Things to Do in Gainesville and UF
A university city of museums, gardens, live music and tree-shaded neighborhoods.
See top-rated activities »About Gainesville
The University of Florida shapes nearly everything in Gainesville, from the traffic on game days to the number of coffee shops per block. The campus, with its red-brick collegiate buildings and Lake Alice at its western end, is worth a walk even if you have no connection to the school. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, known as The Swamp, sits in the middle of it, and on fall Saturdays the whole city turns orange and blue.
The university's cultural complex on Hull Road holds two of the best museums in the region. The Harn Museum of Art, free to visit, has a collection of more than 13,000 works with strong Asian, African and modern holdings, and stays open late on Thursday evenings. Next door, the Florida Museum of Natural History is home to the state's largest natural history collection and the Butterfly Rainforest, a screened garden full of live butterflies; its exhibit hall has been closed for an expansion and is scheduled to reopen in late November 2026, so check before you go. At dusk, walk over to the bat houses near Lake Alice, where hundreds of thousands of bats pour out to feed on summer evenings.
Downtown Gainesville is a few blocks of brick buildings, bars and restaurants around Bo Diddley Plaza, where free concerts and festivals happen through much of the year. The Hippodrome Theatre performs plays and screens films in a former federal building from 1911, and the Matheson History Museum tells the county's story. South of downtown, Depot Park turned an old rail yard into a park with ponds, playgrounds and trails, and the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention, named for the inventor of Gatorade, has hands-on exhibits for kids.
Two outdoor stops round out a visit. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, on the southwest side, has 68 acres of themed gardens and giant water lilies in summer, and Sweetwater Wetlands Park, south of downtown, is a constructed wetland with boardwalks that is excellent for birds and alligators. Santa Fe College runs a small accredited teaching zoo that opens to the public on a limited schedule.
Don’t Miss
The state's natural history museum and its Butterfly Rainforest. Its exhibit hall is closed for an expansion and scheduled to reopen in late November 2026.
A free university art museum with more than 13,000 works and late hours on Thursday evenings.
Hundreds of thousands of bats fly out at dusk from houses near Lake Alice, a free and memorable show on warm evenings.
Sixty-eight acres of themed gardens on a paved walk, known for giant Victoria water lilies in summer.
A hands-on museum of invention at Depot Park, named for the scientist behind Gatorade. Open Thursday through Sunday.
More than three miles of trails and boardwalks through a constructed wetland, excellent for wading birds and alligators.
A professional theater and art-house cinema in a columned 1911 former federal building downtown.
A free museum of Alachua County and Florida history near downtown, open Wednesday through Saturday.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in Gainesville
Tours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked October 27, 2026. Best of Alachua County may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Plan your time in Gainesville
Tell us when you are coming and what you enjoy. A travel specialist will put together hotel, activity and travel options for you — free, with no obligation.
Get free trip quotes »Gainesville — FAQ
When can you see the bats at Lake Alice?
The bats leave their houses at dusk every evening, and the flight is largest in the warmer months. Arrive about 20 minutes before sunset and stand upwind; the show lasts around 15 to 30 minutes.
Is the Florida Museum of Natural History open?
Its exhibit building has been closed for an expansion and is scheduled to reopen in late November 2026, with the Butterfly Rainforest expected back at the same time. Check the museum website before you visit.
What is there to do in Gainesville on a football weekend?
Expect full hotels, heavy traffic and a lively downtown. If you are not going to the game, visit the museums on Friday, avoid the campus area on game day and book restaurants ahead.
More of Alachua County
