Located on an island peninsula one block from the beach surrounded by million dollar yachts, the white modernist complex has been celebrating aquatic sports since 1965.

This dynamic shrine is dedicated to the athletes, coaches and innovators who made their mark in swimming,  diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and open water events.

The idea began in the early 1960s when Fort Lauderdale was cementing its status as a top training and competition site.

The warm weather, ocean breezes and newly built pools drew world class swimmers year round.

In 1965 the hall officially opened its doors not only as a museum but as an active aquatic center, hosting major meets and training camps for some of the sports greatest names.

Johnny Weissmuller, the movie Tarzan and great Olympian was the first president.

In addition to recognizing over 600 of the world’s greatest aquatic athletes, the exhibits read like a love letter to the water.  Olympic gold medals glisten under the lights, vintage swimsuits and equipment tell the story of evolving style and technology with rare photographs capturing the unshakable determination of athletes mid-stroke.

The hall’s collection honors legends like Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz Janet Evans, Greg Louganis, Esther Williams, Duke Kahanamoku, Buster Crabbe, Ryan Lochte, Katie Ledecky,  Rowdy Gaines and more.

For visitors it’s easy to get swept up in a mix of nostalgia and inspiration. The International Swimming Hall of Fame isn’t just about medals and records, it’s about the universal draw of the water and the people who dedicated their lives to mastering it

There are two 50 meter olympic size pools, including a separate dive pool which is 27 M or almost 90 feet, the tallest in the Western Hemisphere. 

The aquatic center remains a working facility, where you can watch an international swim meet one week and a youth practice the next.   It’s this living connection between history and the present that makes the hall feel less like a static museum and more like a place where the water is always in motion.

The ISHF is partially open now due to construction, but the gift shop is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 to 3:30.  Admission is $8.

In Fort Lauderdale, just minutes off Route 1 the story flows on and on with every lap.