The Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk and Stranahan House: The City's Oldest Story on Foot
Here is the short answer. The Riverwalk is a free walk along the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and Historic Stranahan House sits on it at 335 SE 6th Avenue. The house was built in 1901 and the museum calls it the oldest surviving structure in Broward County. Adult tickets are $13, and tours should be booked ahead. The free Water Trolley runs daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and makes a good way to cover the river without a car. Everything below was read off the official sites this week.
We are Brad and Justina, founders of Yours Truly Hospitality. We manage vacation homes across Southeast Florida, from Pompano Beach and Lighthouse Point through greater Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami. Guests who have done the beach want one more thing that feels like Fort Lauderdale and not like anywhere else. This is the one we point them to.
What the Riverwalk Is
The city describes the Riverwalk as running along the New River from Sailboat Bend in the west to Laura Ward Plaza in the east. It puts the Riverwalk District at about 3 square miles, including a 2.5 mile linear walk along the river. The river sits about two miles inland from the Atlantic, so this is the calmer half of the city.
You do not need a plan. Park once downtown, walk the water, and stop where something looks good. That is how most of our guests do it. Budget an hour for a short stroll or a half day if you add a museum tour and a long lunch.
Stranahan House: The Anchor
Stranahan House was built in 1901 by Frank Stranahan, with his wife Ivy Cromartie Stranahan. The museum says it has served as a trading post, post office, town hall, and home to the Stranahans. It calls Frank Fort Lauderdale's founding father.
That is the useful way to see it. Before the high rises and the yacht basins, this was the spot where a river crossing, a store, and a town all started. Standing on its porch with the New River in front of you makes the whole city make more sense.
Here is what the museum's own admission page lists for guided tour tickets:
Adult under 60: $13
Senior 60 and over: $11
Children 5 to 17: $8
College student with ID: $10
Members: free
The ticket lists a duration of one hour. Docent-led tours are a separate option, offered only when docents are available, limited to 10 people, and priced at $23 per person for groups of 2 to 5 and $21 per person for groups of 6 or more. The museum is clear that docent-led tours are not walk-in. You book in advance through the Book Now button on its site or by calling 954-524-4736, and tours start promptly.
One honest caveat. The admission page does not list opening days or tour times, and the museum's wording on guided versus self-guided tickets is not fully clear. So do not show up on a hunch. Look at the current schedule or call before you drive in.
The address again: 335 SE 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.
The Free Water Trolley
This is the part guests do not expect. The Free Water Trolley is provided by the City of Fort Lauderdale and operated by Water Taxi. It runs daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Water Taxi lists the estimated wait at any stop as 20 to 30 minutes, and warns that New River bridge openings can cause delays.
The eight stops, in the order Water Taxi lists them:
Riverwalk Laura Ward Park
Huizenga Plaza and Bubier Park
Riverfront Plaza
Esplanade Park
Tarpon River
New River Yacht Club
Downtowner Saloon
Smoker Park
You can only board and exit at these designated stops. Treat it as a hop-on, hop-off ride with a short wait, not a taxi. It is a clean way to see the river from the water and to reach the eastern and western ends without walking the full length twice.
The Paid Water Taxi
The Water Trolley is separate from the Water Taxi, which covers a wider area. Water Taxi lists more than 30 stops across the region, with 10 in Fort Lauderdale. Its published all-routes fares are $38 for adults, $18 for children 5 to 11, and free for children under 5. An adult evening pass after 5 p.m. is $25, and a 30-day unlimited pass is $140. It operates 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, rain or shine, with boats arriving every 30 to 45 minutes in Fort Lauderdale and Pompano.
One timing note for this week. Water Taxi is running Boat Show service only from October 28 to November 1. Regular Fort Lauderdale, Pompano and Hollywood service resumes November 2. If you are reading this during the show, plan on driving or walking, and check watertaxi.com before you count on a boat.
How We Would Spend a Day
Start at Stranahan House with a booked tour, because that is the only part of the day with a fixed time. Walk the river from there at your own pace. Pick up the Water Trolley at any of the eight stops when your feet want a break, ride a few stops, and get off wherever the view is best. Save the paid Water Taxi for the evening if you want to see the waterfront after dark, since the evening pass is the cheaper fare.
The tour is also a useful indoor anchor if the weather turns.
What Not to Assume
We left a few things out on purpose, because we could not confirm them from an official source this week. We are not naming restaurants along the river, quoting parking rates, or promising tour times. Those change, and a wrong number costs you more than no number. Check the Stranahan House and Water Taxi sites on the morning you go.
Where to Stay
Our guests who love this day usually book a home within a short drive of downtown, so they can do the river in the morning and be back at the pool by mid-afternoon. If you want a place that makes the rest of the trip easy, look at our South Florida vacation homes.
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