A weekend in Fort Lauderdale with the kiddos

Fort Lauderdale has come a long way from its reputation as a free-for-all spring break hotspot. Sure, it’s still a place where you can let loose and party, but the sunny destination is also the perfect place to vacation with your family.

I've lived in South Florida for over 20 years and love spending time in Fort Lauderdale with my kids. The city has a mix of everything—beaches, great food, museums—and as my little ones have turned into teens and tweens, we continue to visit often, sometimes just for a day of beach fun, other times for a weekend staycation where we explore the town’s waterways, shopping and dining scene.

Whether you’re traveling with toddlers, grade schoolers, tweens, or teens, here’s how to spend a fun family weekend in Fort Lauderdale.

First, where to stay: The best accommodations in Fort Lauderdale are beachside or downtown. If you’re traveling with younger kids, the Pelican Grand Beach Resort has a lazy river and a convenient beachfront location. For families with older kids, the Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale is within walking distance from the best museums and restaurants downtown and has a trendy pool deck on the eighth floor.

After settling into your hotel, make a beeline to Fort Lauderdale Beach, which has warm water and a wide stretch of golden sand. It can get crowded pretty quickly, so get here by 9 a.m. and plan to leave by noon. While you’re beaching, check out the tons of fun water activities like jet skiing, kayaking, and paddleboarding which can be reserved ahead of time through a rental company like American Watersports.

Leave the beach and get a taste of Cuban cuisine for lunch at Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar. The lunch menu includes kid-pleasing hand-held empanadas and croquetas and a Cuban sandwich piled high with marinated pork, salami, ham, swiss cheese, and yellow mustard pickle relish and pressed to cheesy perfection.

After filling up on Cuban sandwiches, head to the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. There’s over 25,000 feet of exhibition space for kids to spread out in, and an extensive collection of Latin American and Cuban art. Plan for an hour or two to walk through the museum. Kids will appreciate the many three dimensional art exhibits. On our last visit, we saw ceramic sculptures by Pablo Picasso and a vintage haute couture dress collection. The museum offers free admission on the first Thursday of the month.

When you’re traveling with kids and everyone has a different palette, a food hall is often a great option for dinner. The Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery has a taco and ceviche bar, poke bowls, Philly cheese steaks, and an all-day creperie that should fit the bill for anyone in your brood.

When the sun goes down, join the just-spooky-enough Fort Lauderdale Ghost Tour. The hour-long, one-mile tour is an activity geared towards tweens and tweens. Not only is it fun, they (and you) will walk away with some new knowledge about Fort Lauderdale's history and the fight for control of land that took place between the Seminole Indians and U.S. soldiers.

Rise and shine and get ready for a segway tour, which is easily my favorite way to see downtown Fort Lauderdale. Segway Fort Lauderdale offers one and two-hour tours where you’ll zip around the Las Olas waterfront and see mansions and mega yachts and learn about Florida’s wildlife. It only takes a few minutes to get a hang of the segway, and it’s an activity that is as entertaining for kids as it is for adults (note that the minimum age is 9, plus there’s a weight minimum of 70 pounds).

For lunch, Pizza Craft is a local crowd-pleaser. Menu highlights at the cozy, Italian restaurant include crispy calamari, meatballs topped with whipped ricotta, and the simple, but delicious tomato and basil pizza. Save room for my personal favorite, the Nutella pizza for dessert; there’s also good tiramisu and cannolis, too.

Fort Lauderdale is often referred to as the ‘Venice of America’ because of its miles of waterways, which are best experienced on a boat. The LauderGO Water Trolley is a free option that operates from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with eight stops along the riverfront, and is an easy way to see if your kids can handle a boat ride if you haven’t been on the water before. If you’re ready to set sail, Boat Party Fort Lauderdale can accommodate up to 10 people and comes with a certified captain. Choose from tours that last from two hours to half a day.

Grab dinner at The Historic Downtowner, a diner built at the site of an arcade that first opened in 1925. The restaurant has an incredible view of the Intracoastal Waterway and the downtown high rises and there’s live music on the weekend. The menu pays homage to some of Florida’s local flavors like the deep-fried conch fritters and Key lime pie.

After dinner, wind down with a stroll down the riverfront, known as Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale or the Los Olas Riverwalk. The winding path will take you past parks, restaurants, and historic homes. There are several parks along the riverwalk including Huizenga Plaza, a tribute to the prolific Florida businessman, Wayne Huizenga, who rose to fame as the owner of AutoNation and Blockbuster.

Fort Lauderdale’s Museum of Discovery and Science is a sprawling, two-story museum that has lots of hands-on activities geared towards little ones, but big kids will love the interactive exhibits, too. My teen and tween loved the hurricane simulation in the Storm Center, watching sea otters in the indoor/outdoor habitat, and riding in the cockpit of a plane in the Aviation Station. The museum also has a six-story IMAX 3D theater for both new releases (Marvel flicks are particularly fun) and educational films. Plan to spend at least three hours in the museum plus more time if you decide to catch a flick.

Next, fuel up at 15th Street Fisheries, located in the Lauderdale Marina, which has a dockside patio restaurant serving up crab cakes, scallops, and incredibly decadent lobster mac and cheese. Don’t leave without purchasing a handful of shrimp to feed the tarpon that live right underneath the docks, a favorite preschooler pastime.

For a unique look into Florida’s past, visit Bonnet House Museum and Gardens. The museum is an estate first built in the 1920s that served as a winter house for wealthy artists Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife. Spend a few hours walking around the sunflower yellow estate and exploring Barlett’s wife’s collection of animal statues from Asia and Africa. My kids love to keep an eye out for the Brazilian squirrel monkeys that still roam the property.

Beachfront dining is a must in Fort Lauderdale so book a patio table at Lona Cocina Tequileria. The restaurant serves up one of the best brunches on the beach, and at dinnertime the menu is full of kid-friendly options like the generously stuffed lobster, chicken, or brisket quesadillas. If you’re feeling really ambitious, order a taco flight that comes with a selection of 15 or 20 tacos served with the restaurant’s homemade salsa.

End the day with a moonlight kayaking tour with Wannado Tours. Great for kids ages seven and up, the two-hour tour is led by a guide who will bring you through Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal system as you enjoy the night breeze and watch the moon glow reflected on the dark water lapping at your boat. A little eerie, and a whole lot of fun!