The Museum of Discovery & Science sits along the New River in Fort Lauderdale's downtown Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District, a short walk from the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and close enough to the Brightline station and Las Olas Boulevard that guests can arrive without a car. Its AutoNation IMAX theater and open atrium lobby are the two spaces most often booked for private programs, and both sit inside a building that runs public science exhibits and school-group visits during the day.
That combination shapes the planning conversation. A booking here is not a blank exhibit hall waiting to be built out; it is a working museum with live exhibits, delicate equipment, and its own after-hours schedule, and any event plan has to fit inside those constraints rather than around them.
Execution priorities
- Confirm whether the atrium, the IMAX theater, or both are included, since each has separate capacity and technical limits.
- Ask about exhibit-protection rules, since food, drink, and heavy foot traffic near interactive science displays are usually restricted.
- Treat freight and loading as limited by default; the building was designed for museum operations, not trade-show-scale move-in.
A museum first, an event venue second
The building's primary job is public science education, which means its rental spaces are carved out of a working museum rather than purpose-built for private events. The atrium lobby, with its river-facing glass and open sightlines, handles receptions and hospitality well, while the AutoNation IMAX theater works for keynote presentations, screenings, or general sessions that need a fixed-seat format rather than a flexible floor.
Because exhibits, aquariums, and interactive displays remain on the premises during most bookings, event producers should expect protective barriers, roped-off zones, and museum staff on hand to monitor sensitive areas rather than a fully cleared, blank-slate room.
Freight, load-in, and the building's real limits
Unlike the Broward County Convention Center's loading docks built for trade-show-scale freight, the museum's service access is sized for exhibit deliveries and everyday operations. Large builds, extensive rigging, or heavy staging should be scoped against the building's actual dock and elevator capacity early, not assumed based on the venue's overall square footage.
Timing is the other constraint. Public museum hours and school programming typically run through the afternoon, which pushes most private events to evenings or after-hours slots, and any daytime access for setup has to be coordinated around the museum's own visitor flow rather than treated as open time.
- Verify dock size and elevator dimensions before planning large deliveries
- Confirm evening or after-hours access windows for setup and teardown
- Ask which exhibits stay operational or on public view during the event
- Coordinate audio levels in the atrium with the museum's own systems
Getting guests there without a car
The Riverwalk location is one of the more walkable venue options in the Fort Lauderdale market. Guests staying downtown or arriving via the Brightline station can reach the museum on foot in a matter of minutes, and Las Olas Boulevard's restaurants and hotels are close enough to fold into a pre- or post-event itinerary without a shuttle.
For guests flying in, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is roughly a fifteen-minute drive depending on traffic, which makes the museum a workable option for out-of-town attendees who want proximity to downtown rather than the beach or convention-center corridors near Port Everglades.
Related venue context
In a market that also includes the Broward County Convention Center, its adjoining Omni Fort Lauderdale hotel, and Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, the museum fills a different role: a smaller-footprint, walkable downtown venue suited to receptions, screenings, and curated programs rather than trade-show-scale floors.
- Museum of Discovery & Science and AutoNation IMAX is a downtown Fort Lauderdale venue on the Riverwalk corridor. It is relevant for receptions, screenings, keynote sessions, and hospitality programs that benefit from a walkable, river-facing setting.
Frequently asked questions
Can the whole museum be booked for a private event?
Bookings are typically the atrium lobby, the AutoNation IMAX theater, or both, rather than the full public exhibit floor.
Are food and drink allowed near the exhibits?
Usually restricted near interactive displays and aquariums; the museum sets protective zones for hospitality service.
How does load-in compare to the Broward County Convention Center?
It is more limited. Dock and elevator sizes here are built for museum operations, not convention-scale freight.
Is this page claiming a local office or in-house crew at the museum?
No. It is planning guidance for teams considering the venue, not a claim of on-site staffing.