The Ultimate Greater Fort Lauderdale Itinerary for Creative Travelers

Pottery not only enhances creativity, it helps relieve stress, improves your fine motor skills, and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Pottery studios in Fort Lauderdale are aplenty, and cater to all skill levels, from beginners to experts. 

Sarah Glass Ceramics is a women-owned studio based in Fort Lauderdale. The inviting ambiance welcomes all, whether it's a one-time pottery wheel class ($95) or a six-week beginner or returning pottery course ($495). There are also rotating workshops ($95), along with events like Rooftop Movie Night & Pinch Pots ($65) and Clay & Rosé for kneady wine lovers. 

At Joe Picasso’s in Wilton Manors, you can throw on the wheel solo or you can book a private weekend lesson in advance with a $20 online deposit. Extend your self-expression through pottery painting, clay hand-building, canvas painting, glass painting, and mosaic making. This all-ages studio offers art parties and rentals and supports children’s creative development with kid-friendly art camps to support motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. 

In 2018, Domingo (Mingo) Olavarria founded Mingo Pottery Studio in Fort Lauderdale to share his love of teaching with the masses. From locals to visitors, word quickly spread, and now Mingo’s is home to a thriving open-format clay community, where students are encouraged to create, share, and make memories together. You can enroll in various four-week courses, kids age 12 and up can enjoy the whimsical creatures class, and newbies can experiment with handbuilding for beginners to make ramen bowls, coffee mugs, bird houses, or candle holders.  

If your home needs a little love and livening up, why not craft some DIY décor—or better yet, make your own souvenir? Greater Fort Lauderdale offers everything from woodworking and tufting to glass blowing.

At Nailed It DIY Studio Fort Lauderdale in Lauderhill, you can focus on hand-built wooden wall art projects themed around the seasons, your favorite sports teams, patriotism, local Florida love, your fur babies, and more (starting in the $44 range). Book studio time, junior workshops and youth activities, take a virtual class, or purchase a take-and-make kit (starting at $12). 

Creative freedom that supports your limitless imagination is the goal at Tufting House, where you can create your own rug. Using yarn loops on canvas in custom colors and motifs, you can bring your own accent rug to life. Instructors lead the journey for those of all skill levels at this distinctive workshop (starting at $80) in the Victoria Park neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. 

Glass blowing is a mesmerizing ancient art, and you can fire up your very own piece at Hollywood Hot Glass in just 20 minutes. Create soap dispensers, tumblers, ruffle bowls, vases, and animals in warm or cool color schemes in workshops ranging in price from $60 to $150. Hollywood Hot Glass also offers cremation creations, where you can create bespoke memorial pieces to honor loved ones lost. 

A hands-on happy hour where you can unwind, create, and socialize, Dania Pointe Sip and Create takes place at the AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Airport at Dania Pointe every Thursday at 7 p.m. The three-and-a-half-hour event led by a local art guide includes your canvas and paint, live music, social hour, one complimentary drink ticket, and happy hour specials until 10 p.m. Upgrade to the VIP package for day pass hotel access and a goodie bag full of swag. 

Greater Fort Lauderdale is home to 1.8 million residents representing 170 countries, and our art and culture museums reflect that global spirit.

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is located downtown in the arts and entertainment district. The modern, 83,000-square-foot building was designed by renowned architect Edward Larrabee Barnes and contains more than 25,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 265-seat auditorium, a 6,000-work permanent collection from American realist William Glackens, the largest U.S. post World War II avant-garde collection of Cobra artists from Amsterdam, Brussels, and Copenhagen, and an extensive collection dedicated to Latin American and Cuban art. Make sure to bookmark free admission on the first Thursday of every month and make a day of it. 

MAD Arts is an immersive, family-friendly playground of more than 20 interactive exhibits in Dania Beach where art, light, and innovation stimulate all the senses and activate your mind. The convergence of art and tech integrates projection mapping, animation, and robotics, along with elements of 3D scanning, coding, and sound art, making MAD Arts a not-to-miss, one-of-a-kind visit for progressive art enthusiasts of all ages.  

A nonprofit spotlighting Caribbean arts, culture, history, and education, Island SPACE Caribbean Museum ignites the iconic island spirit. In addition to being the only pan-Caribbean heritage museum in the U.S., you’ll find curated fine art collections. Plus, a roster of rotating events invites open hearts and minds to experience performance art, food traditions, storytelling sessions, poetry readings, and much more.

Ranked as one of the top 10 most-visited theaters in the world, Broward Center for the Performing Arts is a South Florida mainstay, welcoming more than 700 performances per year for over 600,000 visitors. Set on scenic New River, you can enjoy dinner nearby before heading to an off-Broadway musical, an opera, a limited-run play, a ballet, or a concert. Or, attend a wine tasting class with a master sommelier and revel in a Sunday jazz brunch. Stay up to date on the latest shows so you can book tickets in advance. 

The Parker is one of Fort Lauderdale’s oldest performance venues, dating back to 1967. This neoclassical playhouse was built by Dr. Louis Parker and is managed by Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Known for its concerts, dance, comedy, and off-Broadway productions, as well as educational programming, The Parker is a Greater Fort Lauderdale gem.