Tucked inside the Ocean Resort on Fort Lauderdale Beach, the Wreck Bar is more than just a place to grab a drink, it’s a portal to another time where Tiki Bar goodness, nautical nostalgia and underwater fantasy swirl together beneath the waves, but what truly makes this place unforgettable is the mermaids of course.

Originally opened in the 1950s when the hotel was known as the Yankee Clipper, the Wreck Bar was designed to look like the inside of a sunken Spanish galleon.   Dark wood beams, porthole windows and maritime relics gave the place a cozy shipwrecked charm, but the real magic lies behind the bar– huge underwater windows that peer directly into the hotel’s pool.

In the early days the bar was a hotspot for celebrities, sailors and snowbirds, seeking that signature Florida escape.  Rumor has it that everyone from Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, to The Beatles, The Monkees and even Jimi Hendrix made their way into the dimly lit lounge, but it wasn’t the decor or the tropical drinks that kept people coming, it was the mermaids.

The Wreck Bar’s mermaid shows began in the mid-20th century, when performers would swim past the underwater windows with  shimmering tails, waving to guests as they sipped Mai-Tais and pina coladas. 

The tradition faded over time, but in the early 2000s the mermaids made their triumphant return thanks to a revival of retro culture and a new generation’s fascination with fantasy. 

A troupe of performers known as The Aquaticats began enchanting audiences with synchronized swimming shows, complete with sequined tails flips and bubble blowing kisses all visible through the bar’s signature portal windows.

Today the Wreck Bar is one of only a handful of places in the world where you can sip a cocktail and watch a live underwater mermaid show. 

It’s become a beloved Fort Lauderdale institution– equal parts tourist attraction and local haunt.

Shows range from family friendly afternoon spectacles, to sultry adults only performances like Aquaman, yes merman.  

There’s something surreal and oddly beautiful about watching a mermaid glide past your cocktail, smiling in a shimmering blue light.

The Wreck Bar’s mermaid shows aren’t just gimmicks, they’re tributes to Old Florida charm” where roadside attractions and whimsical entertainment once ruled.

In a world racing towards the future, the Wreck Bar reminds us that sometimes the most magical things are found by diving into the past.