Fort Lauderdale gets about 60 inches of rain a year, but it usually comes in fast tropical bursts — gone in an hour. Sometimes, though, you get a full gray day. When that happens, here's what I tell guests to do.
Don't fight the weather — lean into it. South Florida has built some genuinely great indoor attractions, and a rainy afternoon can become the part of the trip the kids remember most.
These five are my go-to recommendations. They're all family-friendly, mostly indoor, and reliable in any weather.
Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS)
Hands-on science exhibits, a full-dome IMAX theater, and a kids' play area that's exhausting in the best way. The Florida Ecoscapes exhibit lets kids touch live animals — alligators, turtles, snakes — under staff supervision.
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
Rotating contemporary exhibitions plus a permanent collection that includes William Glackens and the CoBrA movement. Walkable from Las Olas. Smaller and quieter than the big-city museums — easy to do in 90 minutes.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
A 35-acre subtropical estate in the middle of Fort Lauderdale's beach district. Guided house tours stay indoors; the grounds have covered walkways and pavilions if you want to peek out. Quiet, beautiful, and a complete change of pace.
Stranahan House Museum
The literal birthplace of Fort Lauderdale, built in 1901 on the New River. Guided tours run about an hour and cover the city's earliest history. Indoors, small, and walkable from Las Olas.
Funky Buddha Brewery
A short drive north in Oakland Park — Funky Buddha is one of South Florida's most-awarded craft breweries. The taproom is huge, welcomes kids and dogs, and frequently has food trucks parked outside. Tours are available.
A note on Fort Lauderdale rain: the radar matters. Most rainy days here have 90-minute breaks built in. Check the radar before driving home — you can usually time your run to a dry window.
And if the rain is really stubborn, you have a heated pool at Jonathan's House and a covered patio. A pool in a warm tropical rain is one of the most underrated experiences in South Florida.