Historic Stranahan House Museum-Fort Lauderdale

Museum of the Historic Stranahan House is the city of Fort Lauderdale’s oldest and most historically significant building. This is the starting point. In the Stranahan home, you’ll find the history of a family, a home, and the development of a city.

Frank Stranahan and his wife Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the first schoolteacher in the Fort Lauderdale area, constructed the Stranahan House in 1901. It has been a trading post, post office, town hall, and the Stranahans’ home over the years, and is the oldest building in Broward County that is still standing today.

The house is a vernacular design, built with a wooden frame, and features large porches and a breathtaking panorama of the New River. It was dedicated to the public in 1984 as a historic house museum after being meticulously renovated by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors.

Since its construction, the Stranahan House has been a prominent part of Fort Lauderdale’s economic and social life.

Walking through time on a tour of the Historic Stranahan House Museum in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It’s a connection to when a young man from Ohio settled in the area that would become Fort Lauderdale and made friends with the local Seminole Indian community.

The Historic Stranahan House Museum was founded to preserve the memory of two remarkable individuals and the home they built for future generations, while also telling the story of the origins of our town.

Our mission is to ensure the long-term viability of Stranahan House as a community museum, historic site, and gathering place; to interpret the house through appropriate restorations, exhibitions, educational programs, and tours; and to publicize the house so that people of all ages can take advantage of the chance to learn about the region’s past.

Admission fees, private donations, grants, and membership fees all contribute to the House’s budget. To the extent allowed by law, 100% of all donations are fully tax deductible.

Only guided tours of the Historic Stranahan House are permitted. You’ll learn about the home’s history, the family that built it, and how Fort Lauderdale got to where it is today as well as the city’s development as a whole from the museum’s well-informed docents. The average duration of a tour is between 45 and 60 minutes. Tickets are available in advance online and at the door for these strictly capped tours. It is recommended to get tickets in advance online to avoid disappointment.