About Gainesville

Gainesville is a university community located in North Central Florida midway between the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The area is known for its natural beauty with its stately live oaks and many springs, lakes, and rivers. There are a number of parks in Gainesville and the surrounding area where residents and their families can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing, bicycling, camping, and other sports. The climate encourages outdoor activities throughout the year. Gainesville offers the excitement of a large city with the convenience of a small town. Culturally, the city is enriched by the influence of the University. The population of Gainesville is approximately 111,000 with a surrounding population of 220,000. The city offers a diverse cultural environment, excellent public schools, and a low cost of living, which makes Gainesville an attractive and affordable place to live. Gainesville was ranked #1 in the Top 10 College Towns: Great Cities for School & Life After Graduation by Livability.com.

 



Florida Travel: Explore Gainesville in 60 Seconds


Fun in Gainesville

Dance, Musical, and Theatrical Performance Venues

UF Performing Arts

The Curtis M Phillips Center for Performing Arts, Squitieri Studio Theatre, Upstage at the Phillips Center, The University Auditorium, and The Baughman Center hosts a variety of musical and theatrical events in these venues.

Phillips Center

University’s Florida Players

Florida Players is an exploratory student-run theatre company that provides diverse opportunities for artistic and professional growth through hands-on work in live theatre. We produce engaging works that challenge both our members and audiences. Members will collaborate on all aspects of live theatre, including but not limited to: direction, design, performance, playwriting, stage management, and leadership.

silo

Museums

Cade Museum

The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention, a museum in Gainesville, Florida, is committed to transforming communities by inspiring and equipping future inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.

Cade

The Florida Museum of Natural History

In 1891, The Florida Museum of Natural History (formerly known as the Florida State Museum) got its start when Frank Pickel, a professor of natural science at Florida Agricultural College in Lake City, purchased research collections of minerals, fossils, and human anatomy models as aids in teaching biology and agricultural sciences.

bones

The University Gallery

University Gallery is comprised of three art galleries that play an integral role in the teaching mission of the School of Art + Art History, College of the Arts at the University of Florida, as well as serving the entire UF and Gainesville community.

university gallery

Santa Fe College Art Galleries

Comprised of the Santa Fe College Gallery, the President’s Hall Gallery, the Student Life Gallery, and the Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall Gallery, support the college’s mission of adding value to the lives of our students and enriching our community by exhibiting quality artwork in gallery and public locations.

Santa Fe Gallery

Matheson History Museum

Located in the heart of downtown Gainesville, the Matheson History Museum is home to the 1867 Matheson House, permanent and temporary exhibits on Alachua County and Florida history, and a local history library and archives filled with resources for the researcher and the curious alike.

Matheson

Athletics and Outdoor Activities

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a stunning 68 acre facility located in Gainesville Florida. The gardens feature 24 major collections visually accessible from a 1 1/2 mile paved walkway. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is home to Florida’s largest public display of bamboos and the largest herb garden in the Southeast.

bamboo


Restaurants

Gainesville has many choices for the foodie in you. From locally owned to large chains.


Gainesville Festivals

 

Housing in Gainesville