Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop facts for kids
The Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop is a very large outdoor and indoor market located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It's a popular place where people can buy and sell all sorts of items, like a giant garage sale. It also used to have a big drive-in theater where you could watch movies from your car. Millions of people visited the Swap Shop each year.
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History of the Swap Shop
How the Drive-in Theater Started
On November 22, 1963, a couple named Betty and Preston Henn opened the Thunderbird Drive-in Theater. It started with just one movie screen. At first, it was known for showing movies mostly for grown-ups. Also, the parking lot was initially separated for different groups of people. This practice changed over time.
Adding the Flea Market
After a trip in 1966, Preston Henn decided to add a flea market to the drive-in. This allowed many people to sell their goods in one place. It also helped many small businesses start in southeastern Florida. Adding the flea market made the place much more popular. The drive-in theater also grew, having 11 screens by 1980.
Growth and Entertainment
In 1979, an outdoor food court was added where visitors could eat. About ten years later, a stage was built, and the food court became an enclosed, air-conditioned area. For many years, the Hanneford Family Circus performed daily shows there. Famous music artists like K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, and Three Dog Night also performed on the stage.
More Screens and Changes
The Swap Shop continued to grow in the 1990s, adding more movie screens. By 2005, it had 14 screens in total. However, on October 24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma caused damage to some of the screens. After that, only 13 of the 14 screens could be used.
Other Swap Shop Locations
Besides the Fort Lauderdale location, the Henn family also owned and ran other Swap Shops. The Margate Swap Shop in Margate closed in 2007. The Lake Worth Swap Shop and Drive-in in Lake Worth closed in 2022. The Tampa Fun-Lan Swap Shop and Drive-in in Tampa closed in 2021. The drive-in theater at the Fort Lauderdale location closed in 2023 after a fire damaged one of its screens. However, the flea market part of the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop is still open and busy today.
