Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

As the official natural history museum of Florida, the Florida Museum of Natural History was chartered in 1917 by the Florida Legislature.

The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art occupies 112,800 square feet of space, making it one of the largest university art museums in the South.

The Florida State Collection of Arthropods, is an important asset for entomologists and other members of the scientific community. It contains specimens of arthropods from all over the state of Florida, making it a valuable resource to study their diversity, ecology and distributions. The entomology collection includes important information on species identification and taxonomy as well as a wide range of fully accessibly archived data.

UF Bat Houses, serves as a haven for over 400 bats from 13 different species. Established by the University of Florida in the summer of 1991 and supported by volunteers, the site is now a successful example of conservation. A nightly monitoring program is responsible for data collection such as birth rates, death rates and population size. UF Bat Houses work to protect and conserve these species for generations to come by providing shelter, food and resources along with professional research.

On the University of Florida campus, there is a small lake called Lake Alice. Gainesville's lake is a wildlife area and one of the few places in the city where one can see live alligators.

Wilmot Gardens is a perfect place for visitors to relax and appreciate nature. Situated on the banks of the Santa Fe River, the lush grounds of Wilmot Gardens boast a variety of native trees and plants, including magnolias, camellias, azaleas, and dogwoods. This peaceful spot offers the opportunity to observe wild animals like whitetail deer, turkeys, and birds in their natural habitats. Stroll along walking trails or take a guided canoe tour along the river to appreciate its unique beauty.