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!
Table of Contents
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.
Leave a Reply