Bonnet House Museum & Gardens

JoNell and I lived here in Fort Lauderdale in the late 90’s. We had a condo in western Broward in an area called Jacaranda. It was good. We were close to the Glades, we had nearby canals where peacock bass hung out, and the Interstate was close by for trips to the Keys. Because of the western location we didn’t visit the beach all that much. We also kept a boat in Islamorada so most of our weekends were spent there.  

After almost 20 years in Lee County we made a decision to head back east after JoNell got a job offer. We decided we wanted to be closer to the beach, much closer. We no longer owned a boat and we didn’t want the continued responsibility of home ownership, so we took some advice from a nephew who calls Fort Lauderdale home and began hunting for a place to live. 

We now live within a couple of miles of the beach where we spend at least one day a week decompressing. JoNell, being the exerciser, walks to the beach. I prefer a bike or the truck. 

In our previous life here we would occasionally drive north on A1A after crossing the 17th Street Causeway bridge. Just before approaching East Sunrise Boulevard,  on the left side of the road, is a noticeable large heavily wooded area. A magnificent homestead called the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is preserved there. 

The mansion and grounds are open to the public and after 25 years of driving by and wondering what was in those woods, JoNell and I finally satisfied our curiosity. It was worth the wait.

Bonnet House was created by artist Frederic Clay Bartlett in 1920. The land was given to him and and his wife, Helen Birch, by her father, Hugh Taylor Birch. A state park just north of Bonnet House bears Mr. Birch’s name. Helen died of cancer in 1925 and Mr. Bartlett remarried Evelyn Lilly in 1931. She continued to winter at the estate until 1995. 

To say I was amazed at what is hidden behind a wall and thick woods along a bustling A1A would be an understatement. The 35-acre estate is a blessing. There are beautiful gardens, a hardwood barrier island forrest, lagoons, orchids and of course, wildlife. The historic home is also a museum to countless works of art painted by Fredric. He and Helen also collected art from all over the world. After Fredric and Evelyn were married Fredric encouraged Evelyn to take up painting in 1933. To say she was prolific would be an understatement. 

Evelyn also had a passion for orchids, shells and tiki bars. The onsite Shell Museum Complex, built for Evelyn by Fredric, contains Evelyn’s shell collection, an Orchid House and her private Bamboo Bar. You enter through a small rotunda with floor to ceiling display cases of collected shells. To the right is an honest to goodness tiki bar complete with stools and a fully equipped bar. Straight ahead is the orchid room. Evelyn was a very lucky lady.

The Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is open everyday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $20 for access to the home and gardens. At this time, due to Covid-19, the tours are self-guided. They have added a considerable amount of electronic information via your cell phone so bring headphones. Be sure to check their website for additional information. www.bonnethouse.org