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September 2023 by Miguel Eduardo Martinez Mora
Excellent service from Arthur at the reception, I recommend him 100%
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September 2023 by Stefan Herrmann
We had a very interesting, entertaining and educational tour in a lovingly maintained historical building.
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August 2023 by J.C. Bert
Awesome piece of history nestled in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Take a day and travel through some of the history that helped set the foundation for a great portion of south Florida. Also if you pay attention around there are little Jems of nature sprinkled all over.
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June 2023 by eva mindrutiu
The house is like a little jemstone in between the huge buildings around. It is well kept and the caretaker John has been there forever and he is the nicest guy ever. He was hired at the age of 17 and stayed there even after Ivy passed away. He wrote a little book about a cat that lives there and followed him around. You can buy the books and a little wooden car he carved and colored and numbered. The money goes to the Stranahan House Museum. If you love history and actually meet someone who has lived part of it , you will enjoy the tour.
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March 2023 by Linda DeGreen
We were looking for something to do in Fort Lauderdale while killing time before our flight back home to Ohio. Turns out Frank Stranahan was from Ohio! So we had an immediate connection. John, the tour guide was a wealth of knowledge. His story telling style is perfect for delivering the unique history of the house and Frank and Ivy. We loved everything about it. Hopefully, someone will videotape John to preserve his stories and all his connections to this place. The tour stretched to 2 hours because there was just so much information. But it was a perfect balance of in and out of the house and sitting occasionally too. I highly recommend a visit to this historic site. Excellent!
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February 2023 by Nancy F.
We had a wonderful tour given by John, 83 years old and the caretaker for 30+ years. He had so many interesting stories to tell and was even acquainted with a member of the Stranahan family! They were so instrumental in the founding and development of Fort Lauderdale that if you have any interest in the city's history this is a bit-to-miss activity. The house is beautifully restored, right on the Riverwalk
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January 2023 by Igor Bogachev
We came when it was closed but a guide spotted us and gave us a private tour. John is a character by himself and very knowledgeable. It was a great start exploring Fort Lauderdale!
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December 2022 by Rahul chander
Very great and fort Lauderdale is very historical but I would love it more if you make the place open 24 hours or until 12 am
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December 2022 by Carol K.
While visiting a historic building may not be the first thing that comes to mind when visiting a beach town, a visit to the Stranahan House is a great way to learn some local history on how Fort Lauderdale got to be the city it is today.Our tour guide was John and he was amazing. He even knew Ivy Stranahan who lived in the house all those years. John is 83 and is a local historian and seems to be the custodian of the house, caring for it as if it was his own and sharing stories of its past lives. He is also very knowledgeable about Florida history so I learned a lot during the 1.5 hours of the tour. Oh and that reminds me- if you drive and park with a meter, while the website says the tour is an hour, today's tour lasted almost 2 hours as John is very passionate about what he does so plan accordingly!During my visit, as you will see in the photos, the house is decorated for the holidays which makes it just that more special. it would be a great place for a December wedding with all of the extra touches!There is construction going on to the east of the house which makes getting to the house a bit of a challenge (enter from Las Olas as you can't get there right now from the Riverwalk although that will change in a few months when the construction is complete). This has also limited the days they are giving tours to check out their website to buy tickets and know which days it is open.The admission price for an Adult under 60 years old is $12, Seniors (Ages 60+) pay $11, Students pay $7, and Members get in for free. Paid parking is available in the Riverside Hotel garage, on the street or in any of the nearby lots.All in all a great way to spend a couple of hours learning about the history of Fort Lauderdale and how it is so much more than the beaches everyone knows it for!
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November 2022 by Robert S.
I am not a big fan of history museums, but the Stranahan House is worth the visit. Learning about the history of Fort Lauderdale and how this city came out to be what it is today is really interesting. The Stranahan House was built in 1901 by Frank Stranahan, credited as Fort Lauderdale's founding father, and his wife Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, the area's first school teacher. It is the oldest surviving structure in Broward County and has served as a trading post, post office, community gathering, and home to the Stranahans.The house is a wood-frame vernacular structure with wide porches and a stunning view of the New River. It was restored by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society and the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors and opened to the public as a historic house museum in 1984. A guided tour of Fort Lauderdale's Historic Stranahan House Museum is like a journey through time. It is a link to a time when Seminole Indians made friends with a young Ohioan who settled in the frontier town now known as Fort Lauderdale.Admission to the Historic Stranahan House Museum is by guided tour only. Experienced docents lead you through the museum to share the story of the house, the founding family, and the City of Fort Lauderdale. The tours last approximately 45-60 minutes. The admission price for an Adult under 60 years old is $12, Seniors (Ages 60+) pay $11, Students pay $7, and Members get in for free.They offer guided tours at 1p, 2p, and 3pm, seven days a week.
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October 2022 by Johnny Bap
The visit was well worth the time. You learn a lot about the history of the family and their development and contributions to fort Lauderdale. The tour guide is very knowledgeable also.
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October 2022 by c. osorio
The house has a lot of interesting history which is very important for the City of Ft. Lauderdale. John gave us a very detailed story of the people who lived in this house and about the Seminole indians who lived in the area. This house is also hunted.
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August 2022 by Laurent Seror
If you like the history of the United States, especially the early days of Florida development, you should go there and enjoy this beautiful tour of the Stranahan House. The Stranahans are the founders of Fort Lauderdale and they had a huge impact on the development of the region and the friendship with the local native americans, the Seminoles who are very strong in Florida.After this visit, you can enjoy a walk nearby or a small cruise to see the little Venise of Florida.
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August 2022 by Karen Engelker
If you love history, this is a must stop in Ft Lauderdale! Construction next door makes parking a challenge for the moment, but worth the walk from the street! Can use water taxi to arrive also! You won't believe this home survived in the middle of high rises on the river front! The owner had spunk to keep this home viable through the Great Depression then for years after and forethought knowing how important this place (real estate) was historical to Ft Lauderdale! Great tour guide told us the good, the hardships, the unbelievable about the Stranahans, especially Ivy, while we enjoyed the comfort of AC touring this interesting historical home. Open the door back into time! No elevator to second floor part of the tour and public bathroom requires a step up and not wheelchair accessible.
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May 2022 by Stephanie Rolon
Beautiful historic house by the river and it’s history is lovely. Our tour guide John was ver sweet and knowledgeable. It’s a hidden gem in Ft. lauderdale in fact is Broward County oldest home. It’s a must to go place if you live in Florida.
