Situated just off Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, the Historic Stranahan House Museum is Fort Lauderdale’s oldest structure with a storied past. Frank Stranahan, an Ohio businessman, moved to Florida in the early 1890s and is considered to be Fort Lauderdale’s founding father. He built Stranahan House in 1901 for use as a trading post and community hall. It later transitioned into a private residence for Stranahan and his wife, Ivy, and was renovated between 1913 and 1915. After Stranahan’s untimely death in 1929 during an economic crisis, Ivy Stranahan rented out rooms of the home and leased the lower floor to a few restaurants. After her passing in 1971, the house was left to the Seventh Day Adventist Church and then purchased by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society in 1975. The organization restored the house between 1980 and 1984, and opened it to the public later that year as the Historic Stranahan House Museum.
Visitors must take a guided tour to see the museum. Tours last between 45 minutes and an hour and take place at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. daily (with the exception of major holidays). Inside the property, you’ll learn about the history of the house, the Stranahan family and Fort Lauderdale as a whole. Admission costs $12 for adults and $7 for students. The Historic Stranahan House Museum is especially lovely during the holiday season, when it is decorated in a Victorian Christmas theme and entertains visitors with live music and tours by costumed docents.
Most recent guests were pleasantly surprised by how interesting the museum was and felt it was a slice of Fort Lauderdale history worth seeing. They also enjoyed the house’s scenic location right along the New River. If you cannot find a parking space in the small on-site parking lot, Stranahan House suggests parking in public lots at the Riverside Hotel, along Las Olas Boulevard or elsewhere.