We discovered this gem of a place from the Internet, and it was a reasonable walk from our hotel.

Although we had never before heard of the owner (and architect of his own place), the American painter Frederic Bartlett, he was very well known and respected in his day, selling over $60K worth of pictures in the early-mid part of the 20th century, when a dollar was worth 95 cents.

The place is obviously that of an artist, filled throughout with pictures, sculptures, beautiful metal-work doors, and more. Every room, every turn, is something new and interesting to look at.

But save time for roaming the extensive grounds, which are an oasis of beauty and serenity.

We visited Bonnet House late in the afternoon shortly before it closed for the day. I wish we had been able to spend more time on the grounds.

Joanne, who is featured in the educational video, was our guide and she clearly loved the place. The quality of the experience is dependant on the quality of the docent and Joanne was excellent.

I think that to truly appreciate the house, you should take some time and view some of the "serious" art these two gifted people created before you view the more whimsical art in the house. You can view the house without doing your homework, but it will be much more fun if you do.

For adults who can appreciate whimsical art and a joy for life, this is an excellent place to spend a morning or an afternoon. If you wish to photograph the grounds, the morning light is probably better. You are not allowed to photograph inside the house, but there is enough of interest on the grounds to justify the trip.

CTR

I just had the opportunity to visit this historic landmark in Ft. Lauderdale and have the following advice:

Go to bonnethouse.org where you can print out a $1.00 off coupon. AAA saves you an additional $2.00 off the $15.00 entrance fee.

Not all tour guides are created equal. Our first one was a drag so we jumped ship and waited 15 minutes for the next tour. These gals are all volunteers and some of them seem alot more enthusiastic than others- the one we had knew the Birch family personally and added alot to the experience.

Take the "golf cart tour" in addition to the walking tour of the house. This is a great tour of the grounds and the flora and fauna therin. It costs a whopping $1 extra. You can't lose.

Two small gripes: You are not allowed to take photos inside the residence for "insurance" reasons. This really stinks as the house is truly an artistic masterpiece and would have made great photos. Also, after paying your $15 and taking the 1 1/2 hour tour, the tour guide drops you off at the gift shop. TACKY.

Otherwise, truly beautiful and fascinating place.

While the review header describes it as "historic 1921 plantation-style waterfront home", Let me tell you that this is no ordinary 1921 home. Mr Bartlett designed and built it from the ground up with an unusual minimalist design for the era. Each room has a hand crafted style to it, with both walls and floors painted and decorated. The designs appealed to my 3 sons, ages 7-11 y/o.

Be sure to take the grounds tour by golf cart, you will see various wildlife and plants/trees on the grounds.

Also, check out "peaches", the cockatoo near the gift shop. She would scream "wait come back" every time we walked away from her cage.