ATTRACTIONS
Historic Homes & Buildings
Historic Haile Homestead at Kanapaha Plantation (circa 1856)
8500 Archer Road, State Road 24 • Gainesville, FL 32606
352-372-2633
Built of heart pine and cypress by enslaved labor, this historic 6,200 square foot house is one of the few remaining antebellum homes in North Central Florida. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the restored Haile House is now a museum which interprets Florida plantation life and educates visitors about the economic, cultural, and social issues of the era in which the house was built. more...
Museums & Galleries
Florida Museum of Natural History
Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road • Gainesville, FL 32611-2710
University of Florida Cultural Plaza
352-846-2000
Located at the University of Florida, the Florida Museum of Natural History is Florida's state museum of natural history and is the largest natural history museum in the Southeast. Dedicated to understanding and preserving biological diversity and cultural heritage, the Florida Museum of Natural History houses more than 25 million specimens of amphibians, birds, butterflies, fish, mammals, mollusks, reptiles, fossils, and plants. more... mapFred Bear Museum
4600 Southwest 41st Boulevard • Gainesville, FL 32608
352-376-2411
See a showcase of big game collected from around the world by the late Fred Bear, expert bow hunter and founder of Bear Archery, at this unique museum. Here you will see lions, Cape buffalo, brown bears, elephants, and wolves. Authentic spears, shields, carvings, artwork, and Indian artifacts also on display, along with ancient tools and weapons. A gift shop is on site. more... mapMatheson Museum, The
513 East University Avenue • Gainesville, FL 32601
352-378-2280
Made up of four sites, this museum complex includes the Matheson Museum building, the circa 1867 Matheson House, the Tison Tool Museum, and Sweetwater Park. Housed in Gainesville's old American Legion Hall, the Matheson Museum offers permanent and temporary exhibitions regarding Alachua County's history. Open by appointment, the Matheson House is the second-oldest residence in Gainesville and is filled with period furniture and personal Matheson family possessions. The Tison Tool Museum, open by appointment only, houses the unique tool collection of Gainesville native John Mason Tison, Jr. Located directly behind the Museum, Sweetwater Park is an outdoor museum with "A Walk Through History," a 12-panel local history exhibition; native plant clusters, and a formal Southern garden. more... mapSamuel P. Harn Museum of Art
Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road • Gainesville, FL 32611-2700
Located at the University of Florida
352-392-9826
The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art's permanent collection included more than 6,000 original works, including paintings, sculptures, prints, ceramics, photographs and cultural objects from the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe and the South Pacific Islands. The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art also features a variety of changing exhibitions and a full range of educational programs. The Camellia Court Café is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and before select performances at the Phillips Center. more... map
Parks, Gardens & Zoos
Bivens Arm Nature Park
3650 South Main Street • Gainesville, FL 32608
352-334-2056
The 57-acre Bivens Arm Nature Park is filled with oak hammock and marsh and includes a one-mile nature trail with a 1,200 foot boardwalk, a wildlife sanctuary, picnic tables, and a pavilion. mapBoulware Springs Park and Historic Waterworks
3300-3500 Southeast 15th Street • Gainesville, FL 32601
352-334-2103
Three miles southeast of downtown Gainesville, Boulware Springs Park and Historic Waterworks features a spring run stream that runs through upland mixed forest, which can include hickory, live oak, sweet gum, and water chestnut oak. more... mapDog Wood Park
5505 Southwest Archer Road • Gainesville, FL 32608
352-335-1919
A private, off-leash dog park that features 15 completely fenced acres, huge doggie swimming ponds, trails, exercise equipment, benches, tables, and lots of giant shade trees. There is also luxury self- service dog bathing facilities, a pet photography studio, obedience and agility training classes, and a puppy kindergarten on site. more... mapKanapaha Botanical Gardens
4700 Southwest 58th Drive • Gainesville, FL 32608
352-372-4981
Developed and operated by the North Florida Botanical Society, the 62-acre Kanapaha Botanical Gardens consists of 14 major collections, the state's largest public display of bamboos, and the largest herb garden in the Southeast. Kanapaha is the host of the Annual Spring Garden Festival, the region's premier horticultural event; and the Annual Winter Bamboo Sale. more... mapMorningside Nature Center
3540 East University Avenue • Gainesville, FL 32608
Located 3 Miles East of Downtown Gainesville
352-334-2170 or 352-334-2231
A 278-acre Longleaf Pine preserve, the Morningside Nature Center is the base for environmental education and folk life programs. It includes a picnic area, informational kiosks and interpretive materials, a native herpetofauna display, seven miles of various length loop trails, a wildlife blind, Longleaf Pine ecosystem diorama, and a 10-acre living history farm which includes original historic buildings and live farm animals. more... mapPalm Point Park
7401 Lakeshore Drive • Gainesville, FLLocated Five Miles East of Downtown Gainesville
352-334-2170 or 352-334-2231
Palm Point is a 16.1-acre peninsula that extends from the western shore of Newnans Lake. Alligators, bald eagles, herons, egrets, and ibis are just some of the abundant wildlife which call Palm Point Park home. more...Poe Springs Park
28800 Northwest 182nd Avenue • High Springs, FL 32643
3.2 Miles West of High Springs on County Road 340
386-454-1992
Nestled along the beautiful Santa Fe River, this 197-acre park contains a variety of wildlife and features a hardwood swamp, concession building, boat ramp, nature trail, multi-purpose building, children's playground, and a picnic area with shelters. more... map
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