Popular Attractions
Fort Lauderdale isn’t just about beautiful beaches, gorgeous bodies and Spring Break. It’s also full of culture and educational venues. Below are just a few of the more popular places. Enjoy!
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, is the international showplace for swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming. The Museum, Library and Archive contain the world’s largest collection of aquatic memorabilia including the largest source of aquatic books, manuscripts and literature.
Housing over 40 exhibits and displays which illustrate the history of aquatic sports, it recognizes the world’s greatest swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming champions. Johnny Weissmuller’s Olympic medals are a part of the world’s largest collection of aquatic Olympic medals..Mark Spitz’s starting block used to win six of his seven 1972 Olympic gold medals is on view.
There are tributes to American Presidents who were swimmers, including Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, who was on the first Harvard swim team to beat Yale.
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The first automatic timing machine to determine the results of close races is on display here, along with the modern system we use today. There is a hands-on tribute to timing automation where visitors can play the role of both the starter and timer.
The Huizenga Theater, a state-of-the-art multimedia experience, allows visitors to select a variety of programs ranging from short informational pieces on water safety to coverage of the Olympic Games.
Educational Value
ISHOF advances educational programs on water safety, good health and fitness by offering education, training and guidance. Interactive computers and over 2,000 display photographs provide visitors access to a considerable amount of information regarding aquatics.
The two story, original hall of Fame building is on the IntraCoastal Waterway side of the complex. It contains 7,000 square feet housing the Tripp Family Art Gallery, Henning Library and Archives, John E. duPont Panorama Celebrity Room and administrative offices.
Sculpture and art work of LeRoy Neiman, Norman Rockwell, Ken Danby, Joseph Brown, R. Tait McKenzie and Odouardo Tabbacchi decorate the building with beauty and grace. The Library Archives contain the world’s largest collection of aquatic books and papers.
Situated between the two Hall of Fame exhibition buildings, the ISHOF Aquatic Complex is the only one of its kind on the planet that offers two 50m pools, a diving well and swimming flume.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame is on A1A, just one block south of Las Olas Boulevard.
Address:
1 Hall of Fame Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: 9am – 2pm
Sunday closed
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Located between Dade and Palm Beach Counties, in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Broward Center for the Performing Arts is the place to go for one-of-a-kind entertainment in South Florida.
Among the top ten most-visited theaters in the world, the elegant Center overlooks the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Hosting ballets, concerts, plays, Broadway musicals, operas, workshops and educational events, the Center is culture at it’s finest.
If you are killing time between flights, getting to the Center from FXE takes only 13 minutes. You can get there by various means of transportation, including the Broward County Transit, Sun Trolley, Tri-Rail, TMax Express Shuttle and even by Water Taxi.
Be sure to call the Center before you visit and ask about the events currently taking place.
Location:
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
201 SW Fifth Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
Hours:
Monday–Friday 10 a.m. –5 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is a historic home in Fort Lauderdale It is just a 20-minute ride from Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL). If you are into historical museums and architecture and beautiful gardens, you will enjoy a trip to the Bonnet House Museum.
There is a rich history behind this old house. Artist Frederic Clay Bartlett created Bonnet House in 1920 on 35 acres of oceanfront land in South Florida. It had been given to him and his second wife, Helen Louise Birch, by her father, Hugh Taylor Birch, real estate investor and naturalist.
Bonnet House
After Frederic died in 1953, his wife gave the house to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is accredited by the American Association of Museums. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1984 and declared a historic landmark by the City of Fort Lauderdale in 2002.
In 1983, Mrs. Bartlett gave the Bonnet House to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. Her contribution—at the time, the largest charitable gift in Florida history—ensured that the site would be preserved for the enjoyment and education of future generations.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is accredited by the American Association of Museums. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1984 and declared a historic landmark by the City of Fort Lauderdale in 2002.
Address:
900 N Birch Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
Public Tour Hours
Tuesday – Sunday – 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tour Times:
- 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30
- Last house tour 3:30pm
- Gates close at 4:00pm
- Closed: Mondays, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.