commissions. Thanks!
Best Things to Practice in Fort Lauderdale
👉 Leap to: All-time Things | Boat Tours | Food & Drink | Museums & Culture | Beaches
Lauderdale-by-the-Bounding main
Address: Lauderdale-By-The-Bounding main, FL 33308, USA | Website | 🤿 Book a snorkel and seabob bout the nearby reef
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a quaint, family-friendly beach town on the outskirts of the main metropolis. The beach is gorgeous and serves as one of the busiest sea turtle nesting sites in the globe. Additionally, about 300 feet from shore, visitors can swim to discover a dazzling coral reef below – 1 of the few in the world y'all tin can access directly from the beach.
🤿 Sea TURTLE SIGHTINGS: It's commonplace to spot a body of water turtle or two while snorkeling the nearby reef. If a 300-pes swim sounds like a hike for you, consider booking a Seabob / snorkel tour. The Seabob is a footling car that does the piece of work for yous to go to the reef!
Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale
Address: Riverwalk Due north, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, USA | 🛴 Volume a Segway along the Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale
Whenever my family visits town, I always bring them to the Riverwalk in downtown Fort Lauderdale. And honestly, visitors aside, it's 1 of my favorite things to do in Fort Lauderdale on a regular day, period.
The scenic stroll forth the New River is sprinkled with sailboats, megayachts, public parks, historical museums, swanky restaurants and classic dive confined adumbral by newly constructed skyscrapers.
👉 Local Tip: Park at Cooley'south Landing and caput eastward to come across the unabridged extent of the Riverwalk. Cross the river aboard the gratuitous Water Taxi river hopper or at Andrews Ave Bridge to grab an appetizer at the iconic Downtowner. On your way back, stop at The Wharf, a massive open up-air bar, for a cocktail.
Snorkeling or Scuba Diving
Accost: 801 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Not many people know, but Fort Lauderdale offers world-course diving and snorkeling. Three tiers of coral reef run parallel to shore merely a few hundred feet from the embankment. In fact, the reef off of Fort Lauderdale is some of the just coral yous can find in the continental United States. Additionally, the city has 76 shipwrecks and counting giving it the nickname "Shipwreck Upper-case letter of the The states".
If you lot're able, we highly recommend trying to scuba dive. Body of water Feel is a local store conducting Observe Scuba programs for beginners. If that'south not your affair, Sea Experience also offers daily snorkel trips to a nearby shallow reef for explorers of all ages.
🐟 DID You lot KNOW? Florida is home to the world's THIRD longest barrier reef arrangement. It'southward called the Florida Reef Tract and it runs 360 linear miles from Central W to Port St Lucie. Tin can you name the two reefs that are longer?
Las Olas Boulevard
Address: East Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Las Olas Boulevard is the epicenter of things to do in Fort Lauderdale and the main amusement district. The decorative and eclectic street is filled with boutiques, luxury restaurants, hotels, and java shops. The area can get busy, particularly at night, but during the solar day it's perfect for a stroll, cycle ride, or happy 60 minutes special.
Hire a Bike
Website | 🚴 Book a wheel tour with an experienced guide
Speaking of bicycle rides, one of my favorite things to do in Fort Lauderdale is to cycle effectually. And honestly, information technology may be the best fashion to encounter the city – nearly of the fun things to do in Fort Lauderdale on this list tin be done during your cycle ride!
Fort Lauderdale has done a squeamish job paving bicycle lanes and providing wheel rentals for visitors. Broward BCycle, a canton initiative, is the most user-friendly bike rental. Yous simply unlock the bike via an app and drop information technology off at one of the many stations peppered throughout boondocks! The rental costs are $five an hour and max out at $25 for the day.
👉 Pro Tip: I recommend booking a guide to maximize your time on a bike. Your bout guide volition bear witness yous the historical sites, Riverwalk arts, and other attractions in Fort Lauderdale!
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Address: 3109 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 | Telephone: (954) 564-4521| Website | Hours: viii am – seven pm daily | Entrance: $half dozen per vehicle (2 – 8 people); $4 single occupant vehicle; $ii per pedestrian
Fort Lauderdale's very own key park – Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is an escape to nature amidst the urban mural. Whenever I needed a reprieve from the fast pace of South Florida, I'd come up here for a respite.
Yous tin can proceed a hike or bike the two-mile loop through thick tropical hammock. Relax in a chair along the Intracoastal Waterway as the megayachts scroll on by. Bask the playground, a BBQ, or go for a paddle. Don't forget to end your day with a cold brew at Park & Body of water, the park'southward very own restaurant, overlooking the glimmering Atlantic Ocean.
Paddle the Venice of America
👉 Scan All Paddle Tours in the Venice of America
Fort Lauderdale has more than than 300 miles of navigable waterway giving it yet some other nickname, the "Venice of America". And as such, many locals and tour companies provide kayaking or paddleboarding tours through the canals of Las Olas Isles, the Intracoastal Waterway, the Middle River, and the New River.
👉 Read Next: The Acme Things to Practise in the State of Florida
Bonnet House Museum and Gardens
Address: 900 North Birch Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 | Telephone: (954) 563-5393 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 3 pm Tues-Fri; eleven am – iv pm Sat & Sun; Airtight Mon | Entrance: $xx, adults, $eight, children 6 – 17, complimentary for under 5
The Bonnet House Museum and Gardens is a historic building in the midst of the developing Fort Lauderdale Embankment. The house was built past two artists, Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett, and served as their vacation abode in the Florida wild. Amazingly, information technology wasn't too long agone that the home was one of few buildings standing in the area.
Today, the house is an enriching cultural experience filled with original art, peculiar carousel figurines, unique architecture, and a beautiful flora courtyard surrounded by natural South Florida jungle.
Flamingo Gardens
Address: 3750 S Flamingo Rd, Davie, FL 33330 | Phone: +1 954-473-2955 | Website | Hours: ix:xxx am – 5 pm daily | 🦩 Skip the line at Flamingo Gardens
Only w of downtown Fort Lauderdale, Flamingo Gardens brings visitors back to what natural Florida would accept looked like in 1933. Today, this 60-acre wildlife sanctuary features thousands of tropical and subtropical plants and trees, bald eagles, bobcats, alligators, the elusive Florida panther, and aye, flamingos!
The gardens are really a must-visit, so much so that they also make my list of the best things to practice in the South Florida region.
Everglades Vacation Park
Address: 21940 Griffin Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33332 | Phone: +one 954-434-8111| Website | Hours: ix am – 5 pm daily | 🐊 Volume an Everglades Airboat Tour
Your listing of fun things to do in Fort Lauderdale isn't complete without a Florida Everglades airboat bout! Everglades Holiday Park is the best of the bunch with easy transit from boondocks out to the National Park. Spend the day learning the ecology of alligators, the Everglades and South Florida before hopping aboard for your thrilling airboat ride!
👉 Want to see more of the Everglades? Our article, Best Mean solar day Trips from Fort Lauderdale, details Two distinct days within the famous National Park!
Best Boat Tours in Fort Lauderdale
👉 Leap to: All-time Things | Gunkhole Tours | Nutrient & Potable | Museums & Civilisation | Beaches
H2o Taxi
Phone: +i 954-467-6677 | Website | Hours: 10 am – viii pm Mon-Wed; 10 am – x pm Thurs-Sun | 🚕 Buy your All-Day hop on hop off pass
The Water Taxi is the ultimate way to see ALL of Fort Lauderdale's waterways. The company offers an all-day pass where you can hop on and hop off wherever y'all cull. Want to end downtown? How about Fort Lauderdale Embankment? A waterfront eating place? Water Taxi will make it happen!
The Captains are entertaining, the city is a sight to come across, the mansions are jaw-dropping and the yachts are even more than incredible. And the best role? The ticket is super inexpensive compared to other boat tours in the area.
👉 Pro Tip: The H2o Taxi now REQUIRES tickets to exist pre-purchased. And then be sure to get yours here Before you effort to hop aboard!
Bluefoot Pirate Adventures
Address: 801 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 | Phone: (954) 530-8302 | Website | 🏴☠️ Gear up sail on the pirate adventure
The about kid and family-friendly activity in Fort Lauderdale is aboard Bluefoot Pirate Adventures. This hr-long interactive tour, complete with face up paint and costumes, will take yous through the canals of Fort Lauderdale as you embark on an ballsy pirate take a chance.
After the scenic ride, the culminating event of a pirate battle will commence before docking. The water cannons, live-action play, and props make it among the best Fort Lauderdale activities for children!
Las Olas Gondola
Accost: NE 1st Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 | Telephone: +ane 800-277-1390 | Website
A romantic prowl aboard a 1-of-a-kind boat – Las Olas Gondola is the only Truthful gondola in boondocks. Couples will drift down the New River as the sun sets over the city skyline. The Captain is entertaining, witty, and knowledgeable of the area to make for a memorable engagement night.
Jungle Queen Riverboat Bout
Accost: 801 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 | Telephone: +1 954-462-5596 | Website | ⛴️ Ride the Jungle Queen Riverboat
The Jungle Queen Riverboat is a Fort Lauderdale archetype. Docked on Fort Lauderdale Beach, you can have the Jungle Queen all the way upward the New River where you lot'll unload for a comedy show, fire dancing, and an all-you lot-can-consume BBQ. The excursion is perfect for a date night or fun for the whole family unit.
PaddlePub Bicycle Boat
Phone: (954) 372-2900 | Website
I brought my family unit on the PaddlePub Cycle Boat while they were visiting for one of the most enjoyable days I've ever had on the h2o in Fort Lauderdale. At only $40 per person and BYOB & nutrient, we were able to enjoy 2 hours of relaxing, affordable, fun as we cruised through the Fort Lauderdale area. Oh, and don't worry, the boat DOES take engines and then yous won't be required to cycle the unabridged time!
🛥️ Desire More Boat Tours? I wrote upward an unabridged commodity on the 21 best Fort Lauderdale gunkhole tours – check it out!
Sailing Charter
⛵ Sail away aboard a private charter
With favorable winds, enough of dockage, and the open ocean nearby, Fort Lauderdale is a sailing Mecca. And as a sailor myself, I can tell you it'due south i of the nearly relaxing and enjoyable things to do in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
⛵ NO EXPERIENCE? NO Problem! Utilise Sailo to charter a private sailboat with Helm included. No feel necessary. Only show up for a not bad son the water!
Food & Drink
👉 Spring to: Best Things | Boat Tours | Food & Beverage | Museums & Culture | Beaches
Louie Bossi'southward
Address: 1032 Eastward Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 | Phone: (954) 356-6699 | Website | Hours: 11:30 am – 12 am Monday – Friday, ten am – 12 am Saturday & Sunday
Louie Bossis is an Italian restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard. Our favorite fourth dimension to come here is for weekend brunch! Starting at 10 AM, y'all can choose from a multifariousness of delectable breakfast foods earlier indulging in abysmal mimosa and bellinis. If y'all're wondering what to do in Fort Lauderdale this weekend, and desire to get your drink on, check out Louie Bossis.
925 Nuevo's Cubanos
Accost: 925 Due north Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 | Telephone: +1 954-806-8375 | Website | Hours: seven am – five pm Mon – Wed, vii am – eight pm Thurs- Sat, ix am – 5 pm Lord's day
925 Nuevo'southward Cubanos provides one of the most fun atmospheres of whatsoever restaurant in town while likewise dishing upward the All-time Cuban food due north of Miami. Caput hither for tiffin on the weekends and you'll fifty-fifty be treated to live salsa music!
☕ LOCAL TIP: Inquire for a gratuitous Colada later your repast for a Truthful Cuban coffee!
Funky Buddha Brewery
Address: 1201 NE 38th St, Oakland Park, FL 33334 | Phone: +one 954-440-0046 | Website | Hours: 11:30 am – ten pm Monday – Thursday, 11:xxx am – 12 am Friday & Saturday, 11:30 am – 9 pm Sunday
But due north of boondocks is Funky Buddha, one of Florida's largest breweries and taprooms. Beer aficionados volition enjoy the wide variety of arts and crafts brews including Hop Gun IPA and the famous Floridian.
Elbo Room
Address: 241 S Fort Lauderdale Embankment Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 | Phone: (954) 463-4615 | Website | Hours: 8 am – 2 am Sun – Thurs, 8 am – 3 am Friday & Sat
For decades, Fort Lauderdale was synonymous with dive bars. Although the city has moved on, The Elbo Room is a prime example of the few relics from the days of old that still exist. This cash-merely beach bar sits right on the busy corner of Las Olas Blvd and Ocean Drive overlooking the turquoise waters of the Gulf Stream.
Tacos El Papi
Accost: 3591 N Andrews Ave, Oakland Park, FL 33309 | Telephone: (954) 440-0258 | Hours: viii am – 9 pm Mon – Thurs, 8 am – 12 am Fri – Sun
I was reluctant to add my favorite taco shop to the list because this might be Fort Lauderdale's best-kept hush-hush – simply it's as well good to not share. Hands down, these are the all-time tacos I've had NOT in Mexico. And even and then, it gives those in Mexico City a run for their money.
I recommend coming here on a weekend evening when the owner sets up a street stand outside and blasts Latin music. Information technology's quite the atmosphere every bit yous sit on some fold-upwardly chairs in the parking lot and chow downwards on the most authentic Mexican cuisine in South Florida.
Ann's Florist and Coffee Bar
Address: 1001 Due east Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 | Telephone: (954) 761-3334 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 5:30 pm Mon – Sat, Airtight Sun
Ann's Florist and Coffee Bar is a Fort Lauderdale staple in the eye of Las Olas Blvd. The scent of fresh flowers composite with freshly ground coffee will leave an impression that'll final long after you lot've left. Although, information technology's the wide selection of delectable pastries that'll bring you lot back side by side time you're in town.
Invasive Species Brewing
Address: 726 NE 2nd Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 | Website | Hours: 5 pm – eleven pm Monday – Thurs, 2 pm – 12 am Fri & Sat, ii pm – x pm Sunday
Invasive Species Brewing is nestled in the fine art district of Flagler Village, an up and coming neighborhood only north of boondocks. The brewery is an eclectic little bar serving tasty microbrews while offering a line of food trucks exterior the front door. It'southward a dandy spot for locals and visitors to mingle while everyone enjoys a laid-back evening out.
Museums & Civilisation
👉 Jump to: Best Things | Boat Tours | Food & Drinkable | Museums & Civilization | Beaches
Historic Stranahan House Museum
Address: 335 SE sixth Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 | Phone: (954) 524-4736 | Website | Tours start at i, 2, and 3 pm | Entrance: $12 for adults
The birth of Fort Lauderdale began with Frank Stranahan, an Ohio native, back in the 1890s. He originally built what is now known every bit the Historic Stranahan Firm Museum every bit a trading postal service for business organisation dealings with the nearby Seminole tribe. Decades later, it is at present the oldest surviving structure in the city and a great place to visit for a taste of history.
NSU Art Museum
Address: 1 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 | Phone: +1 954-525-5500 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 5 pm Tues – Saturday, 12 pm – 5 pm Dominicus, Closed Monday | Entrance: $12 adults, free for kids under 12
The Modernist pattern of the building alone volition go y'all excited to explore the halls within the NSU Art Museum. Exhibits are always irresolute, but you'll find works past European Cobra artists and American painter William Glackens are ever on display. Additionally, many of the galleries accept a heavy Latino influence highlighting Fort Lauderdale's connexion with Latin America.
Museum of Discovery and Science
Address: 401 SW 2nd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 | Phone: +1 954-467-6637 | Website | Hours: 10 am – five pm daily, 12 pm – five pm Sunday | Entrance: $24 adults, $19 ages 2 – 12
Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Discovery and Science is a sure bet to keep your kids entertained for an entire solar day. They'll go lost in the wonder on display equally they learn about Florida ecology, prehistoric animals, the Florida Everglades, and the scientific method in interactive labs.
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Accost: 201 SW 5th Ave, Fort Lauderdale FL 33312 | Phone: (954) 462-0222 | Website
Just beyond the street from the Museum of Discovery and Scientific discipline is the Performing Arts Broward Center. This picturesque hall is one of Florida's premier theatres for a play, dance operation, concert, and other family-friendly events.
Fort Lauderdale Burn down and Rubber Museum
Address: 1022 W Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale FL 33312 | Phone: (954) 763-1005 | Website
Congenital in 1927, the Fort Lauderdale Fire and Safety Museum is a unique exploration of the challenges showtime responders encountered 100 years ago. On display are uniforms, artifacts, and tales of major fires and emergencies throughout Fort Lauderdale'south history.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Address: ane Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314 | Phone: (866) 502-7529 | Website | 👉 Book a night stay in the Guitar Hotel
Just on the outskirts of Fort Lauderdale is the famous Guitar Hotel. And let's be honest, you can't say yous've ever seen whatever other edifice in the world quite like this one. It's literally shaped like a guitar with a axle of light as its axel!
The guitar'due south inside is equally as impressive as the outside, resembling a urban center more a hotel. Shops, nightclubs, restaurants, concert halls, and a casino line the within. On the outside is an impressive lagoon featuring its very own island bungalows.
If you're looking for a place to stay in Fort Lauderdale, this is definitely a memorable choice!
🎸 STAY IN THE GUITAR: Book a dark stay in the Guitar for the full experience!
Beaches
👉 Leap to: Best Things | Gunkhole Tours | Nutrient & Drink | Museums & Culture | Beaches
Loggerhead and Vista Park
Accost: 2851 Due north Atlantic Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 | Hours: 8 am – 8 pm daily
Two of the best beaches in Florida, just a block away from each other, are a local secret spot. Nestled in a residential neighborhood, Loggerhead and Vista Parks is a refreshing getaway from the crowds oft establish along Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Not to mention, there'southward an epic beach dive a rock'due south throw away from shore. Do note that parking is extremely limited with nearly 20 paid spots between the two parks – so get in that location early!
🐢 Bounding main TURTLE TIPS: It's not uncommon to spot a nesting Loggerhead turtle at nighttime (hence the name). But remember: proceed a safe distance, don't smooth a flashlight towards the turtle (including camera flashes) and never hinder their path!
Fort Lauderdale Embankment Park
Address: 1100 Seabreeze Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 | Website | Hours: v am – two am daily
With basketball courts, playgrounds, picnic tables, BBQ grills and jet ski rentals, it'south hard not to find something for anybody at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park. Of all the public beaches in Fort Lauderdale, this is the largest and the nigh lively. As such, the parking lot does go extremely busy on the weekends so if yous're planning an all-day issue, I recommend arriving early on.
Las Olas Embankment
Address: 240 Las Olas Circumvolve, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Las Olas Beach is the epicenter of activity and the ideal spot for those seeking a party crowd in Fort Lauderdale. The embankment is filled with partygoers and vacationers looking for a expert fourth dimension. Just across the sandy street is the esplanade – a strip of bars, restaurants, clubs, surf shops and beach outfitters. Information technology's a peachy area for immature singles and groups, but not entirely ideal for the family.
Embankment at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Address: 3109 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 | Phone: (954) 564-4521| Website | Hours: 8 am – 7 pm daily | Entrance: $six per vehicle (two – 8 people); $4 single occupant vehicle
For the last iv years, this has been my beach spot. Quiet, relaxing, and cute. The best part? It'due south as well the cheapest! Y'all pay a one-fourth dimension fee to park in the State Park and you're good for the entire 24-hour interval. If yous are seeking a calmer embankment twenty-four hour period while saving a buck on parking, I highly recommend spending your day here.
👉 Read Next: The Best Fourth dimension to Visit Fort Lauderdale
***
I promise this helped you figure out what to practice in Fort Lauderdale today! Before yous get explore all those Fort Lauderdale attractions, I take some questions for yous:
What'southward the near exciting affair to do in Fort Lauderdale on this listing? Would y'all prefer a trip to the fine art museum or the discovery and science museum? Boat ride or a embankment day?
I may exist biased but a sightseeing prowl aboard a boat is my top choice! What's yours? Whorl down and leave me a annotate!
Don't forget, after thoroughly exploring all the fun things to practice in Fort Lauderdale, head out of boondocks on one of our superlative solar day trips from Fort Lauderdale !
Exploring more than of Florida? Why not check out all the fun stuff to do in Miami or in Orlando next?
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