Take a tour to Gainesville and explore various freshwater springs, state parks, more than 100 miles of trails, and outdoor destinations ideal for kids, groups, and families.
Visit the captivating Museum of Natural History of Florida, Cade Museum, and access the best outdoor activities. Devil's Millhopper State Park, Ichetucknee Springs State Park, and Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park are some of the best places to take a tour. Start planning your next trip to Gainesville and enjoy the best of Alachua County.
Top Tours and Activities in Gainesville:
Freshwater Springs
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
Take a walk through this beautiful park, which is home to a lot of wildlife and protects the headspring of the Ichetucknee River. You can explore the waterway with a kayak or a canoe or by snorkeling and scuba diving. Enjoy outdoor activities like wildlife watching, swimming, and hiking during the summer.
Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park
This park has a collection of natural springs with scenic vistas and is an excellent place for photography. Paddling, snorkeling, and swimming are popular activities at the park.
Spring Garden Festival
The Spring Garden Festival is an annual celebration and Gainesville's premier horticultural event held at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. It features about 125 booths offering plants, garden accessories, arts and crafts, educational exhibits, and landscape displays through March 19 –20, 2022. There are children's activity areas, live entertainment, and live auctions to entertain visitors.
Outdoor Activities/ Tours
The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention
This museum is a popular spot that tourists want to visit because of its weekly field trips involving exciting activities, like building a robot from scratch and so much more! Check out the upcoming Summer Camp lessons.
Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation
Looking to spot exotic animals in Gainesville? The Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation is home to an extraordinary range of rescued animals. Take an educational tour with your kids or with other groups.
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park
Discover an unexpected rainforest within this remarkable geological wonderland, attracting visitors since the 1880s. It is one of the unique places in Florida, set in a sinkhole for more than a hundred years. You can hike around the area and discover marine shells and fossilized remains of extinct land animals.
University of Florida Bat House
This popular attraction is home to numerous bat species where you can see bats take flight at twilight. If you want to watch bats at night, take a guided educational tour to the nearby Lubee Bat Conversancy.
University of Florida, Gainesville
The Parent's Weekend at UF is back and more exciting than ever. Celebrate your Gator Family with a fun weekend in Gainesville and find out more about the upcoming activities in the Spring.
Butterfly Rainforest
This beautiful landmark is a 6,400-square-foot screened exhibit that features hundreds of free-flying butterflies (50 species at any given time), birds from all over the world, and an assortment of other animals like turtles and fish. It is a natural environment, ideal for butterflies and plants.
Other places to tour are Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Paynes Prairie, Historic Walking Tour of Main Street, and the Florida Museum of Natural History. Take a chance to watch the Gators play golf, one of the best things to do if you plan to visit Gainesville, Florida, in the Spring. Hotel ELEO puts you near some of Gainesville's best tours and activities. Book your stay with our specials and enjoy the best offers in Florida.
