History Fort Lauderdale

History Fort Lauderdale Visit Your Museum! Hours: Mon-Sun 10am- 4 p.m. with guided tours of all 3 museums Hours: Mon-Fri noon- 4 p.m. & Sat-Sun 9:30am to 4 p.m.

with docent-led tours beginning at 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.

08/20/2026

Artist Feature for "Viva Fort Lauderdale" Exhibition
Florencia Clement de Grandprey (Spain)

"Born and raised in southern Spain, I’m the daughter of an American mother and a French/Italian father, living and working in Fort Lauderdale, FL, since 2004.

I’m a self-taught mixed media artist, whose mission is to empower and inspire through positive and meaningful artwork. My artistic adventure began in late 2014, when I quit my full-time job in interior design to pursue my real passion: painting.

Because I didn’t receive any formal art training, I have developed a style without rules, which gives me great freedom. I combine my love of the classic masters with contemporary design flair to produce mixed media paintings.

My style and media have definitely evolved over the last few years as I’m continuously exploring surfaces and materials…"
~Florencia Clement de Grandprey

The exhibit will open with a free artist Meet and Greet reception and preview at 6 p.m. on September 17 at the New River Inn (231 Southwest Second Avenue). Guests may register for the free preview reception at bit.ly/HFLVivaPreview2026.

Light bites provided by CoyoTaco.

🇪🇸🇻🇪🇳🇮 CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH! 🇳🇮🇻🇪🇪🇸History Fort Lauderdale proudly presents their Fifth Annual “Viva Fort...
08/18/2026

🇪🇸🇻🇪🇳🇮 CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH! 🇳🇮🇻🇪🇪🇸

History Fort Lauderdale proudly presents their Fifth Annual “Viva Fort Lauderdale: Celebrating Hispanic Art & Culture”—a vibrant celebration of the creativity, heritage, and cultural traditions that enrich our community.

🎨 Featuring award-winning local Artists-in-Residence:
✨ Florencia Clement de Grandprey — Spain
✨ Isabel Perez Salazar — Venezuela
✨ Lifrancis Rojas — Venezuela
✨ NEW this year: Sculptor Norman Silva — Nicaragua

🥂 FREE OPENING RECEPTION & ARTIST MEET & GREET

📅 Thursday, September 17, 2026
⏰ 6–8 PM
📍 History Fort Lauderdale — New River Inn
231 SW 2nd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale

The free exhibit runs September 17–October 25, inviting visitors to experience the diverse voices, perspectives, and artistic traditions of South Florida’s Hispanic community.

🎟️ FREE RECEPTION — RSVP ENCOURAGED
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/events/1051883027340059/1051883784006650/

Come celebrate Hispanic heritage, meet the artists, and experience the art that makes our community so vibrant! ❤️💛💚💙

🏛️ What do the Seminoles, a pioneer family, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Black Broward, and Fort Lauderdale’s famous wa...
08/15/2026

🏛️ What do the Seminoles, a pioneer family, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Black Broward, and Fort Lauderdale’s famous waterways have in common?

They’re all part of the story waiting to be discovered at History Fort Lauderdale.

Explore four permanent galleries inside the historic New River Inn and journey through the history of our community—from the earliest people and earliest times.

Discover:
🚨 The Growth & History of the Broward Sheriff’s Office — from 1915 through Prohibition, organized crime, and the evolution of modern law enforcement.

🌱 Roots of Resilience: The Journey of Black Broward — stories of community, perseverance, and achievement from 1793 to today.

🛶 Dugouts to Dream Yachts — how Fort Lauderdale’s waterways evolved from essential travel routes to the lifestyle that helped define the city.

🌴 The Bryans of Fort Lauderdale — the story of a pioneer family and the transformation of Fort Lauderdale from an agricultural outpost into a bustling city.

With artifacts, historic photographs, life-like displays, and the voices of those who helped shape Fort Lauderdale, the past comes to life inside the New River Inn.

📍 Come explore the permanent exhibitions at History Fort Lauderdale.

Tag a history lover! 👇

🌊 THE RIVER THAT BUILT A CITYFrom the river to the railroad… from trading routes to tourism…The New River has always bee...
08/13/2026

🌊 THE RIVER THAT BUILT A CITY
From the river to the railroad… from trading routes to tourism…

The New River has always been more than a beautiful backdrop. It is a meandering, connecting catalyst thoroughfare for the community that is Fort Lauderdale today.

🌴 SEMINOLE HISTORY
Long before postcards, railroads, yachts, and tourists, the New River was part of a much older South Florida story. The waterways and surrounding lands were home and industry to the Seminole people, who lived, traveled, hunted, and established communities throughout South Florida. The river and its surrounding wetlands provided routes for trade and daily sustainability.

As you look at the New River today, it can be easy to see only the modern waterfront; and its remarkable beauty. However beneath the boats, bridges, and buildings is a landscape with a much deeper history.

🚂 THE RAILROAD ARRIVES
The railroad transformed Fort Lauderdale’s possibilities, bringing new connections—and the workers became part of a growing community. It helped connect the river community to a much larger world—and laid the groundwork for the industrial development, international commerce, and tourism that would follow.

📬 POSTCARDS & THE BIRTH OF TOURISM
As visitors discovered Fort Lauderdale, postcards helped turn the New River and South Florida into destinations worth writing home about. Postcards today have become artifacts of historical significance.

🛥️ FROM CANOES TO YACHTS
The river that once carried people, goods, and commerce, today, has become a playground for pleasure boats and yachts, while earning Fort Lauderdale the reputation as the longest-running annual boating show; and the nickname - Venice of the Americas for its intricate and expansive waterway system.

From the New River… to the railroad… to the arrival of visitors, the story of Fort Lauderdale's growth can be traced along the water.

Yesterday meets today and The New River connects them all.

It's so romantic!

Aug 10, 1989 Joseph Young's residence on E Hollywood Blvd., admitted to National Register. Hollywood Historical Society ...
08/10/2026

Aug 10, 1989 Joseph Young's residence on E Hollywood Blvd., admitted to National Register. Hollywood Historical Society Historic Preservation Professionals National Trust for Historic Preservation National Register of Historical Places Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc. City of Hollywood, Florida Government

08/10/2026

🎬 Before the high-rises, beach resorts, and nightlife, travelers checked into Broward County’s oldest hotel.

Welcome to 1905.

Step inside the New River Inn.
Open the door.
Take in the artwork.
Ring the bell…

For a moment, let yourself imagine what it was like to arrive here more than a century ago.

🏨 Would you spend a night here?
Guess what? You can’t! 😄
Unfortunately we’re not taking hotel bookings...

Instead, stop by and explore our permanent exhibitions, our historical village; and discover the stories, people, and places that helped shape Fort Lauderdale.

#1905

📚✏️ Back to School... As students head back to the classroom this school year, we're taking a look back at the books tha...
08/04/2026

📚✏️ Back to School...

As students head back to the classroom this school year, we're taking a look back at the books that helped educate generations of children—including many who attended school in the early days of Fort Lauderdale.

Among the most recognizable were the McGuffey Readers, first published in the 1830s. These iconic textbooks taught reading through stories, poetry, and lessons that emphasized character, citizenship, hard work, and moral values. For nearly a century, they were among the most widely used schoolbooks in America, helping millions of children develop both literacy and life lessons.

Later, many classrooms also introduced the Natural Method Readers, which reflected changing educational philosophies. Rather than relying heavily on memorization, these books encouraged children to learn language through observation, conversation, and storytelling. Their engaging illustrations and relatable narratives made reading a more interactive and enjoyable experience while building vocabulary and comprehension naturally.

In the one-room schoolhouses and early classrooms of Fort Lauderdale, these readers were windows to the wider world, introducing young students to history, literature, science, geography, and the values of their time.

As another school year begins, these historic books remind us that while classrooms, technology, and teaching methods have evolved, the joy of learning and the power of education continue to shape every generation.

Happy Back-to-School from History Fort Lauderdale! 🍎📖

Thank you to for this Post.We are Sharing!Then vs. now.What was once a stretch of low-rise motels and seasonal tourism ...
08/03/2026

Thank you to for this Post.
We are Sharing!

Then vs. now.

What was once a stretch of low-rise motels and seasonal tourism has transformed into one of South Florida’s premier beachfront destinations. The Motwani family has helped shape that evolution for nearly four decades.

After arriving in Fort Lauderdale Beach in 1986, Bob and Ramola Motwani saw long-term potential where others saw uncertainty, laying the foundation for what would become Merrimac Ventures. Since then, the firm has played a major role in the area’s transformation through landmark developments including Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale, and The Gale Fort Lauderdale.

“We want to be remembered as a family that believed in Fort Lauderdale Beach before the rest of the world did and helped shape it into a luxury destination while staying true to its character and history,” said Nitin Motwani, Managing Partner of Merrimac Ventures.

This 1914 frame vernacular house where George Young, Virginia Shuman's future husband, was born July 18, 1915. Historic ...
07/30/2026

This 1914 frame vernacular house where George Young, Virginia Shuman's future husband, was born July 18, 1915. Historic Preservation Professionals Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc. National Trust for Historic Preservation Florida Pioneering Families Sailboat Bend Civic Association Sailboat Bend Community News City of Fort Lauderdale

Be sure to visit our museum this Sunday, 8/2, for a chance to speak with Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Je...
07/29/2026

Be sure to visit our museum this Sunday, 8/2, for a chance to speak with Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock. Downtown FTL Downtown Fort Lauderdale Civic Association Downtown Fort Lauderdale City of Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Broward County Public Schools

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231 SW 2nd Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33301

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

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