Bonnet House Blog

At Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, we are proud to offer a variety of unique opportunities for our guests and community members to learn something new. Whether you’re interested in learning about history or the environment, gaining a new appreciation for South Florida culture, or picking up a new skill, Bonnet House has something for everyone. In fact, some of our upcoming classes and workshops include opportunities to learn yoga, orchid drawing, portrait drawing, basket weaving, and watercolor painting.

On Wednesday, August 16th from 9:30 am-10:30 am, Bonnet House will be hosting Yoga On The Veranda . This class gives guests the opportunity to experience deep healing, restoration, and rejuvenation while enjoying a slow, sacred Hatha Yoga flow on the beautiful Bonnet House Veranda. This practice combines the fluidity and meditative aspects of poses (“asanas”) with breathing techniques (“pranayama”) in a slow pace to expand boundaries, enhance the mind-body connection, nourish the spirit, and unlock new levels of personal growth. You can register for this class and learn more here.

If you are interested in honing in on your drawing skills, Bonnet House is offering drawing classes that focus on orchids and portraits . On August 12th, from 9:30 am-12:30 pm, guests will be able to learn about layering colors and using various approaches to color, light, shadow, and form to create beautiful orchids. Additionally, on August 19th, from 9:30 am-12:30 pm, students will have another opportunity to learn various colored pencil techniques that focus on mastering the skills needed in order to create child portraits.

If watercolor painting is more up your alley, Bonnet House is offering guests the opportunity to join 3-day, 9-hour workshops that cover watercolor techniques for beginner , intermediate , and advanced levels. These classes will be taught by Barbara DiMartini and are extremely popular for artists of all ages and skill levels. To learn more, and to embark on this creative adventure, visit our event calendar.

This fall, Bonnet House is also excited to announce Basket Weaving With Charlee . This fun and interactive course will take place on October 27th, and October 28th from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. In this 5-hour basket weaving class, guests will start and finish their very own snack basket! Please be mindful that basket weaving can be a rather wet activity, and dyed reeds can stain your clothes. For this reason, it is recommended that you wear old clothing to this workshop.

Bonnet House has so many unique opportunities to expand your horizons this summer and fall. We hope that you and your loved ones are able to join us for some of these special events. To learn more about our various classes and workshops, and to plan your next trip to Bonnet House, click here .

The Bonnet House property was purchased in 1895 by Hugh Taylor Birch. While the property had already experienced over 4,000 years of Florida history at the time it was purchased, the state of Florida looked nothing like it does today. Although much time has passed, the Bonnet House property still encompasses one of the last examples in South Florida of a native barrier island habitat. We are fortunate to be one of the few places in Florida to include five distinct ecosystems and an abundance of native plants and wildlife.

These five unique ecosystems include the Atlantic Ocean beach and primary dune, a freshwater slough, the secondary dune which includes the house site, mangrove wetlands, and a maritime forest. To complement the natural vegetation, the grounds also contain a Desert Garden composed of arid plantings, a hibiscus garden, and the main courtyard planted with tropical vegetation.

Our stunning variety of tropical vegetation includes but is not limited to mangroves, saw palmetto, blue porter weed, wild coffee, bougainvillea, and plumeria. Bonnet House also showcases various blooming examples of orchids in our greenhouses and throughout the estate all year round.

If you are interested in learning more about our fascinating ecosystems, and specific plant varieties, we encourage you to participate in our Education Programs. Our Educational Programming enlivens our mission statement and supports Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards by offering onsite classes, field trips, and virtual lessons in Florida history, nature, art, and design.

These programs:
● Integrate character education
● Involve hands-on activities
● Provide various choices of curriculum enrichment
● Conform to the National Trust for Historic Preservation curriculum guidelines

Here at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, we pride ourselves on providing unique and interesting opportunities for our guests to learn more about our estate, its owners, and Florida’s beautiful ecosystems. But none of this would be possible without our passionate and engaging volunteers. These dedicated individuals help us to educate guests, and care for our many species of plants. Our volunteers are truly the heart and soul of Bonnet House and they make all of our goals come to fruition.

Whether it’s everyday operations, special evening events, or gardening, Bonnet House couldn’t operate as it does without our team of volunteers. Volunteers have a variety of different opportunities to serve at Bonnet House. If you have any questions or wish to join our team of volunteers at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, please call (954) 703-2606 or click here

School is out for the summer and we couldn’t be more excited about all of the fun activities available to our guests this season! Whether you’re interested in spending time outdoors in nature, or inside learning about history, we have everything you and your family need to have a blast this summer.

Here in South Florida, we are no strangers to crowded beaches, and large groups of tourists. If you’re looking for a way to be outside on the water without dealing with large crowds, we have the perfect solution for you. Kayaking and paddle boarding are great ways to stay cool on the water, while also getting some exercise! Bonnet House Museum & Gardens has partnered with Fort Lauderdale Adventures to offer visitors the unique opportunity to kayak or paddle board through our secluded Coconut Cove. To learn more and to book your experience, click here.

Beginning on June 1st and lasting through September 3rd, Bonnet House will also be hosting our annual Summer Family Special. This special deal includes $20.00 admission rates for adults and free admission for any individual 17 and under (accompanied by adult). This is the perfect opportunity for you and your family to experience what life was like on a beachfront estate in the 1930s and 1940s while learning about the historic and ecological significance of the property.

The Summer Family Special is available Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, and tickets can be purchased at the Welcome Center.

With Fathers Day right around the corner, we could not forget to include a special way for Fathers to feel celebrated this year. On Sunday, June 18th, 2023 fathers will receive free admission to Bonnet House Museum & Gardens with the purchase of one additional ticket. Whether your dad enjoys art, culture, history, or nature, there will be something new for him to learn and enjoy at our estate.

There is so much to look forward to this season at Bonnet House! As the kids are out of school, we hope that you can consider bringing your family to visit our remarkable estate and create lasting memories. To purchase tickets and start planning your next visit, click here.

In addition to its historic significance, the Bonnet House property encompasses one of the most interesting arrays of ecosystems in the state of Florida. In fact, the property contains five distinct ecosystems including the Atlantic Ocean beach and primary dune, a freshwater slough, the secondary dune which includes the house site, mangrove wetlands, and a maritime forest. Given this fascinating assortment of natural landscapes, it is not surprising that a variety of interesting plant and animal species can be found throughout the estate grounds and gardens.

To complement the beauty of the natural vegetation, the Bonnet House grounds contain a desert garden composed of arid plantings, a hibiscus garden, and an orchid display house. Additionally, the main courtyard is planted with stunning tropical vegetation. Our property is also home to a myriad of migratory birds, manatees, raccoons, turtles, and even a wild monkey!

When it comes to the specific plant species that can be found throughout the estate, the Jaboticaba Tree and Bleeding Heart Vine are two of our most exotic varieties. The Jaboticaba Tree is often referred to as the “Brazilian Grape Tree” because it produces large quantities of dark-colored, round fruits that cover the tree’s bark. Prior to producing these fruits, the tree forms white, fuzzy blooms that are stunning to view in person.

The Bleeding Heart Vine is also a crowd favorite and is especially popular among photographers. The Bleeding Heart Vine is native to the tropical regions of West Africa. When this plant flowers, their beautiful balloon-like, white and crimson petals make for a truly stunning feature. This plant will bloom for several months, so it can be enjoyed for quite a while on our property.

In addition to these exotic plant varieties, Bonnet House also features a unique selection of orchids. Visitors from all over the world enjoy visiting our orchid display house and taking our popular orchid care classes. In these courses, students will join our orchid curator, Jose Exposito, to learn about the different types of orchids, and how to care for them properly. Our next orchid care course will take place on August 8th at 9:30 am.

This spring and summer will be great times to visit the Bonnet House estate to experience the various flora and fauna that call this place home. We hope that you include a visit to Bonnet House on your next trip to Fort Lauderdale. To learn more, and plan your next visit, click here.