Dania Beach Antique and Arts District
Antique lovers know to flock to Dania Beach and to the incredible finds at Dania Antique Row. From small shops to an antique mall with dozens of vendors, this antique wonderland carries everything from china, glassware to art to sculpture to linens to everything collectible. Store owners are eager to assist in finding that special something. Set aside a full to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience in South Florida, then enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the many eateries, such as the famous Grandpa’s Diner, which was featured on Diner’s, Drive-in’s and Dives on the Food Network. Dania Beach is located only one mile south of the Hollywood International Airport with plenty of parking in this lovely burb with a small-town feel. Imagine a luxurious gallery boasting 50 million-year-old fossils, a Lladro chandelier of 300 cascading porcelain fairies and a collection of World War II binoculars. And everything is for sale at this Dania shop. The At the entrance of this Dania shop sits edgy, contemporary furniture crafted from vintage airplane parts. One piece, a massive executive desk, was made from the flap of a 1940s U.S. military cargo plane. Price tag: $29,500. Around the corner is the ethereal Lladro chandelier, with its snowy, white figurines suspended from delicate strings of LED lights. It will set you back $120,000.
The natural history gallery includes slabs of 50 million-year-old natural stone from a fossilized lake bed in Wyoming, all cut to display preserved fish and tropical flora. Now fashioned into murals, tabletops and even backsplashes, the pieces start at $700 and range to $185,000 for a pair of six-foot murals imprinted with palm fronds. Gregg Whittecar, gallery co-owner and producer, said he and co-owner Arron Rimpley bought and sold art and antiques for 20 years before they opened the gallery. “We go on buying trips all around the world. We’re always looking for something unique and unusual,” Whittecar said.
This Dania shop and gallery also frequently hosts art-themed parties, fund-raisers, even weddings, so the pieces are routinely moved around to accommodate events, he said. The second floor houses the Weiner Museum of Decorative Arts. Also free to enter, the private collection is one of the largest displays of 19th- and 20th-century British ceramics in the United States, Whittecar said. (But put your wallet away. None of these pieces are for sale.) There are thousands of finely-crafted vases, sculptures and figurines in the rotating exhibits, which includes the largest Royal Doulton collection in the United States, as well as the works of iconic names such as Wedgewood and Minton. The museum also features the delicate glasswork of Dale Chihuly, and has 30 to 75 pieces on display, depending on exhibit space. Both The Gallery of Amazing Things and the Weiner Museum of Decorative Arts, are open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free tours are available for groups.
