Navigating the Dania Beach Antiques District and the Historic Pier
The Dania Beach antiques district runs along Federal Highway with dozens of dealers specializing in mid-century modern, vintage, and imported furniture, best paired with a stop at the town's historic pier.
Navigating the Dania Beach Antiques District and the Historic Pier
You need a half-day plan for Dania Beach that works for collectors and casual visitors alike. This guide delivers it. The Dania Beach antiques district is a one-mile concentration of mid-century modern dealers, European importers, and estate liquidation showrooms that serious collectors drive past Fort Lauderdale for. Pair it with a working pier where you eat seafood within sight of the day's haul.
Start at the Dania Antique Mall at 10:00
Begin at the anchor venue, the Dania Antique Mall, at 19 SW 1st Avenue. It houses roughly 100 dealers under one roof. Hours are Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 18:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 17:30, but check with the mall directly for any seasonal changes. Arrive at opening time on a weekday. You get first pick before the afternoon crowds roll in from Fort Lauderdale. Budget 2 to 3 hours for a full browse of this complex alone.
Walk North on Federal Highway
After the mall, walk north on Federal Highway (US-1) between Stirling Road and Griffin Road. Smaller storefronts like Aunt Teek's and Dania Auctioneers at 29 South Federal Highway fill the next half mile. The auction house holds periodic sales. Call ahead to confirm the schedule because the showroom is not always open for casual browsing. If a shop is closed, note the address and return after lunch.
What the District Actually Carries
This is not a flea market. The dealers here specialise in mid-century modern furniture, vintage European glassware, and estate jewellery. Casual browsers will find plenty of curios, but the real action is in the design pieces that interior decorators hunt for. If you are after mass-market souvenirs or cheap trinkets, skip this district and head to a beachfront shop instead.
Failure Case: Rain or Closed Shops
If you arrive before 10:00 or on a major holiday when stores are closed, drive directly to the pier. The pier is open 24 hours daily for angling, and the sightseeing admission costs $2 per person at the 2025 rate published by the city. You can also head to the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame and Museum at 300 Gulf Stream Way. It opens Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 17:00; adult admission was $15 in 2025.
Lunch at the Dania Beach Pier
Drive 2.5 miles east from the antiques district to the Dania Beach Pier at 300 North Beach Road. This 928-foot pier was originally built in the 1950s and rebuilt after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. It is a local landmark, not a tourist pier. Pay the $2 sightseeing fee at the 2025 rate (published by the city) and walk to the end for an unobstructed Atlantic view.
What to Eat and Where
The pier has a bait shop that also sells simple food: fried fish sandwiches, conch fritters, and cold drinks. For a proper sit-down lunch, the dining cluster on Dania Beach Boulevard between Federal Highway and A1A offers three decades-old options. Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant at 128 South Federal Highway has been open since 1956; the Kitchen Sink sundae serves four or more people. Grampa's Bakery & Restaurant at 17 Southwest 1st Street has operated since 1957 and serves breakfast and lunch. Tark's of Dania Beach at 1317 South Federal Highway, founded in 1966, specialises in raw bar items, clams, oysters, and wings. Rustic Inn Crabhouse at 4331 Anglers Avenue, open since 1955, is the place for garlic crabs if you want a full dinner.
Casting a Line at the Pier
If you want to fish, the 2025 admission was $6 per adult per day and $4 per child under 12, published by the city. Rod rental was $10 per rod per day. The licence fee is included in the admission, so you do not need a separate state permit. Common catch includes snook, tarpon, snapper, mackerel, pompano, and bluefish. Snook season is closed during summer spawning months; check the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website for the exact annual dates. Tarpon peak season runs April to September, and pompano peak season runs November to March.
Afternoon Option: Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park
If you have energy after lunch, drive north on Ocean Drive to 6503 North Ocean Drive. This 310-acre state park, renamed in 2016 from John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, offers 2.5 miles of beach. The 2025 entrance fee was $6 per vehicle for 2 to 8 people or $4 for a single occupant. The park has a designated swim area with seasonal lifeguards, a boat ramp at Whiskey Creek for Intracoastal access, and the Dania Cut-off Canal running through it. The park operates daily 08:00 to sunset.
What You Will Spend
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Sightseeing admission, Dania Beach Pier | $2 per person |
| Fishing admission, adult, Dania Beach Pier | $6 per person per day |
| Child fishing admission (under 12), Dania Beach Pier | $4 per person per day |
| Rod rental, Dania Beach Pier | $10 per rod per day |
| State park entrance, 2–8 people per vehicle | $6 per vehicle |
| State park entrance, single occupant | $4 per person |
| IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame adult admission | $15 per person |
| IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame child admission (3–12) | $8 per person |
| IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame senior/military admission | $12 per person |
When to Go and How to Get There
Peak season for Dania Beach is December through April. Daily highs range 24 to 27°C (75 to 80°F) and humidity is low. Avoid late May through June: daily afternoon downpours and oppressive humidity arrive with the wet season. Also avoid the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show week in late October or early November. Hotel prices spike and traffic on the 17th Street Causeway gridlocks.
Getting to the Antiques District
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is 2.5 miles southwest of the Dania Beach Pier. A ride-hail from the airport to the antiques district costs $25 to $40 and takes 15 to 25 minutes. Broward County Transit Route 1 bus costs $2 and runs from the airport to the central bus terminal in about 30 minutes, but it is impractical with luggage. Do not book a hotel inland near I-95 or in Plantation thinking you can walk to the beach. You will face a 20-minute, $25 ride-hail each way.
Getting Around Dania Beach
Dania Beach is car-dependent. Ride-hailing is the dominant way to get around. The Sun Trolley and LauderGO! shuttle serve the area but run on infrequent schedules not reliable for tight itineraries. Drive between the antiques district and the pier (2.5 miles, about 7 minutes). If you do not have a car, a ride-hail between the two will cost roughly $10 to $15.
