Fort Lauderdale - Fort Lauderdale visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Fort Lauderdale' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Florida.

Fort Lauderdale is a popular tourist destination in Florida, with over 10 million visitors a year. Sometimes referred to as the 'Venice of America', this coastal town has an extensive canal system and is home to over 42,000 yachts and boats moored in over 100 marinas.

Fort Lauderdale region was originally inhabited by Tequesta Indians, who suffered greatly from imported disease with the arrival of the Europeans. The city is named after a series of forts, the first of which was built under the command of Major William Lauderdale in 1838, just before the Second Seminole War. During WWII, Fort Lauderdale became a major air force training facility. After the war the population grew rapidly, and today Fort Lauderdale is a major yachting center and one of the largest tourist destinations in the US.

Fort Lauderdale - Tourist Attractions

For Lauderdale has numerous attractions for visitors who flock here by the million each year to enjoy the sea, sand and night life. Among the top tourist attractions in and around Fort Lauderdale are:

• Sawgrass Mills Mall - one of the largest shopping malls in the USA.
• African-American Research Library and Cultural Center - housing many books and papers of African-American authors and putting on many cultural events.
• Stranahan House - built by Frank Stranahan in 1901 on the site of his barge ferry business, the house has expanded over the years and now boasts wide verandahs, bay windows, a Victorian parlor and tropical gardens.
• Everglades Holiday Park - glide over the river on an airboat, watch educational 'gator' shows, camp here and enjoy the facilities and surroundings.
• Fort Lauderdale Beach - beautiful beach front lined with promenades and shops. Here you will also find the attractions of Bonnet House, the Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Park and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
• Bonnet House Museum & Gardens - a mix of art, architecture, history and ecology on a 36 acre estate with period house, now a registered Historic Place, right next to Lauderdale Beach.
• Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Park - 180 acres of beach park next to Lauderdale Beach with canoeing, bicycling, fishing, swimming, Segway tours and group camping. The park is also home to plenty of wildlife.
• International Swimming Hall of Fame - with 2 50m Olympic pools open to the public and various displays tracing he history of swimming and various other water sports.
• IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum - maintaining the world records of both freshwater and saltwater game fishes in line class, tippet class and all-tackle categories, along with interactive exhibits and hall of fame.
• Coconut Creek Butterfly World - with over 2000 butterflies in tropical houses, aviaries and waterfalls, located in Tradewinds recreational park.
• Coral Springs Museum of Art - containing paintings, sculptures and mixed-media work by various artists.
• John U Lloyd Beach State Park - one of many beach parks along the coastline, this one near to Dania, just south of Fort Lauderdale.
• Wannado City - indoor theme and role-play adventure park.
• Markham Park - 666 acre park with the Fox Observatory, a radio controlled airplane field, dog park, biking and jogging trails, fishing and boating areas, a tennis and racquet ball center, volleyball, a swimming pool complex with a mist pool, snack bar, lockers and showers/restrooms and shooting range.
• Golf Courses - Fort Lauderdale is home to several golf courses with more found in the surrounding area.
• Big Cypress National Preserve - 720,000 acres of swamp with various outdoor activities, wildlife, ranger led programmes and guided tours.
• Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve - 90 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, a strand of swamp forest covering 20 x 5 miles full of rare flora and fauna.
• Beaches - numerous beach parks and beaches line the coast. Nearby ones include John U Lloyd Beach State Park, North Beach, Hollywood Beach and Hilsboro Beach.
• Boating and Sailing - various companies offer charter services for sailing, diving, fishing, deep sea fishing and othe water sports.

Flight: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Miami International Airport, North Perry Regional Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
Road: Fort Lauderdale is on the I95, about 28 miles north of Miami and 45 miles south of West Palm Beach. It is 12 miles east of Sunrise.
Train: Tri Rail Metrorail (Cyprus Creek Station, Fort Lauderdale Station, Dania Beach (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport) station).