Destination Guides: Fort Lauderdale, United States - Family Fun

Adventure World
3570 South Ocean Drive

Hollywood, FL 33019-2825
954-457-9575
Open 365 days a year, 10am-6pm

Admission Charged
Action-packed recreational center designed for thrills that the whole family can enjoy. Activities include jet skis and air cat, kayak, canoeing and boat excursions.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum
Big Cypress Reservation

HC-61

Clewiston, FL 33440

I-75 to exit 49, 17 miles north on county road 883 to West Boundary Road

863-902-1113

Hours: Tues-Sun 9am-5pm

Admission Charged
The Seminole Tribe of Florida presents their history and culture through exhibits, rare artifacts, dramatic film, nature trails and a "living" village.

Anne Kolb Nature Center
West Lake Park

750 Sheridan St.

Hollywood, Florida 33019-4701

954-926-2410

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Free
Experience this 1,500+ acre wetland mangrove forest habitat for wading birds and other native wildlife. Tidewater Tours offers educational boat tours. The Center also includes an Intracoastal fishing pier, five-story observation tower, nature, canoe and bicycle trails and environmental exhibit hall.

Bar-B-Ranch
1300 Peaceful Ridge Road

Davie, FL 33330
954-424-1060

Hours: Open daily 9am-5pm

Admission Charged
One of Broward County's oldest and largest public riding stable offers ponies and horses for all ages and levels of riding experience. Scenic trail rides, pony rides, lessons and day camp are offered on and off the farm in Davie.

Billie Swamp Safari
Big Cypress Reservation

Clewiston, FL 33440

Take Alligator Alley (I-75) from either Ft. Lauderdale or Naples to exit 49 (Mobile Service Plaza) then go north 19 miles to the park entrance.
800-949-6101

Hours:  Open daily 8:30am-6:30pm

Admission Charged

Learn about the land, history and culture of the Seminole Indians. Skim over glittering waterscapes in an airboat, experience a swamp buggy eco-tour, paddle a canoe, walk the Swamp Trail and come face-to-face with the resident alligators. Airboat rides and swamp buggy tours available.

Boomers
1801 NW 1st St.

Dania, FL 33004-3108
954-921-2416

Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 10am-11pm, Fri.-Sat. until 2am.

Admission Charged for Rides
Go-karts, bumper cars, arcades, mini-golf, batting cages. Naskart racing and Sky Coaster.

Buehler Planetarium
Broward Community College Campus

3501 SW Davie Rd.

Davie, FL 33314-1604
954-201-6681

Call for show schedule

Admission Charged
State-of-the-art facility. Laser light shows, astronomy and space exploration. Telescope viewing after evening shows. Call for show schedules.

Butterfly World
3600 W Sample Rd,

Coconut Creek, FL 33073-4400
954-977-4400

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 1-5pm

Admission Charged
Stroll through seven acres of lush tropical gardens while thousands of live, brilliantly colored butterflies soar around. Waterfalls, fish, hummingbirds, an insectarium, orchids and roses complete the natural habitat.

Dania Beach Hurricane
1760 NW 1st Street (next to Boomers)

Dania Beach, FL 33004-3107
954-921-RIDE

Hours: Open daily 10am to 11pm, till 2am on weekends

Admission Charged
Wooden roller coaster with 3,200 feet worth of adrenaline-pumping excitement with speeds up to 55 miles per hour.

Everglades Holiday Park
21940 Griffin Rd

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33332-2022  
954-434-8111

Call for additional information
Everglades Park is available for daytime, outdoor activities.  Park has tiki huts & picnic tables.

Festival Marketplace
2900 W Sample Rd

Pompano Beach, FL 33073-3024
954-979-4555

Hours: Open Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-5pm. Sat.-Sun. 9:30am-6pm

Admission Free
Indoor flea market with over 600 stores of new, brand name merchandise at below outlet prices, Winners Arcade, food court and farmers market

Flamingo Gardens & Wray Botanical Collection
3750 South Flamingo Rd

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33330-1614
954-473-2955

Hours: Open 9:30am-5pm daily, closed Mondays, June 1-Sept. 30

Admission Charged
Connect with nature at 60-acre botanical gardens and wildlife sanctuary. Exotic and native plants, a 200-year old hammock, citrus groves and Florida's "Champion" trees. Bird of Prey Center and free-flight walk-through aviary plus alligators, flamingos and bobcats. 

GameWorks
Sawgrass Mills Oasis

2608 Sawgrass Circle

Sunrise, FL 33323
954-845-8740

Hours: Vary by day, call for exact hours of operation

Admission Charged
Life's a game, it's meant to be played. Under the direction of Steven Spielberg, GameWorks was created to deliver one of the best social experiences around games. Heart-racing action with state-of-the-art games. Defend yourself against aliens and dinosaurs, ride a jet-ski, challenge others to a drag race, ski perilous mountains, ride a motorcycle cross country, shoot hoops with friends, hit a homerun in the batting cage.

Glassbottom Boat Tours
Bahia Mar Yacht Basin on A1A

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-467-6030

Hours: Two Hour Glassbottom Snorkel Trips Departures: 9:30am Tues-Sat, 2pm Sun

Admission Charged
Explore Fort Lauderdale's beautiful coral reefs aboard a 60ft glass bottom boat. See the splendor of the underwater world, while our divers hand feed the colorful fish! Snorkeling is also available with all equipment provided.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
3109 E Sunrise Blvd

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304-3313
954-564-4521

Hours:  Open daily, call for hours of operation

Admission Charged
Nature trail, shaded picnic areas, beach access. In-line skating, volleyball, canoes, fishing.

Mai-Kai Polynesian Restaurant and Dinner Show
3599 N Federal Hwy

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308-6222
954-563-3272

Call for days and hours of operation

Admission Charged for show, under 12 free
The restaurant is an authentic recreation of a Polynesian village, complete with tiki torches, thatch roof and a wooden plank entrance to a unique dining and entertainment locale.

Museum of Discovery & Science and Blockbuster 3D IMAX Theater
401 SW 2nd St

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312-1707
954-713-0931

Hours:  Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm, Sun noon-6pm. Call for IMAX theater show times

Admission Charged
Spend a day of discovery exploring over 200 fascinating interactive exhibits at the Museum of Discovery and Science!  Exhibits include but are not limited to live animals (sharks, bats, iguanas, and turtles), a living Atlantic coral reef, a “Living in the Everglades” nature trail, a space simulation trip to the moon or mars and a discovery center designed for children under seven.

My Jewish Discovery Place Children’s Museum
6501 W. Sunrise Blvd

Plantation, FL 33313-6036
954-792-6700

Hours:  Tues – Fri 10am - 5pm, Sun 12 - 4pm

Admission Charged, admission free for children under 2
Alvin and Evelyn Gross Family Children's Museum is a hands-on, interactive museum of Jewish culture, history and values where children and families learn about the joys of Jewish life.

Outdoor World Bass Pro Shops
200 Gulf Stream Way

Dania, FL 33004-2117
954-929-7710

Hours:  Mon - Sat 9am-10pm, Sun 10am-7pm

Admission Free

A 160,000 sq. ft. showroom dedicated to the outdoor enthusiast, including fishing, hunting, boating, camping, athletics and golf. Features an indoor waterfall, archery and shooting range, aquarium and restaurant.

Paradise Cove
C.B. Smith Park

900 N. Flamingo Rd

Pembroke Pines, FL 33028-1002
954-357-8115

Hours:  Summer 8am-7:30pm, Winter 8am-6pm

Admission Charged
New Aquatics complex includes 2 interactive water playgrounds, two 700-foot water slides and a 400-foot tube ride.

Sawgrass Recreation Park
Highway 27, 2 miles north of I-75

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33332
800-457-0788, 954-389-0202

Hours:  Open daily 6am-6pm, Tours from 9am-5pm.

Admission Charged
Take a narrated Everglades airboat tour or see an 18th century Indian village along with a live alligator, reptile and birds of prey exhibit.

Swap Shop
3501 W Sunrise Blvd

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311-6401
954-791-7927

Hours:  Open 365 days/year, Building hours:  Mon – Thurs 8am-6pm, Fri 8am-6:30pm, Sat 8am-7:30pm, Sun 8am-7pm.  Outside hours:  Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri opens at 6am, Thurs, Sat and Sun open at 5am.

Admission and Parking is Free
An enormous indoor-outdoor flea market with air-conditioned entertainment, a food court area and a 13 screen drive-in theater. One-hour circus shows daily (except Tues.), with some free seating.

Wannado City
Sawgrass Mills Mall

12801 W. Sunrise Blvd

Sunrise, FL 33323

Hours:  Mon – Fri 10am-8pm, Sat – Sun 10am-9pm

Admission Charged
Family theme park where children can try out grown-up jobs in an indoor city just their size.  They can operate on a patient, cook up a pizza or even solve a crime.  Wannado City includes 60 kids' role-playing venues with more than 250 careers.

Water Bus

651 Seabreeze Blvd (A1A South) just past the Swimming Hall of Fame
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316-1625
954-467-6677

Hours:  Ticket booth hours are: Daily: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Fare Charged:  Tickets can be purchased on board, and must be paid with cash, travelers' checks, and local-area personal checks. Credit cards are only accepted at the ticket booth located at Water Taxi Base (see address above).
See Greater Fort Lauderdale via the waterways. The Water Bus runs between Oakland Park Boulevard and Southeast 17th Street along the Intracoastal Waterway, and west along the New River into downtown Ft. Lauderdale as far as River House.

Young at Art Children's Museum
11584 State Road 84

Davie, FL 33325-4022
954-424-0085

Hours:  Mon-Sat 10am.-5pm, Sun 12-5pm. Open all school holidays. Closed New Year’s Day, Christmas,Thanksgiving and Easter.
Young At Art is a unique, hands-on children's museum. Enter a new dimension of learning and creativity by touching, exploring, creating, imagining and enjoying the limitless possibilities of art.