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Alachua County, FLSynced 6 hours ago
Things to Do · Alachua County, FL

Things to do in Gainesville, FL

The springs, museums, gardens and nature preserves worth your time in Gainesville and Alachua County, each with the hours, the admission and the seasonal status that actually change, kept fresh the same way our events calendar is.

13 places · Last updated 2026-09-03 · 03:39 EDT

Springs & Nature

Gainesville

Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park

From $48:00 AM to sundown, daily, year-round

A 120-foot-deep sinkhole with a boardwalk staircase to the bottom, where small waterfalls trickle down the walls and the air turns cool and green as you descend. One of Gainesville's oldest natural landmarks.

Gainesville

Morningside Nature Center

Free7:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily from March 15 to September 30; 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily from October 1 to March 14

A 416-acre city nature park with more than six miles of trails through sandhill, flatwoods and cypress domes, and one of the last stands of fire-dependent longleaf pine woodland left in the area. A ten-acre Living History Farm on the grounds interprets daily life on an 1870 Florida farm. Free to visit, and dogs are not allowed anywhere in the park.

In season now: Living History Saturdays
Micanopy (Gainesville area)

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

From $68:00 AM to sundown, daily, year-round

A 21,000-acre savanna where wild bison, cracker horses and hundreds of bird species range across open prairie. Climb the observation tower near the visitor center or walk the La Chua Trail boardwalk out over alligator marsh.

Gainesville

San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park

From $48:00 AM to sunset, daily

More than 7,000 acres of old hardwood hammock, sandhills and karst sinkholes spread between Gainesville and Alachua. Hikers park on Millhopper Road; off-road cyclists and horse riders use a separate trailhead off San Felasco Parkway. The preserve is a designated Important Bird Area, and spring and fall are the seasons to walk it.

In season now: Fall migration
Gainesville

Sweetwater Wetlands Park

From $57:00 AM to sunset, daily

125 acres of constructed wetlands and ponds threaded with gravel trails and boardwalks, and one of the best places in North Florida to see alligators, wading birds and the occasional bison wandering in from Paynes Prairie next door.

Gainesville

UF Bat Houses

FreeBest viewing is 15 to 20 minutes after sunset, nightly, weather permitting

The world's largest occupied bat houses. Around sunset, hundreds of thousands of bats stream out over Lake Alice in a single ribbon, one of Gainesville's most distinctive free spectacles. Bring a folding chair and get there before dark.

In season now: Best emergences

Museums & Art

Gainesville

Florida Museum of Natural History

Temporarily closed

Florida's official state museum of natural history, home to the Butterfly Rainforest and fossil, shark and habitat exhibits on the UF campus. The main exhibit halls are closed for a major expansion and are expected to reopen in fall 2026.

Gainesville

Harn Museum of Art

Free10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

The University of Florida's art museum, with collections spanning Asian, African, modern and contemporary art plus a dedicated photography wing and a garden courtyard. Admission is always free.

Science & Family

Gainesville

Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention

From $15Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed Monday to Wednesday)

A hands-on science and invention museum beside Depot Park, built around the story of Gatorade co-inventor Dr. Robert Cade. Rotating exhibits, a maker lab and a sweat-to-sports-drink origin tale aimed squarely at curious kids.

Gainesville

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo

From $109:00 AM to 3:00 PM daily, with last entry at 2:30 PM

A ten-acre zoo on Santa Fe College's northwest campus, home to more than 70 species and worked day to day by about 100 students in the college's Zoo Animal Technology program. It is the only zoo on a college campus accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. A quarter-mile mulched trail loops the exhibits and is stroller and wheelchair accessible.

History

Gainesville

Matheson History Museum

FreeWednesday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Alachua County's history museum, with rotating exhibits on Gainesville's past, a research library, and one of the oldest houses in the city on its grounds. Free to visit.

Parks & Gardens

Gainesville

Depot Park

Free7:00 AM to sunset daily; the splash pad runs year-round when it is above 70 degrees

A restored rail yard turned 32-acre city park with a splash pad, a big playground, boardwalks over a restored pond, and the Cade Museum on site. The green heart of downtown Gainesville, free to enter.

Gainesville

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

From $129:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day except Thursday, with last entry at 4:15 PM

A 68-acre nonprofit botanical garden off Archer Road just west of Interstate 75, with 24 major collections strung along a mile and a half of paved walkway. Its most colorful months are July through September, and dogs on non-retractable leashes are welcome on days without a special event.

In season now: Peak color

Planning a weekend?

Pair an afternoon at one of these with what is happening in Gainesville this weekend. Each attraction page shows the events nearby.

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