And then definitely get yourself to Wilton Manors to check out the new Stonewall National Museum Gallery (2157 Wilton Dr., 95), which occupies an airy storefront space right on the heart of "The Drive" (see above).
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You can visit the main archive location and examine the thousands of LGBT documents, photos, books, magazines, and memorabilia inside. In Fort Lauderdale, the Stonewall National Museum & Archives (was started in 1973 and, as it grew, resided in several different spaces before landing in its current 4,000-square-foot permanent home, at the Fort Lauderdale Branch Library/ArtServe building (1300 E. You'll find some of the most significant museums dedicated to LGBT history and civil rights in the region. Exhibits here discuss the history of aquatic sports and the careers of the world's most acclaimed divers and swimmers. A1A, 95). Openly gay swimming and diving legends Greg Louganis and Mark Tewksbury are among the inductees whose aquatic sports careers are celebrated at this popular attraction near the beach, just a few blocks south of Las Olas Boulevard's junction with Highway A1A. The beachfront is lined with a paved boardwalk, and there's a gay section of beach right opposite where Sebastian Street intersects with Highway A1A.Ī short drive or 15-minute walk south of the gay beach, you'll find the International Swimming Hall of Fame and museum (1 Hall of Fame Dr., off Hwy. And just a couple of blocks off the beach, there are several gay clothing-optional resorts, mostly along the blocks between Riomar and Vistamar streets. It's along this stretch that you'll find a strip of gorgeous beach hotels and resorts, including such swanky gay-popular stunners at the W Fort Lauderdale, Atlantic Hotel, and Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. A1A from roughly Fort Lauderdale Beach Park (near the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa) north past Las Olas Boulevard and on north to East Sunrise Boulevard. Greater Fort Lauderdale extends along a beautiful 23-mile stretch of the Atlantic Ocean characterized by pristine sandy beaches. Here's a look at five attractions and activities that gay visitors to Fort Lauderdale should make a point of seeing. Of course, this is also a major gay nightlife center, and you'll find plenty of great gay bars and clubs in Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors as well. Given Fort Lauderdale's abundance of relaxing clothing-optional gay resorts and hip hotels, it can be tempting simply to check in to your accommodation and relax by the pool all day, but there are actually quite a few enjoyable diversions in the area, from lively neighborhoods for strolling to one of Florida's most popular gay beaches to just enough in the way of museums and performing arts venues to keep culture vultures happy.
Not surprisingly, quite a few LGBT visitors have become so taken with this friendly and progressive community that they've moved here full-time. This largest city in Broward County, just a 45-minute drive north of Miami and the same distance south of Palm Beach, has steadily evolved from a relatively lesser-known gay getaway in the early 1990s into a favorite place among gays and lesbians for both quick winter getaways and longer seasonal stays. With a sunny and stunning location in South Florida fringed by sandy beaches, Fort Lauderdale and the adjacent inland community of Wilton Manors rank among the world's most desirable tropical gay vacation destinations.