Daycation: Gainesville's Museum Scene

‘Colorful Collections & Tasty Treats’

Text & photos By Danielle Veenstra

Just a short drive to the north, Gainesville boasts a row of cultural offerings and some pretty tasty diversions, too.

Ocala’s neighbor to the north, Gainesville, boasts colorful collections, tasty treats, and a deep understanding of Florida’s history. Its museums are renowned for their unique exhibits that are free to the public. Its eateries are diverse, ranging from Asian and Hispanic to all-American foods. The city, known for its university full of Gators, sits surrounded by a natural swamp filled with the modern-day dinosaurs.

With everything there is to see and do, we’ve made it easy to schedule your next weekend day trip to Gainesville, starting with breakfast.

9:00am: Arrive at Peach Valley Café located at 3275 SW 34th Street and quickly put your name on their wait list. Because of the restaurant’s popularity, they do not take reservations and they usually have a wait time that ranges between 15 and 20 minutes.

Despite the constant line of people, the food is fresh, the tables are clean, and their homemade apple fritters are to die for. The friendly staff and the modern farmhouse décor create a bright atmosphere that starts the day off right. Suggested breakfast: the Very Berry Stuffed French Toast with a side of extra crispy bacon.

10:30 am: A five-minute car ride away, the Harn Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Natural History sit side by side, nestled on a large roundabout off Hull Road. On the weekend, parking around the museums is free.

Greeting visitors is an outside sculpture, “Big Max.” Weighing over 30,000 pounds, the steel beams bolted together are reminiscent of the lovingly nicknamed “French Fries” sculpture on the University of Florida’s main campus.

Adjacent to the huge red beams, the Harn Museum’s full glass-fronted entry doors span two stories. Filtered light fills the front hall as museum workers greet new visitors. A one-sheet scavenger hunt is an option for all, but can be especially fun for kids.

Flowing from the main hall, exhibit spaces smoothly transition from photographs to paintings to mixed media without feeling rushed or cramped. Art lines every wall in a thoughtful manner, and the focus on inclusive, international pieces makes it a great teaching space.

Currently, along with the Harn’s permanent collections, the exhibitions “Plant Life: Exploring Vegetal Worlds in the Harn Museum Collection,” “Shadow to Substance,” “Global Perspectives,” and “Tempus Fugit: : Time Flies” are on display until the beginning of next year.

The newest additions to the museum’s collection include a gift of 1,200 works of art from Samuel and Roberta Vickers. It is an extensive collection of Florida-themed art which includes depictions of coastlines, early settlers, historic landmarks, and even retirees.

As she stood by a painted Ocklawaha River scene, museum visitor Natalie van Hoose says, “You go to other museums and see huge cities like Paris and here you see the places you know. This is special for Floridians. It feels like a homecoming.”

The inaugural exhibit of these works, “Florida Legacy,” recently closed but a new exhibit, “Florida Impressions,” is set to open Tuesday, Sept. 21.

11:30 am: Next door to the Harn museum, a maze of curiosities and a habitat to the ancients, the Florida Natural History Museum stands. The permanent exhibits including “FloridaFossils,” “South Florida People and Environments,” and “Our Energy Future” are free to the public. The Butterfly Rainforest and some limited-time-only exhibits are an extra cost but are well worth it.

Like a spiderweb, the main floor of the building splits off into multiple directions that all circle back to the center. Choose between the skeleton jaw of the long-dead Megalodon shark and other sea creatures, the realistic wax figures of the Culsa Indians, or the Butterfly Rainforest.

One of the hallways leading away darkens and narrows like a cave. Soft lights travel around its walls up and up to hundreds of realistic fake butterflies leading into a wide-open gallery. Here the walls showcase real butterflies from all over the world. And behind it, a thriving living ecosystem waiting to be explored.

The Butterfly Rainforest boasts over 50 unique species of butterflies and moths at any given time. With a population of over 1,000, the lush, tropical space is filled with them along with fish, birds, and turtles. No animals or butterflies are to be touched unless they choose to interact with their guests.

The enclosure is screened, but the abundance of native plants and fresh water from the manmade waterfalls creates a thickened humidity. Hidden vents create air currents on which butterflies ride. Like an invisible highway, they drift from branch to flower to... an ear?

“They just chose me,” says Rian Ward, a bald-headed man with a butterfly attached to the side of his head. A group of children crowding him whispered, “Chosen one.” It was Ward’s first time at the Florida Museum, but the wonder and excitement he felt was a sentiment shared by all who entered the living, wild rainforest.

Back in the museum, a new exhibit named “Survival of the Slowest” features live animals that are slow, weak, and small. Interactive activities delve into how these animals have survived and what traits they use to thrive. The on-site animal keepers hold daily presentations of animals, like the two-toed sloth named Linnean, an African pygmy hedgehog, snakes, geckos, and more. This exhibit closes Sunday, Sept. 12.

Florida Nature exhibit at Harn Museum of Art

Both museums boast large collections that can soak up a lot of time. But don’t forget to take breaks, especially for lunch.

1:00pm: Since the pandemic, many restaurants have implemented curbside pickup, which is perfect for a lunchtime picnic at Gainesville’s famous brewhouse, Swamp Head Brewery.

What goes great with a good beer? Warm, hand-crafted tacos. Call Chuy’s, a tex-mex restaurant on Archer Road, and order their soft tacos—one chicken and one beef—for pickup. Meals always come with chips and their homemade salsa. (Careful, it’s spicy!)

If tacos don’t sound appealing, there are several restaurants to order from in the area or buy lunch from one of the rotating food trucks on-site at Swamp Head. All food is welcome at the brewery’s extensive outdoor seating area.

The large working brewery sits on top of a hill that sweeps into a lake. Two large verandas keep their visitors cool in the shade even on the hottest days. The brewery is very family- and dog-friendly and has enough lawn space to accommodate small gatherings.

Swamp Head has sustainable, award-winning beer on tap with a variety of seasonal flavors as well. Designated drivers can take a taste of Swamp Head’s beer home with them from the brewery’s drive-thru.

The museums are constantly changing their exhibits and putting on free in-person events, so keep an eye on their website the next time you want to take the short trip to Gainesville again.

And after a busy day experiencing the culture, art, and flavors Gainesville has to offer, the drive back to Ocala will seem fast!

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

If going out in public is not something you feel comfortable doing, the Harn Museum has an extensive virtual tour at harn.oncell. com and the Florida Museum has many resources on their main website floridamuseum.ufl.edu.