Take a trip back in time to the mid-1920s at the historic Bonnet House Museum and Gardens, where you will come across striking art pieces and beautiful gardens brimming with natural vegetation and exotic plants, while a host of animals, including monkeys, parrots and swans, roam the premises.
Situated on the barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, this fascinating plantation-style home was built in 1920 by artist Frederic Clay Bartlett with his second wife, Helen Birch, as a winter retreat for him to focus on his artwork while she composed music and wrote poetry. The surrounding 14 hectares of land were a wedding gift from her father, a prominent Chicago attorney. When Helen died of cancer in 1925, the house was left empty until Bartlett married artist Evelyn Lilly in 1931 and kept Bonnet House as their winter home until his death in 1953.
The only way to see the inside of the house and learn about the history of the opulent estate is through a guided tour, which is included in the admission fee.
As you tour the house, feast your eyes on the unique furnishings and the extensive collection of fine art that remains. Scattered throughout the Main House and the adjacent Bonnet House studio is a collection of artwork that includes paintings by Pablo Picasso and Paul Gauguin, and originals by Bartlett and Lilly.
After the guided tour, you’ll be able to wander freely around the grounds by yourself. There’s plenty to explore including the beachfront area, wetlands and forest, as well as landscaped gardens. Contemplate life amidst the tropical plants and fountains in the central courtyard or strike up a conversation with the two Amazon parrots in the courtyard aviary. Admire Lilly's collections of orchids, the largest in Southeast United States, at the Orchid Showroom before watching swans and tortoises glide gracefully through the water in the garden's Lily Pond. If you're lucky, you'll catch sight of a troop of resident wild Costa Rican squirrel monkeys.
Located just west of downtown Fort Lauderdale, Bonnet House Museum and Gardens is best reached by car and free parking is available. The house and gardens are open daily except for Mondays and tickets can be purchased either online or at the gate. Admission is half price if you only visit the gardens without entering the house.
