Fort Lauderdale's notable places organize along two axes: the New River corridor running east through downtown toward the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, and the barrier-island beach district separated from the mainland by that same waterway. Downtown's Riverwalk concentrates the city's oldest civic and cultural institutions — the Stranahan House, the Museum of Discovery and Science, the Old Fort Lauderdale Village, and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts — within a 1.5-mile public walkway along the river. To the east, the Las Olas Oceanside Park system anchors the beachfront, while Port Everglades, administered as a Broward County enterprise just south of the city proper, functions as the region's dominant economic infrastructure. The city's low-lying urban canal network, which extends throughout residential and commercial neighborhoods, gives Fort Lauderdale its informal designation as the Venice of America and underlies ongoing infrastructure investment in flood resilience.
Notable places
New River Riverwalk
The New River Riverwalk is a 1.5-mile public waterfront corridor running along the historic New River through downtown Fort Lauderdale. Documented landmarks along the corridor include the Stranahan House, the Old Fort Lauderdale Village and Museum, the Museum of Discovery and Science, and access to Las Olas Boulevard. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is situated along the same waterfront, and the route connects several of the city's principal cultural institutions within a continuous pedestrian path.
More on New River RiverwalkStranahan House Museum
The Stranahan House is documented as the oldest surviving structure in Broward County. Built in 1901 on the bank of the New River as a trading post and converted into a residence in 1906, it now operates as a historical and educational institution. According to the Stranahan House Museum, educational programs are funded in part by the State of Florida Department of State Division of Arts and Culture and Broward County's Cultural Division.
More on Stranahan House MuseumBroward Center for the Performing Arts
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is documented on the City of Fort Lauderdale's official website as the city's primary performing arts venue. Situated along the New River Riverwalk, the center hosts regional entertainment and cultural programming. It was also the site of the February 2025 Resilient Broward convening, at which Broward County presented a $28 billion climate resilience plan, according to The Invading Sea.
More on Broward Center for the Performing ArtsOld Fort Lauderdale Village and Museum
The Old Fort Lauderdale Village and Museum preserves and interprets the city's early settlement history, including its origins as the New River Settlement before the 20th century and the construction of the first U.S. military stockade along the New River in 1838 during the Second Seminole War, as documented by Britannica. The institution is situated along the New River Riverwalk among the city's concentration of cultural landmarks.
More on Old Fort Lauderdale Village and MuseumLas Olas Oceanside Park System (The LOOP)
The Las Olas Oceanside Park system, branded as The LOOP, is a four-park greenspace complex at Fort Lauderdale Beach completed in October 2019 following a $65 million public investment, according to theloopflb.com. The system converted oceanside parking infrastructure into public parks, incorporating the Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park and DC Alexander Park. A rooftop terrace at the Las Olas Beach Garage provides views of the Intracoastal Waterway.
More on Las Olas Oceanside Park System (The LOOP)NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
The NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is documented as a distinct cultural institution in the downtown area, housing contemporary visual art collections. The museum is identified in city and cultural sources as a principal component of Fort Lauderdale's civic arts infrastructure, alongside the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the Museum of Discovery and Science along the New River corridor.
Museum of Discovery and Science
The Museum of Discovery and Science is documented as one of the landmark institutions along the New River Riverwalk in downtown Fort Lauderdale. It is cited in City of Fort Lauderdale documentation as part of the 1.5-mile waterfront corridor that connects the city's principal cultural and educational facilities along the historic New River, which flows east through downtown before discharging into the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
Port Everglades
Port Everglades is an enclosed deepwater harbor administered as a self-supporting enterprise fund of Broward County government. According to Port Everglades' Fiscal Year 2024 Economic Impact Report, the port generates approximately $28.1 billion in annual economic activity and supports more than 204,300 jobs statewide. It set a cruise passenger record of 4,010,919 guests in FY2024 and contributes more than $1.1 billion in state and local tax revenue, making it one of the busiest cruise and cargo ports in the Western Hemisphere.
More on Port EvergladesAtlantic Intracoastal Waterway
The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway bisects the eastern portion of Fort Lauderdale, separating the barrier-island beach district from the mainland. The New River flows east through downtown before discharging into this waterway. According to the City of Fort Lauderdale, the broader urban canal system extends throughout residential and commercial neighborhoods, historically enabling boat access for a large share of the city's shoreline properties — a characteristic that underlies the city's informal designation as the Venice of America.
Fort Lauderdale Beach
Fort Lauderdale Beach occupies the Atlantic-facing shore of the city's barrier island, east of the Intracoastal Waterway. The beach is the site of the annual Tortuga Music Festival, a large-scale country music event documented by Britannica as drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees; the 2026 event took place in April. The Las Olas Oceanside Park system, completed in 2019, borders the beach and Intracoastal frontage immediately west of the shoreline.
More on Fort Lauderdale BeachCity of Fort Lauderdale Stormwater Infrastructure
The City of Fort Lauderdale's Stormwater Master Plan, finalized in January 2018, identified fourteen flood-vulnerable neighborhoods across two phases for drainage improvements. As of city reporting, more than five miles of drainage pipe has been laid in the Edgewood and River Oaks neighborhoods. The city references a broader Fortify Lauderdale program representing a $1.6 billion investment in flood prevention, pump stations, elevated roads, and upgraded drainage, responding to the city's low-lying terrain at or near sea level.
More on City of Fort Lauderdale Stormwater InfrastructureSources
- Fort Lauderdale | Britannica https://www.britannica.com/place/Fort-Lauderdale Used for: City incorporation date (1911), county seat designation (1915), location on Atlantic coast 25 miles north of Miami, Second Seminole War fort history, Florida land boom and 1926 hurricane impacts, Tortuga Music Festival reference
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Population (183,032), median age (42.9), median household income ($79,935), median home value ($455,600), poverty rate (15.2%), unemployment rate (5.3%), labor force participation (73%), owner/renter-occupied rates, median gross rent ($1,776), bachelor's degree attainment (23.8%)
- City of Fort Lauderdale – Office of the Mayor and City Commission https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/city-commission/office-of-the-mayor-city-commission Used for: Mayor Dean J. Trantalis, Vice Mayor John C. Herbst, Commissioners Steven Glassman, Pamela Beasley-Pittman, Ben Sorensen; commission-manager government structure
- City of Fort Lauderdale – Government https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/ Used for: City Manager Rickelle Williams appointed March 4, 2025; city manager role description
- City of Fort Lauderdale – Climate Resiliency https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-i-z/parks-recreation/sustainability/sustainability-climate-resilience/climate-resiliency Used for: Stormwater Master Plan (finalized January 2018), seven flood-vulnerable neighborhoods (Phase I and II), over five miles of drainage pipe in Edgewood and River Oaks, 50-year flood protection design
- Port Everglades – Economic Impact Exceeds $28 Billion (FY2024) https://www.porteverglades.net/articles/post/port-everglades-economic-impact-exceeds-28-billion/ Used for: $28.1 billion annual economic activity, 204,300 jobs statewide (6% increase from FY2023), $1.1 billion in state and local taxes, self-supporting enterprise fund status, 4.4 million cruise guests projected FY2025
- Port Everglades – Statistics https://www.porteverglades.net/about-us/statistics/ Used for: Port Everglades FY2024 economic impact report reference; cruise passenger record of 4,010,919 in FY2024
- Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance – Marine Industries https://www.gflalliance.org/information-center/marine-industries Used for: 142,000 regional marine industry jobs (111,000 in Broward County), $4 billion in wages, $9 billion annual economic impact, approximately 2,000 mega-yachts visiting annually
- Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance – Top Rankings https://www.gflalliance.org/index.php?category=information+center&print=y&submenu=top_rankings Used for: Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport as two principal economic engines; financial services and life sciences sector presence
- Florida Division of Emergency Management – April 2023 Southeast Florida Flooding Update https://www.floridadisaster.org/news-media/news/2023-florida-division-of-emergency-management-issues-updates-on-southeast-florida-flooding---414-morning/ Used for: 25.87 inches recorded at FLL MesoSTEM Network during April 12-13, 2023 flood event; two EF-0 tornadoes confirmed; airport closure and reopening April 14; Port Everglades remained open
- The Invading Sea – Broward County Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan (March 2025) https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/03/03/broward-county-risk-assessment-resilience-climate-change-infrastructure-flooding-sea-level-rise/ Used for: Broward County $28 billion climate resilience plan; February 2025 Resilient Broward event at Broward Center for the Performing Arts; Broward County Mayor Beam Furr quote on climate risk
- Stranahan House Museum – Official Site https://stranahanhouse.org/ Used for: Oldest surviving structure in Broward County; educational programs funded by State of Florida Division of Arts and Culture and Broward County Cultural Division; Kiwanis Club support
- The LOOP (Las Olas Oceanside Park) – Visit https://theloopflb.com/visit/ Used for: $65 million four-park Las Olas Oceanside Park system completed October 2019; Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park; Las Olas Beach Garage rooftop terrace; DC Alexander Park