There’s plenty of fun and sun in Fort Lauderdale, but what happens when it rains or you need a break from the heat? Luckily Fort Lauderdale has a bunch of great museums to keep the fun going strong indoors! Let’s take a look at some of the great and little-known museums Fort Lauderdale has to offer.

The Buehler Planetarium & Observatory is the perfect place to go stargazing with your family, date or friends when traveling in Fort Lauderdale. Located on the A. Hugh Adams central campus of the Broward College, the Buehler Planetarium & Observatory is one of the most advanced planetariums in South Florida. Astronomy lovers are offered sky presentations and telescope observing at the Observatory. Best of all? Admission to the Observatory is FREE for Children and Adults on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Another great and little known museum in Fort Lauderdale is the Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum located at 1527 Packard Ave. This museum contains 22 Packard automobiles from 1900 to the 1940’s, along with a gallery dedicated to the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt plus several special collections of automobile memorabilia. Every single one of the Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum’s cars still run! You have to see these beautiful Motor Cars for yourself!

If cars aren’t your thing, but history is, make sure to stop by the Historic Stranahan House Museum during your stay in Fort Lauderdale. The Stranahan house is the oldest surviving structure in Broward County. At one point in time, this site has served as a trading post, post office, town hall, and home to the Stranahans. The Stranahan House has played a significant role in the economic and social life of the Fort Lauderdale community. Daily tours allow visitors to travel back in time and learn about the first permanent settlers to the area and the creation of the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Another unique Fort Lauderdale location is the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. IGFA stands for the International Game Fish Association and it is the leading authority on angling pursuits, and the keeper of most current World Record fishing catches by fish categories. Come visit South Florida’s most unique and exciting attraction where you can visit the IGFA library, home to the largest collection books and references of fish and recreational fishing in the world, or look at the IGFA hall of fame, home of the all-tackle world records! Are you already an IGFA member? Then you can enjoy complimentary admission for you and your family to the museum!

Interested in visiting a more traditional, popular South Florida museum? Then you won’t want to miss the Museum of Discovery and Science. Spend a day of discovery exploring over 200 fascinating interactive exhibits at the Museum of Discovery and Science. You and your family can see sharks and the largest living Atlantic coral reef in captivity or you can test your pilot skills in nine cockpit simulators while you learn about the Florida Everglades. Finally you can visit the space exhibit where you can take a simulated trip to the Moon or Mars or watch a great IMAX movie. This is just a taste of what you and your family can do at the Museum of Discovery and Science, designed especially for children seven and under.

Other popular museums to visit include the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale and the Young At Art Children’s Museum. The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale is known for its exhibitions which have ranged from Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs to American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell. It is one of the area’s leading cultural attractions and has broken all South Florida museum records by hosting more than one and a half million visitors. The Museum’s collection of more than six thousand works is international in scope, while strongly reflecting the creative expression of the cultures of South Florida and the Caribbean. The collection includes significant works by the American painter William Glackens, by the artists of the northern European CoBrA movement, and by contemporary Cuban artists.

The Young At Art Children’s Museum introduces students to the elements of art and the principals of design. Age-appropriate art-making experiences are interwoven with art appreciation, history, culture and criticism. Some of the current exhibits include the Masterpiece Art Gallery where visitors can learn about different styles of art and view several of Jim Henson’s most beloved Muppets, the Puppet Theater, where visitors can create, direct and stage their own puppet shows or design a puppet, The Neighborhood where visitors can gather for a special story time and look at different art books, and finally the Living Room, where children can play at the felt board and use pre-cut shapes to create characters. All this and more in this special Art Museum designed for children. It’s the perfect place to take the family when your trip to Fort Lauderdale needs a little something special!

To find more museums to visit in South Florida, make sure to visit the Fort Lauderdale Ettractions Page. With tips and tricks on where to stay, play, relax and eat in Fort Lauderdale, Ettractions is your stop for the best valuable visitor information online!