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There are so many places to visit around Gainesville, Florida that make for the perfect days out. There is an endless array of parks, restaurants, galleries and the like that will help to keep you and the family busy on the weekends and will provide you with a wealth of knowledge about Gainesville’s cultural background. 

Are you looking for somewhere new to explore this holiday season? Then why not check out the Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, FL? 

If you are planning to check the museum out take a look at this article as it will let you in on everything you need to know about the museum before visiting including information on parking, entry, the different events and exhibits held at the museum and the extremely popular Butterfly Rainforest. Check it out!

An Overview Of The Museum Of Natural History

The Museum of Natural History is located at the University of Florida Cultural Plaza on 3215 Hull Road, Gainesville. The museum’s prime location makes it an easy place to visit using public transport or by car. 

The museum opening hours are from 10 am to 5 pm from Monday to Saturday and from 1 pm to 5 pm on Sundays. The weekend opening hours make this a great museum to visit outside of work hours or during school vacations with the family.

Parking At The Museum Of Natural History

Are you planning a trip down to the museum in the car? Then you can take advantage of the metered parking bays located around the museum. You will have to pay a small fee to park in the bays on weekdays but parking is free at weekends.

Entry To The Museum Of Natural History

Bearing in mind the fact that the museum closes every day at 5 pm, the last tickets to enter the museum are sold at 4.30 pm, to ensure that everyone will have a great chance to look around the grounds. But as a quick tip, make sure you arrive at the museum at least two hours before closing so that you can have a more in-depth look at everything on display.

General admission to the museum is free, but donations are happily accepted and will go towards continuing to make more exciting exhibits and the upkeep of the museum and its grounds. 

Featured exhibits, however, are charged such as entry to the Butterfly Rainforest. Prices vary depending on the visitor with discounts available for students, residents, and seniors. There are also some great deals to be grabbed if you are planning to visit more than one exhibit during your stay, so make sure you check out the Natural History Museum’s website for more information.

Events At The Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is well-known for holding very exciting events, with some more targeted at young adults and students, others at children and tots and some that are perfect for the whole family.

The museum is always planning interesting, new events, so make sure you check out their website for more information so that you can plan your visit accordingly. Some of their recurring and more popular events are:

Tot Trot – the perfect event for kids to get hands on when learning about history.

Science on tap – information covering a wide range of animals, ideal for all ages.

Ask a Scientist – learn the latest in science news and ask questions to the experts.

Exhibits At The Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum in Gainesville, FL has many exhibits that change frequently, so if you haven’t visited the museum recently, I recommend you do to check out what’s new!

The Butterfly Rainforest

Some of the exhibits, however, are permanent features at the museum such as the Butterfly Rainforest. The Butterfly Rainforest is a living exhibit where visitors are able to catch a glimpse of hundreds of different species of butterflies, some local to Florida and others from different corners of the globe. Every day, the exhibit holds a live butterfly spotlight, where you can get a closer look at the butterflies and learn more about them. 

There is more than just butterflies to see at the exhibit as you can take a walk along the paths and check out the waterfalls, and plants and flowers in bloom that make the Butterfly Rainforest a unique spot on the map of Gainesville.

Discovery Zone 

Another permanent feature at the museum is the Discovery Zone, a spectacular world for children to explore and learn more about plants, fossils, and insects.

Our Energy Future

Would you like some tips on how you can reduce your household electrical bills? Then check out the permanent feature Our Energy Future at the museum. It will provide you with all the latest energy saving ideas and ways we can individually help to conserve our planet’s future.

There is no better reason to drive down to Gainesville than to enjoy some of the cultural scenes the city has to offer. Gainesville, Florida has a superb array of museums, art galleries and cultural exhibitions that you will not want to miss out on. But one of the most interesting places in Gainesville that is often left undiscovered by many is the Harn Museum of Art.

If you love getting in touch with your creative side and letting your imaginative juices flow, then I am sure a trip to the Harn Museum will be right up your street.

Do you want to find out a little bit more about the Harn Museum of Art before you visit? Then you are in luck as this article will give you the inside scoop on the museum before you step through its doors. You will be able to find out more about its exhibits, location, night displays, the all-important cafe, and more! Stay tuned to get in the know!

The Harn Museum Overview

The Harn Museum of Art is a spacious 112,800 square foot museum located at the University of Florida. Its prime location makes the museum an easy place to find and visit, even with public transport! So make sure you hop on down to visit the museum as soon as possible!

The museum has a wide range of modern and contemporary art pieces including collections from across the globe. If you are looking to see information about current and past events displayed in striking pieces of artwork then the Harn Museum of Art is the place to be.

The Harn Museum Exhibitions

If you haven’t visited the Harn Museum recently then you have never visited the Harn Museum! Why can we say that? The museum frequently changes the exhibitions displayed amongst its eleven galleries so that there is something fresh for visitors to feast their eyes on every time they visit. You can visit the museum’s website to find out which art exhibitions are currently being displayed and what is coming up soon so that you can plan your visit accordingly.

One of the exhibitions you can always count on seeing at the Harn Museum is their traveling exhibitions, that concentrate on displaying artwork portraying life and current events around the world. If you fancy a trip across the world without leaving Gainesville, then I am sure this will be the exhibit for you.

The Harn Museum Tours

Are you ready to get a closer look at the artwork displayed in the Harn Museum? Then why not visit the site in time for one of their tours. The museum encourages visitors to book their tours three weeks in advance to secure a place (as tours can get quite busy especially during the vacation period). Tours are held from Tuesdays through Sundays, just make sure you check their website for more information on timings. 

What about a mobile tour? If you fancy taking the tour at your own speed, you can always follow the tour via the Harn Museum’s website.

The Harn Museum Nights

Do you like the idea of taking a look around the museum in a slightly different light? Then you are in luck as the Harn Museum opens up its doors between 6 pm and 9 pm on the second Thursday of every month. 

Why visit at night you ask? Refreshments are offered during this period and visitors are invited to join in on special activities and performances that are not held during the day. The night time opening hours is a great way for those with busy work schedules to have an opportunity to visit the museum out of hours.

The Harn Museum Cafe

And of course, one of the most important stop-offs during your visit to the Harn Museum will be having a bite to eat at the Camellia Court Cafe. The cafe is open from 11 am to 2 pm from Tuesday to Saturday.

At the cafe, you can choose from a wide selection of lunches, desserts, and drinks and enjoy them whilst taking in the relaxing sights of the immaculate Harn Museum gardens.

Harn Museum Gardens

If you are a fan of the great outdoors, then you will love the gorgeous gardens at the Harn Museum of Art. Not only are they well-kept and beautifully presented, but the gardens are also arrayed with modern and contemporary art figures so that you can take a look at the art from wherever you are in the museum.

If you love the peaceful sound of trickling water, then make sure you head straight over to the Asian Water Garden and snap a photo or two along the footbridge. You should also check out the Asian Rock Garden and the Irving J. Goffman garden to name a few.