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Gainesville is a leafy university city in north central Florida, about halfway between Jacksonville and Orlando and far from the coast. It was founded in 1854 as the seat of Alachua County when the new Florida Railroad was being planned, and named for General Edmund Gaines. In 1906 the state chose the town as the home of the University of Florida, and the campus and the city have grown together ever since, giving Gainesville the mix of brick halls, oak-shaded neighborhoods and young energy it is known for today.
With around 145,000 residents and more than 50,000 students, Gainesville feels like a classic college town. Century Tower and its carillon rise over the UF campus, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, nicknamed The Swamp, fills with Gator fans on fall Saturdays, and the downtown area around the Hippodrome theater and Bo Diddley Plaza has a busy mix of restaurants, breweries and live music. The city also has deep musical roots and is the hometown of Tom Petty.
What surprises many visitors is how much wild Florida lies within easy reach. Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, just south of town, has bison, wild horses and hundreds of alligators, Sweetwater Wetlands Park is one of the best birding spots in the state, and Devil's Millhopper is a 120-foot sinkhole filled with ferns and trickling waterfalls. The Harn Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Natural History, with its living Butterfly Rainforest, sit side by side on campus, Depot Park has turned an old rail yard into a lively green space, and dozens of crystal-clear springs for swimming and tubing are less than an hour away.
The University of Florida campus has a historic core of Collegiate Gothic brick buildings, Century Tower with its carillon, and green spaces like the Plaza of the Americas. Visitors can walk through the historic district and visit museums and gardens. Use the visitor parking garages, as most lots require permits.
Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus is home to alligators, turtles and wading birds. Nearby, the UF Bat Houses shelter hundreds of thousands of bats that fly out at dusk in a dramatic stream. Arrive about 20 minutes before sunset on a warm evening, and park in the nearby lot on Museum Road.
The Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus has exhibits on Florida fossils, Native peoples and ecosystems, plus the Butterfly Rainforest, a large screened enclosure with hundreds of live butterflies. General admission is free, with a fee for the butterfly exhibit. Allow two hours or more.
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida has collections of Asian, African, modern and contemporary art and photography, plus Asian gardens with ponds outside. Admission is free. It sits beside the natural history museum, so you can see both in one visit, and parking is in the shared lot.
The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention is a hands-on museum next to Depot Park, named for Dr. Robert Cade, who led the team that invented Gatorade at the University of Florida. Exhibits on science, energy and inventing suit kids and adults. Allow about two hours, and combine it with the park.
The Hippodrome Theatre is a professional theater in downtown Gainesville, housed in a grand 1911 Neoclassical former federal building and post office with tall columns. It stages plays, holiday shows and independent films in its cinema. Check the schedule, and dine at downtown restaurants nearby before a show.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a vast savanna just south of Gainesville where wild horses, bison, alligators and sandhill cranes roam. The La Chua Trail and an observation tower offer views of wildlife. Start at the visitor center, and keep a safe distance from alligators and bison.
Sweetwater Wetlands Park is a constructed wetland on the south edge of Gainesville, built to clean water before it reaches Paynes Prairie. Boardwalks and trails pass alligators, wading birds and ducks, making it one of the best birding spots in the area. Pay the small fee, and come early in the morning.
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park protects a large sinkhole about 120 feet deep, with a wooden staircase of more than 200 steps leading down past small waterfalls and lush ferns to the bottom. It feels like a mini rainforest. The climb back up is steep, so take your time, and pay the small entrance fee.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens covers about 68 acres in southwest Gainesville, with the largest public bamboo collection in Florida, a herb garden, hummingbird and butterfly gardens and giant Victoria water lilies in summer. Paths circle a lake. Allow one to two hours, and check for closed days during the week.
Depot Park is a downtown Gainesville park built around a restored railroad depot, with a large playground, splash pads, ponds, walking paths and a café. It hosts concerts and events and connects to the city rail trails. It is a great family stop, and the Cade Museum is right next door for a combined visit.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, nicknamed The Swamp, is the home of Florida Gators football and one of the loudest stadiums in college sports, seating about 88,000. Game days bring huge tailgates across campus. Buy tickets early, wear orange and blue, and expect heavy traffic and parking restrictions.
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