Timeless Traditions: Celebrate The Holidays At The Historic Stranahan House Museum

Picture-Perfect Moments With Santa:

Get ahead of the Holiday rush with Pictures with Santa Claus on Tuesday, November 17th, 2026 and Friday, November 20th, 2026 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Families are invited to take a five-minute photo session with Santa at the Historic Stranahan House Museum and get their Christmas card photos done early. Photo sessions for families of four are $40, and each additional person is $5.

• Dates: Tuesday, November 17th, 2026 and Friday, November 20th, 2026 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• Cost: Families of four: $40 | Each additional person: $5

• Details: To RSVP, email Alexis at: info@stranahanhouse.org.

Cookies with Santa:

The Historic Stranahan House Museum is also baking the season bright with Cookies with Santa, presented by Amazon, on Saturday, December 5th, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Families can capture their holiday photos with a five-minute family photo session with Santa Claus inside the Historic Stranahan House Museum, with the inclusion of Christmas cookies and drinks. Photo sessions for families of four are $55, and each additional person is $5.

• Date: Saturday, December 5th, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Cost: Families of four: $55 | Each additional person: $5

• Details: Photo sessions are by appointment only. Online registration is required. No pets will be allowed in the museum. For more information and to book a photo session, please visit: https://stranahanhouse.org/cookies-with-santa/.

Sail Through the Season:

Make spirits bright with a holiday celebration that brings Fort Lauderdale’s waterfront to life! From a charming historic reception to a sparkling cruise beneath the holiday lights, this festive collaboration offers a one-of-a-kind way to gather, celebrate and make spirits bright this holiday season.

The Stranahan House is partnering with the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi to offer festive pre-cruise receptions ahead of the Water Taxi’s beloved Holiday Lights Cruises, creating a memorable way for corporate groups to celebrate the season in style.

The three-hour holiday experience begins at the historic Stranahan House, where guests will be welcomed with a thoughtfully curated grazing table, complemented by selections of red and white wine, soft drinks and water. Guests can also explore the first floor of the museum, beautifully adorned for the holidays, and soak in the timeless charm of Fort Lauderdale’s oldest surviving structure.

Then, it’s all aboard for a magical journey along Fort Lauderdale’s sparkling waterways. Guests will take in dazzling holiday lights, festive sights and live music as the city’s waterfront transforms into a holiday wonderland. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available for purchase aboard the Water Taxi.

Dates:

• Friday, December 4th, 2026

• Wednesday, December 9th, 2026

• Thursday, December 10th, 2026

• Friday, December 11th, 2026

• Wednesday, December 16th, 2026

• Thursday, December 17th, 2026

• Friday, December 18th, 2026

Times:

• 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., departing on the Water Taxi Holiday Lights Cruise at 6:30 p.m.

• Or 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., departing on the Water Taxi Holiday Lights Cruise at 8:30 p.m.

• Cost: $140 per person

• Guests: Minimum 10, maximum 40

Victorian Christmas Tours:

Additionally, the Historic Stranahan House Museum is hosting Victorian Christmas Tours from Wednesday, December 16th, 2026 through Saturday, December 20th, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. each evening. The community is invited to step back in time to the Victorian era while walking through the beautifully decorated Stranahan House Museum. Attendees will learn how holiday traditions started, how the pioneers of Fort Lauderdale celebrated the season, and shop for everyone on their Christmas list in the gift shop. Tours are $30 per person or $25 for members.

Tours during Victorian Christmas are approximately 40 minutes long. New tours start every 10 minutes for groups of six or fewer. Festive and knowledgeable docents will guide each tour. There will be a mixture of information shared by the tour guides and signage to read, all while classic Christmas songs are played on a 1900s piano. Guests are encouraged to take the Water Taxi’s Holiday Lights Tour before or after their tour through Stranahan House.

• Dates: Wednesday, December 16th, 2026 through Sunday, December 20th, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• Cost: $30 per person, $25 for members

• Details:

• For more information or to register, please visit: https://stranahanhouse.org/victorian-christmas-tours/

• Groups larger than six people can book a tour by contacting: (954) 524-4736.

All proceeds will support the year-round historic preservation and education programs at the Historic Stranahan House Museum, one of the top cultural attractions in Fort Lauderdale. Built in 1901, Stranahan House is recognized as the birthplace of Fort Lauderdale and was home to the area’s first businessman, Frank Stranahan, and the first schoolteacher, Ivy Cromartie Stranahan. Stranahan House opened as a museum in 1984.

The Stranahan House thanks its generous sponsors. The Cookies with Santa Presenting Sponsor is Amazon.

Where:

Stranahan House

335 Southeast 6th Avenue

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

About Historic Stranahan House and Museum:

The Historic Stranahan House and Museum, the oldest and most historically significant surviving structure in Broward County, has served as a trading post, post office, town hall and home to the Stranahans. Frank Stranahan is Fort Lauderdale’s first businessman and most respected pioneer. His wife, Ivy Cromartie Stranahan, was the area’s first school teacher and a champion of many civic, social service, environmental and educational causes. Today, the mission of the Historic Stranahan House Museum is to tell the story of the birth of the community through the lives of two extraordinary people and the homestead they created and to serve as an enduring legacy of historic preservation. Its purpose is to preserve, interpret and promote the House, historic site and history of our community’s founding family. Every year, more than 3,000 fourth-grade school children and 30,000 tourists and locals visit, making the House one of the top cultural attractions in Fort Lauderdale. Stranahan House and Museum is located at 335 Southeast 6th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For more information, please visit: www.stranahanhouse.org.