Swap Shop and Thunderbird Drive-In
A 14-screen drive-in theater, a flea market with 2,000 vendors, a carnival midway, and a classic car museum — all on the same property in Fort Lauderdale since 1963.
The Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop opened in 1963 as a drive-in theater and flea market. Over the following decades it expanded into something that defies easy categorization: 14 drive-in screens (making it the largest drive-in complex in the world), a daily flea market with roughly 2,000 vendors, a carnival midway with rides, a classic car museum, a food court, and a circus that performs on weekends.
The Swap Shop draws an estimated 12 million visitors per year. It is one of the most visited attractions in Florida. Most tourists have never heard of it.
The flea market opens at sunrise and runs seven days a week. The drive-in screens show first-run films at night. The carnival rides operate on weekends. The classic car museum is free with flea market admission. The whole operation has the quality of a parallel universe where 1975 never ended — which is precisely its appeal.
Located at 3291 W Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. The flea market is free to enter; drive-in admission charged separately. Arrive early on weekends — parking fills up. The classic car museum is in the back of the main building. The circus performs Saturday and Sunday afternoons.