Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale With Kids: 15 Picks That Actually Work
Fort Lauderdale with kids is easier than Miami with kids: the beach is calmer, the museums are close together, the parks are big, and the Everglades are a short drive. Our brewery welcomes families (kids order from the food menu, and there is a patio to run around on), so we hear a lot of "what should we do tomorrow" from parents. This is the list we give them: fifteen things, roughly ordered by age range, with what it costs in broad strokes and the catch for each one. Everything was open as of September 2026.
Museum of Discovery and Science and the AutoNation IMAX
MODS, at 401 SW 2nd St on the Riverwalk downtown, is the first stop for anyone with kids under twelve: hands-on exhibits, live animal shows, a HoloTheater and an IMAX documentary, all covered by one Discovery Pass. It is open daily, and it is the rainy-day plan for the whole county. A Broward County library card can get you a free museum pass for MODS, which is worth knowing if you are local.
Everglades airboat ride
Sawgrass Recreation Park, at 1006 N US-27 in Weston, about forty minutes west, runs airboats every thirty minutes through the afternoon and has an animal sanctuary with alligators, snakes and birds. Everglades Holiday Park, at 21940 Griffin Rd, runs an hour-long airboat tour with a gator show; the last boat leaves in the late afternoon. Bring ear protection for small kids; the boats are loud.
Butterfly World
Butterfly World, at 3600 W Sample Rd in Coconut Creek inside Tradewinds Park, is the largest butterfly park in the world, with walk-through aviaries, a lorikeet feeding area and a bug zoo. Tickets are sold in person only and the last entry is 4 PM. Plan on two hours, more with a stroller-age child who wants to stand still and let butterflies land.
Flamingo Gardens
Flamingo Gardens, at 3750 S Flamingo Rd in Davie, is a botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary with flamingos, panthers, otters, bobcats and a tram ride through the grounds, plus daily wildlife shows included in admission. Open daily until 5 PM, last entry at 4. Shade and a breeze, which matters here.
Water Taxi
The Water Taxi runs daily from 10 AM to 10 PM on the Intracoastal and New River, and to a kid it is a boat ride past enormous yachts, not transportation. Children under five ride free and the child fare is about half the adult all-day pass. Get on at Las Olas, ride to the beach stop, and come back.
Fort Lauderdale Beach
The public beach along A1A between Las Olas and Sunrise Boulevards is wide, lifeguarded and calm most of the year. Park at a meter early or use the garage at Las Olas Oceanside Park. Bring shade; there is none on the sand. On Saturdays the market at Las Olas Oceanside Park has live music and food.
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Hugh Taylor Birch, at 3109 E Sunrise Blvd, is a state park for a few dollars per car with a lagoon, trails, a walk-through tunnel under A1A to the beach, and canoe and kayak rentals. It is the best picnic spot near the beach and it is open from 8 AM to sunset.
Snyder Park
Snyder Park, at 3299 SW 4th Ave, is 93 acres of lakes, trails, playgrounds and picnic pavilions near the airport, free on weekdays with a small parking fee on weekends. If you have a dog as well as kids, Bark Park is inside it.
Jungle Queen Riverboat
The Jungle Queen, from Bahia Mar at 801 Seabreeze Blvd, runs a 90-minute narrated cruise up the New River in the early and mid afternoon that works for kids who are past the nap stage, and an evening dinner cruise with a barbecue and a Polynesian show that works for older ones.
Xtreme Action Park
Xtreme Action Park, at 5300 Powerline Rd, is the indoor everything: go-karts, a ropes course, trampolines, roller skating, bowling, laser tag, mini golf and an arcade, each priced separately. It is open daily from late morning or noon and late on weekends. It is the answer for a rainy afternoon with teenagers.
Young At Art Museum
Young At Art moved from Davie and now lives inside the Broward Mall at 8000 W Broward Blvd in Plantation, open Wednesday through Sunday. It is a hands-on art museum built for children, with studios and installations they can climb on, and it is the pick for the under-eight crowd on a hot day.
NSU Art Museum on a Free First Thursday
NSU Art Museum, at 1 E Las Olas Blvd downtown, admits kids 17 and under free every day and is free for everyone on the first Thursday of the month until 7 PM, often with kids' workshops. It is a manageable size for a child and a five-minute walk from MODS.
Historic Stranahan House
Stranahan House, at 335 SE 6th Ave, is a 1901 trading post on the New River, the oldest building in the county, and a good hour of pioneer-Florida history for school-age kids. Self-guided admission is cheap for children; the schedule varies, so check it first.
Hollywood Beach Broadwalk
Twenty minutes south, the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is a paved two-and-a-half-mile oceanfront path made for bikes, scooters and strollers, with a bandshell that hosts free concerts most evenings and a free marine environmental education center with sea turtles. Rent bikes at the north end.
Thrive Art District and a family dinner at the brewery
The Thrive Art District, at 710 NW 5th Ave in Progresso Village, is a free open-air gallery of more than a hundred murals with a capybara cafe, a record shop and a vintage store, and our brewery in the middle of it. Kids are welcome at Uncommon Path Brewing when they order from the food menu; the wood-fired NY Cheese pizza is the standard kids' order, there is an open-air patio, and we are open daily from noon. Parking in the district is free.
Where to eat with kids
Besides our taproom, the places on our pizza guide that work with children are Big Louie's, Times Square Pizza Parlor, Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, and Moon Pizza Pie in Oakland Park, where the pinball machines take a dollar a game and kids are fine at dinner. Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park has a scratch kitchen and a big patio and allows kids until 8 PM. Tarpon River Brewing downtown has a full kitchen and outdoor tables.
What is the best thing to do in Fort Lauderdale with kids?
The Museum of Discovery and Science with its IMAX on the Riverwalk, followed by an Everglades airboat ride at Sawgrass Recreation Park or Everglades Holiday Park. Butterfly World and Flamingo Gardens are the next two.
What can kids do in Fort Lauderdale when it rains?
Museum of Discovery and Science, Xtreme Action Park, Young At Art Museum in Plantation, NSU Art Museum, or a family lunch at a brewery with indoor seating such as Uncommon Path Brewing.
Are kids allowed at Uncommon Path Brewing?
Yes. Kids are welcome when they order from the food menu. We have indoor and open-air seating, wood-fired pizza, and free parking in the Thrive Art District, and we are open daily from noon.
What free things can I do with kids in Fort Lauderdale?
The beach, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park for a few dollars a car, Snyder Park on weekdays, the Saturday market at Las Olas Oceanside Park, the Riverwalk, the Thrive Art District murals, and NSU Art Museum on the first Thursday of the month.
Is Fort Lauderdale Beach good for kids?
Yes. The stretch between Las Olas and Sunrise Boulevards is wide, lifeguarded and usually calm, with restrooms and food nearby. There is no shade, so bring an umbrella.
Uncommon Path Brewing — 710 NW 5th Ave, Suite 1071, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311.
- Address
- 710 NW 5th Ave, Suite 1071, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 (Progresso / Flagler Village (Thrive Art District))
- Hours
- Mon–Thu 12 PM–10 PM, Fri–Sat 12 PM–11 PM, Sun 12 PM–8 PM (America/New_York)
- Phone
- (954) 765-6016
- Price range
- $$
- Parking
- Free street parking on NW 5th Ave and the surrounding Progresso Village blocks
- Seating
- Indoor taproom plus open-air patio seating
- Dogs
- Dog-friendly patio
- Families
- Family welcome — kids can order from the food menu
- Food
- Wood-fired kitchen on site: pizza, wings, salads, handhelds and shareable plates
- Live music
- Live local music every Friday night
- Trivia
- Jeopardy! Bar League every Tuesday at 7 PM, hosted by Geeks Who Drink — free to play
Call Uncommon Path Brewing at (954) 765-6016 or email events@uncommonpathbrewing.com.