Things to do in Gainesville, FL

Among Florida's top travel destinations, Gainesville is one of the cultural hubs of the state, thriving from all of the academic vigor and excitement that the college students at the University of Florida provide. This well-regarded public school, lair of the Fighting Gators, not only imparts a youthful vitality to the city of approximately 115,000, but it's also the county's largest employer. Because the city is so beautiful, set amid pine forests, wetlands and farms, many people offering Gainesville travel advice will suggest driving through the winding roads of the town and enjoying the breathtaking, panoramic views. It will undoubtedly leave you breathless. Other amazing Florida attractions include the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Hippodrome State Theatre. Each of these popular Gainesville travel destinations provide an intriguing counterpoint to beautiful natural locales like Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and Paynes Prairie State Preserve. If shopping is on your Gainesville travel agenda, expansive Butler Plaza promises practically anything you could need, while downtown Gainesville is rife with animated college bars and...  Read more »

Among Florida's top travel destinations, Gainesville is one of the cultural hubs of the state, thriving from all of the academic vigor and excitement that the college students at the University of Florida provide. This well-regarded public school, lair of the Fighting Gators, not only imparts a youthful vitality to the city of approximately 115,000, but it's also the county's largest employer. Because the city is so beautiful, set amid pine forests, wetlands and farms, many people offering Gainesville travel advice will suggest driving through the winding roads of the town and enjoying the breathtaking, panoramic views. It will undoubtedly leave you breathless. Other amazing Florida attractions include the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Hippodrome State Theatre. Each of these popular Gainesville travel destinations provide an intriguing counterpoint to beautiful natural locales like Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and Paynes Prairie State Preserve. If shopping is on your Gainesville travel agenda, expansive Butler Plaza promises practically anything you could need, while downtown Gainesville is rife with animated college bars and terrific restaurants to fit any budget. In addition, Gainesville sightseers love spending a day driving out to Cross Creek and visiting Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Site. These destinations deserve a spot in every Gainesville city guide. While there, visitors can dine on authentic Floridian "Cracker" fare at The Yearling Restaurant, which pays tribute to Rawling's moving, elegiac novel. Because Gainesville is a favorite among Florida travel destinations, it's no surprise that it offers a plethora of activities, attractions, restaurants, malls and nightlife to entertain and delight every visitor.