Click the button above to see the date and time availabilities for tours!
Stranahan House is open 5-6 days a week for tours. We highly suggest booking tickets in advance. Our availability changes weekly due to field trips, private tours, and venue rentals. If there is a date you wish to attend or would like to secure a private tour, please call our office for more information.
*Please note that like many metropolitan areas, parking is limited. We have 1 handicap accessible parking spot available to anyone with a handicap placard on a first come, first serve basis. For all other parking, please use the lot to the East of Boathouse at the Riverside (620 SE 4th Street) and then walk about 150 yards to our gate.*
Don’t want to deal with parking downtown? Come to Stranahan House on the Water Taxi and see why Fort Lauderdale is nicknamed the “Venice of America.”
Why not stay a while? Enjoy 20% off a room at the beautiful Riverside Hotel, located right next door to Stranahan House, with code HSM954 at checkout.
The Historic Stranahan House Museum is Fort Lauderdale’s oldest and most historically significant surviving structure. This is where it all began. The Stranahan House holds the story of a family, a house, and the birth of a city.
See an interview with our caretaker, John Della-Cerra, about Ivy Stranahan in honor of Women’s History Month!
Stranahan House was built in 1901 by Frank Stranahan, credited as Fort Lauderdale’s founding father, and his wife Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the area’s first school teacher. It is the oldest surviving structure in Broward County and has served as a trading post, post office, town hall, and home to the Stranahans.
The house is a wood-frame vernacular structure with wide porches and a stunning view of the New River. It was lovingly restored by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors and opened to the public as a historic house museum in 1984.
Photos Courtesy of Fort Lauderdale Historical Society / Stranahan Collection
The Stranahan House was built in 1901 by Frank Stranahan, credited as Fort Lauderdale’s founding father, and his wife Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the area’s first school teacher. It is the oldest surviving structure in Broward County and has served as a trading post, post office, town hall, and home to the Stranahans.
The house is a wood-frame vernacular structure with wide porches and a stunning view of the New River. It was lovingly restored by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors and opened to the public as a historic house museum in 1984.
Link Gallery
Top-Rated Museum & Guided Tour in Fort Lauderdale
We frequently visit historical places in our travels throughout the globe. This tour is a must see if you find your way to beautiful Fort Lauderdale.
– Joel W. | TripAdvisor
Splendid little piece of history in downtown along The River Walk. Tour guide “Sophie” was very knowledgeable and quite impressive with details of the history!
– Richard H. | TripAdvisor
What a gem! This beautiful museum anchors the Ft Lauderdale downtown core -- and Florida history itself. The family and I learned so much. A beautiful setting as well - right on the river, in the middle of Las Olas.
– Natasha M. | TripAdvisor
We had a short time in Ft Lauderdale and chose the Stranahan House for a review. It was wonderful and highly recommend. The incredible woodwork is worth the tour.
– Tamaralgage1 | TripAdvisor
I had a wonderful tour with a guide that was personable and gave such wonderfully detailed information. I would definitely suggest this museum. It was wonderful to see history still vibrantly alive.
– Leslie B. | TripAdvisorMajor support for Stranahan House provided by the Broward County Cultural Division, the Cultural Council, and the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. Educational programs are also funded in part by The State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, as well as, the Kiwanis Club of Fort Lauderdale.
