A section of the guide
History
From a Seminole War fort to the Venice of America — the houses, the canals, and the spring break that made the city famous.
The Two Pioneer HousesBonnet House and Stranahan House — the estate and the trading post that hold the city's whole story between them.READ →
Stranahan House: Where the City BeganFrank Stranahan's 1901 trading post on the New River — ferry stop, post office, town hall and the oldest house in town.READ →
Bonnet House: 35 Acres of Old FloridaThe Bartletts' barrier-island estate — art studios, orchid houses, swan ponds and a rare pocket of untouched coast.READ →
How the Canals Made the Venice of AmericaThe 1920s dredge-and-fill boom that turned mangrove swamp into 165 miles of finger canals — and the price of it.READ →
Where the Boys Are: How Spring Break Found the BeachThe 1960 film that turned a quiet resort town into the nation's spring break — and how the city eventually took itself back.READ →