Bonnet House Museum & Gardens — Attraction in Fort Lauderdale

🏰🖼️ Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is an absolute treasure trove of history, art, and natural beauty that captivated our senses from the moment we stepped onto its grounds. This hidden gem in Ft. Lauderdale offers a rich glimpse into the lives of its former inhabitants, Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett, with their eclectic art collection, architectural marvels, and lush gardens. 🌺🏞️

Upon arrival, we were immediately drawn to the stunning main house, which boasts a unique blend of architectural styles, including Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, and Bahamian influences. Inside, we found ourselves surrounded by an impressive array of art, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative elements, showcasing the couple's remarkable taste and passion for creativity. 🏛️🎨

As we ventured through the meticulously maintained gardens, we were entranced by the beauty of the landscape, featuring tropical plants, vibrant flowers, and serene water features. The scenic walking trails and peaceful lily pond offered a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. 🌿🌷🏞️

One of the highlights of our visit was the interactive treasure hunt style map designed for kids. The little ones were handed a treasure map at the entrance, and the excitement in their eyes was evident. Throughout the tour, they eagerly searched for the hidden objects, making the experience not only educational but also incredibly fun for them. Completing the challenge was a real delight, and it kept them engaged and curious throughout our exploration. 🗺️🔍🧒👧

Moreover, the museum staff was exceptionally welcoming and knowledgeable, providing fascinating insights into the Bartletts' life and the historical significance of the property. Their passion for preserving this cultural landmark was evident in every detail they shared. 👩‍🏫🤩

In addition to its cultural and artistic wonders, Bonnet House also offers a glimpse into the region's diverse ecosystem. The Coastal Hammock Trail allowed us to spot various species of birds, butterflies, and even the occasional iguana or raccoon, all adding to the enchanting experience of being amidst nature's wonders. 🦋🐦🌳

In conclusion, Bonnet House Museum & Gardens proved to be an enthralling and educational destination suitable for all ages. Its unique blend of art, history, and nature, coupled with the engaging scavenger hunt for kids, made our visit truly unforgettable. Whether you're a history enthusiast, an art lover, or seeking a family-friendly outing, Bonnet House is a must-visit destination that will leave you with cherished memories for years to come. 🏰🎨🌿🧒👨‍👩‍👧‍👦📸

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We are always looking for something to do locally with young kids. The Bonnet House was advertising a Family Fun Day event with scavenger hunts, food and gift carts, kids activities, and discounted admission. Never having been, we took this as a good opportunity to explore something new.

The Bonnet House and Gardens themselves are breathtaking. The artwork is wonderful. It is a good relaxing look at a piece of history. There were more docents available than attendees. You couldn't walk 10 feet without finding a docent who wanted to engage with you. I did like the information they shared, but I just wanted a relaxing experience to take it all in without being stopped every 10 feet.

To top it off, we had our 3.5-year-old with us, because... it was advertised as a Family Fun Day. The docents were very knowledgeable, but really couldn't read the room and figure out when our toddler was getting bored or antsy. The only thing Family about the Family Fun Day was a handful of tables set up inside the corridors of the house for the kids to make a pipe-cleaner figure, write a poem, create a paper moon phase thingy, or learn about the difference between real and fake plants. That was it. When my husband was carrying the toddler around, because she was bored, and looking at the artwork in the rooms, he asked one of the docents a question and was quickly met with a very dismissive, "Don't they have something for her to do?" pointing at our toddler, and then ignoring the question. Why have a Family Fun Day if you don't want children there or have nothing for them to do? Overall, very disappointed with this location advertising an event that was clearly not well thought out or executed, but it was a good way for the adults to visit this location at a discounted price. My husband and I could have spent a lot of time just relaxing and mozying about looking at everything, but the toddler was bored stiff, and antsy after 30 minutes.

As a museum and place to visit for adults, yes, very nice and relaxing, if you can dodge...

We had our wedding here.

This is phenomenally long overdue (wedding was last March), but I guess it’s coming in under a year, so there’s that. David and Bonnet House were phenomenally helpful and wonderful.

We looked at a number of locations around the Miami area (and visited/considered some for a summer wedding in the Hudson valley), and The Bonnet House had everything we were looking for. I’m gonna jump past how pretty it is (IT’S AMAZINGLY PRETTY) except to say that you don’t need to spend as much on flowers given the overwhelming number of flowers/nature that already exists on the grounds. Oh, also, there’s a timelessness to it. Also also, the artwork makes it a little weird in the absolute best way.

Bonnet House's service was exceptional. Before the wedding: They were great at coordinating with other vendors. Walking through everything was easy and David was amazingly warm while still not wasting words (just a great individual to work with). During the wedding: The guides were phenomenal at getting guests to the ceremony area and back to the parking lot or other entrances at the end of the night. Also, they were very accomadating at leaving a car overnight, and allowing things to be picked up the next day.

I can’t endorse Bonnet House enough - all three segments of the night (ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception) were perfect spaces for their purposes, and the staff at the Bonnet House continued with wonderful service. A special shoutout to David - he was really great to work with.

P.S. For reference, we live in NYC, so we had to make 2 trips down for [looking at venues] and [running through checklists about a month before], and then we also did a walkthrough on Friday before the Saturday wedding. Our wedding was 123 people, and I think Bonnet can easily hold 150 (maybe more if needed). The only rain concern would be the ceremony, but if it had to have been on the dance floor it would have still been great (it didn’t look like it was gonna rain so we didn’t get a tent (and luckily...