Greater Fort Lauderdale is one of the premier tourism destinations in South Florida. During the 1920s, this sleepy outpost boomed when real estate speculators dredged the Everglades, forming irrigation canals and creating the ‘Venice of America’. Brick-paved pedestrian promenades, columned porticos and hundreds of new palm trees make the city’s famed beachfront strip one of the best in the USA. In total, there are 23 miles of beach front, 300 miles of inland waterways and 3500 restaurants.
Riverwalk, a linear park, links hotels, restaurants and attractions along the banks of the New River, leading to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Water taxis ply Fort Lauderdale’s canals and the Intracoastal Waterway.
Opportunities to explore the natural world in Greater Fort Lauderdale include Butterfly World, dedicated to the study, care and display of beautiful butterflies from all over the globe; Flamingo Gardens; the Water Taxi; and the Museum of Discovery & Science. The Secret Woods Nature Center features wetlands, mangrove swamps and numerous plant and animal communities. It is possible to ride an airboat through the Everglades at Sawgrass Recreation Park or Everglades Holiday Park. The Old Fort Lauderdale Village & Museum is a historic village in the center of Fort Lauderdale, comprising the 1905 New River Inn (housing the museum), the 1905 Philemon Bryan House (the administrative offices of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society), the 1907 King-Cromartie House (museum) and the Replica 1899 Schoolhouse. The new Hoch Heritage Center is due to open in 2005. The Society produces exhibits on the area’s development, the history of sports in South Florida, regional architecture, Seminole Indian culture and even a silent movie theater. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, on the Seminole Indian Reservation, includes profiles of historic leaders, artifacts, traditional crafts, toys and jewelry exhibits.
The Von D Mizell Library is just one of several attractions in Broward County with important affiliations to the African-American community. Displays feature the black heritage of Broward County, especially authors and artists, as well as memorabilia of Dr Mizell, one of the area’s first African-American doctors. Bonnet House is a historical estate of 14 hectares (35 acres) that reflects the history of South Florida. The waterfront estate includes a plantation-style house, art gallery, a bamboo bar and shell museum and eight outbuildings.
Other attractions include Stranahan House, the home of the area’s first ferryman, Frank Stranahan, and the Graves Museum of Archaeology & Natural History with exhibits on the Tequesta Indians of South Florida, as well as ancient Egypt and the Near East, marine archaeology, pre-Hispanic Americas and the Carole Jacobs Mineral Collection. Boats can be hired from Bahia Mar Marina or visitors can hop aboard The Jungle Queen, a paddleboat. Also in the area is Sawgrass Mills Mall, the world’s largest designer outlet mall, which features over 275 specialty shops.