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Once named the best place to live in America by Money Magazine, Gainsville is a pleasant small town. It is
the home of the University of Florida, the oldest
university in the state. The Union Street Historic
Downtown District brings you back to the past. The
boutiques, restaurants and cafes that have recently
opened in restored houses look out on brick sidewalks
and have a sense of combining the past with the
present. Here are some more places you should visit
while in Gainesville.
Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art: Located on the Southwest
side of the University, it's housed in a post modern
building. The extensive collection includes 20th
Century American art and Asian and African tribal arts
and crafts. In addition, the museum often hosts
several traveling exhibitions each year.
Florida Museum of Natural History: Just next door to
Samuel P. Harn, this museum is a work in progress. A
major change was made in 1998 when some 19 million
specimens were moved to this new location. In the
Central Gallery, you can see the breadth of the
collection. There is a re-creation of Columbus' ship,
the Nina, a dinosaur skull and a 17 foot skeleton of a
mammoth dating back 18,000 years. Three other
permanent galleries look at distinct parts of the
state. Northwest Florida portrays the biological
diversity of the Panhandle. The South Florida hall
focuses on the present day and historical Indian
tribes. Windows into Natural History is the final
gallery... it opens its doors in 2001. Beside these
permanent galleries, there is a hall dedicated to
changing exhibits as well.
Devil's Millhopper: It's the oldest sinkhole in the
state. Why do you care? There are sinkholes all over
Florida. As water dissolves, the limestone bedrock, a
network of cavities form which creates underground
rivers. Because of sinkholes, houses have disappeared.
Even a lab at the University of Gainsville was lost
because of a sinkhole. There are as many as 4,000
sinkholes that are formed each year. You can actually
walk down into the Devil's sinkhole on 232 steps. It
goes down 120 feet. The change in elevation makes a
difference. The farther down you get, the cooler and
mustier it smells. A 6.3 acre park surrounds the
sinkhole.
Paynes Prarie State Preserve: This may not look like
much at first, but after heading out of the parking
lot, you start to see how this place is very secluded.
You can climb the 40 foot observation town and see
alligators, wild hares, bison and wild horses below
while watching buzzards soar above you. There are
ranger lead tours of the facility, but as a visitor
you can also hike, cycle, fish, go boating and go
horseback riding through the grounds.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historical Site:
Located about 20 miles southeast of Gainsville in
Cross Creek, this site is dedicated to the author of
the novel "The Yearling." Rawlings moved to the house
that you can now tour in 1928 to write this great
American novel. The house is on 68 acres and is a
memorial to Rawlings. Only small groups are taken
through the small single story house so you may have
to wait in line. You also can learn more about her
books. Of the nine written, eight were about Florida.
But one of the most popular was her cookbook. You can
check out some of her recipes while on the tour.
Enjoy your time in Gainsville and the surrounding
areas. While you get a chance to see nature and
history, you will not only learn something but
probably also have a relaxing trip around Northern
Florida.
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