The 3 best museums in Fort Lauderdale

Photo: Kate G./Yelp

Looking to check out the best museums around? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top museums in Fort Lauderdale, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list.

From a collection of classic Packards to historical estates, here are the must-see museums for locals and visitors alike.

1. Antique Car Museum

Topping the list is the Antique Car Museum. Located at 1527 S.W. First Ave. in the Poinciana Park neighborhood, it is the highest rated museum in Fort Lauderdale, boasting five stars out of 33 reviews on Yelp.

The 30,000-square-foot museum houses antique Packard cars and collectibles dating as far back as 1900. Cars on display include a 1909 Gentlemen's Runabout Speedster, a 1930 Packard Model 740 and a 1948 2201 Station Sedan, among others. 

Founded by the late collector Arthur Stone, the museum also features hood ornaments, gear-shift knobs, horns, vintage magazines and an exhibit dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt, per its website. 

2. Bonnet House Museum & Gardens

Photo: jeannette g./Yelp

Next up is Central Beach's Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, situated at 900 N. Birch Road. With four stars out of 89 reviews on Yelp, the museum and botanical garden has proven to be a local favorite.

The museum preserves the estate of Chicago-born artist Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife, Evelyn. The house was built in 1920 and is filled with art and other treasures. 

Nestled on 35 acres, visitors can walk where ancient Native Americans and early European settlers once did. There are orchid collections on-site and frequent bird and manatee sightings. The Bonnet House hosts an annual weeklong holiday festival and has adult educational programs in art, ornithology and orchid cultivation, as well as semi-frequent lectures. 

3. Stranahan House

Photo: ric r./Yelp

Downtown's Stranahan House, located at 335 S.E. Sixth Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the landmark historical building 4.5 stars out of 25 reviews.

The house was built in 1901 by Ohio native Frank Stranahan and opened to the public as a museum in 1984. It's the oldest home in Broward County. The museum attracts 10,000 visitors annually and is a regular destination for field trips.

The only way to view the property is by guided tour, which typically lasts 45 minutes to an hour, in which docents "share the story of the House, the founding family, and the City of Fort Lauderdale," the Stranahan House says on its website.


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