Fort Lauderdale History Center facts for kids
The Fort Lauderdale History Center is a cool place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where you can learn all about local history! It's like a group of museums run by the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society.
One of the main buildings is the 1905 New River Inn. This used to be a hotel, but now it's the main museum. Inside, you'll find awesome displays with artifacts, photos, and even a room set up like a hotel room from 1908.
You can also visit the 1907 King-Cromartie House. It's decorated like a home from 1915 and you can take a guided tour. There's also an 1899 Replica School House, built in the 1970s. You can tour that too!
The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society also has a special library. It's full of information about the history of the Fort Lauderdale area. The museum used to be called the Old Fort Lauderdale Village and Museum.
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What the History Center Does
The Fort Lauderdale History Center wants to share the amazing history of the Fort Lauderdale area. They do this by researching, creating fun experiences, and keeping historical items safe.
Their main goals are:
- To protect the history of the region in a careful way.
- To keep all the old buildings, collections, and important items safe.
- To be a central spot for Fort Lauderdale's historic area. They want to help protect and use these old buildings well.
- To make people interested in the community's past. They do this with cool exhibits, learning activities, and community events.
- To help everyone appreciate the people who first explored and built this unique area. They want us to know that history helps us build our future.
Hoch Heritage Research Center
The Research Center is a special building where people can learn even more about history. It was built in 1949 as a post office building. Since 1978, it has been the home of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society.
At the Hoch Heritage Center, visitors can explore a reference library. They can also look through history files or buy copies of old photos. The Research Center has many different collections. These include images, old papers, and recorded stories from the past. All these things help keep the history of Greater Fort Lauderdale alive.
You can visit the research center Monday through Friday. It is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you want to do research, you can schedule an appointment online.
What You Can Find in the Collections
The Hoch Heritage Research Center has many collections. They focus on artifacts, maps, building plans, and old videos. They also have recorded stories, scrapbooks, and newspapers. Two of the biggest collections are manuscripts and photos. You can even see some of these online!
Manuscript Collections These are some of the most valuable collections. Manuscripts are old papers and documents. They cover many different topics. There are three main collections:
- The Stranahan Collection: This has items owned by two very important pioneers of Fort Lauderdale.
- The August Burghard Collection: This includes research materials from one of Fort Lauderdale's first historians.
- The Dr. James Glenn Collection: This has information about his time as an agent for the Seminole Indian people.
The center is working to make detailed guides for all these collections.
Photograph and Image Collections The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society has amazing photo collections. They have 400,000 images! These pictures show the history of Broward County. Besides photos, they also have many postcards and slides. Most of these images can be copied if you need them.
Fun Exhibits to See
There are three main exhibits you can always see at the Fort Lauderdale History Center. These are the King-Cromartie House, the New River Inn Visitor's Room, and the Panorama of The Past.
The Panorama of the Past exhibit is a large display. It has three galleries. This exhibit gives you a great overview of the entire history of the Fort Lauderdale area. You can learn about early native peoples and Spanish explorers. You'll also see how the Florida East Coast Railway changed things. And you can even learn about the "Spring Break" fun of the 1960s!
Visitors will see lifelike displays. You can hear the voices of Fort Lauderdale pioneers. You can also step back in time with many artifacts and images from the Historical Society's collections.
