Recreation

The University of Florida campus has the Florida Museum of Natural History, and The Harn Museum of Art. On campus wildlife watching includes alligators visible on warm days at Lake Alice, and bats flying out at dusk from the nearby Bat House.

Here are some of the other attractions in the greater Gainesville area that may be of interest to you or your family. The area offers a variety of parks, hour trips, and day trips. Many consider Ichetucknee Springs State Park a local treasure. Paul Erdos particularly enjoyed descending the stairs into the sinkhole at the Devil's Millhopper at 4732 N.W. 53rd Ave., Gainesville. The best place to see alligators is at the Alachua Sink. It is overlook 2 on the Gainesville -- Hawthorne Trail which begins at Boulware Springs Park (3300 SE 15th Street). Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm, one can drive closer to the overlook by going to the District 2 Headquarters Office whose driveway starts near the Boulware Springs Park. (Parking is limited there, and cars have been towed that were there outside the 8am to 5pm timeframe.)

St. Augustine is a short drive to the East coast. It is the oldest continuously occupied European and African American settlement in the United States, located south of Jacksonville. A day trip to the west coast of Florida might combine a walk at Manatee Springs State Park with a meal at one of the restaurants in Cedar Key, which is on the Gulf of Mexico about 60 miles west of Gainesville. Captive manatees can be seen at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, 75 miles north of Tampa on U.S. 19. If you fly into Tampa, consider the Museum of Science and Industry MOSI, with its butterfly garden and many hands on activities. If you fly into Orlando, consider a visit to the Kennedy Space Center. And of course the Mouse, et al are in Orlando, about two hours south of Gainesville.