Nature & Wildlife Areas • Gardens
Admission tickets from CA$19.28
Top Things to Do in Gainesville, FL - Gainesville Attractions
Things to Do in Gainesville
Book these experiences for a close-up look at Gainesville.
Top Attractions in Gainesville
Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Speciality Museums • Science Museums
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What travellers are saying
- Michael MChandler, AZ10 contributionsWent here for a charity dinner and everything was wonderful. Definitely recommend this as a visit for educational opportunities!Written March 13, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Bridget HTampa, FL162 contributionsI love learning about Florida history so seeing fossils that were found here was amazing (rhinos?!). I am looking forward to visiting again.Written April 9, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Katalin NJackson, WI12 contributionsNice Stopped in one of your favorites Nice walk big plant sale in the late fall. Going to buy bamboo from them. Have a low spot with water this will fix it. People are very friendly.Written May 9, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Brianna D4 contributionsMy boyfriend and I were visiting FL from New York, and Carson Springs Wildlife was #1 on my list of places to visit while we were down here and let me tell you, they did not disappoint. We can't stop telling everyone about our visit here, will probably be one of the best and most memorable experiences in our life. I'll start out by saying how well kept the grounds are, and how cared for and loved these animals are by Barry, his wife and the whole team at Carson Springs. Everyone is so beyond knowledgable, caring and sweet. We started out the morning by getting to hold and play with a 1 1/2 month old clouded leopard named Tosh, she was only about 5 lbs and the sweetest thing. Then we went on a 2 hour tour, and got to see so many beautiful animals up close, feed a rhino and watch Barry interact with his animals. THEN we ended the tour with a very special interaction with baby Jess a hyena, whom we got to play with and be up close with. It was so crazy and cool! We can't wait to come back and visit. HIGHLY recommend!!Written May 15, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Tricia A6 contributionsWe have been here many times and enjoy the trails and wildlife viewing. Obviously, there are gators and more obviously, you should not feed them and give them plenty of space.Written February 28, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- MarkCheshire, CT222 contributionsWould I travel far for it? Probably not. But a very cool experience if you happen to be in town.
Get there just before dusk. Lasts less than 10 minutesWritten June 22, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - medgirl74Jacksonville, FL68 contributionsI couldn't stop smiling!! I absolutely loved see all the plants and wildlife in this beautiful natural looking setting.. I can't believe that this is a man-made area created to treat ground water naturally on it's way to the Alachua Sink!
The paths are extremely well maintained and easy to walk on. The bridges and piers are in great shape and give everyone the ability to see the abundance of wildlife that call SWW home. My husband I loved every second we spent in this park.Written November 1, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - reise3908 contributionsWe went on a guided walking tour of the campus, which, of course, included a stop in The Swamp. It's a sprawling campus & is normally bustling with students and their Vespas, but it was pretty quiet on our summer morning tour. I was impressed to learn that UF is now ranked as the No. 6 public university in the country. Parking on campus can be a hassle, but with the tour we parked in the parking garage at the Welcome Center (located in the J. Wayne Reitz Union). We paid a $6.00 charge for all-day parking.Written July 4, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Sean C1 contributionSome people really aren’t that intelligent. YES there are one or two waterfalls here, don’t expect a waterfall like ones you see in tennessee or North Carolina, it is florida for crying out loud. And like the majority of waterfalls in the world, they require rainwater to be seen. Kind of a no brainer. So go after a thunderstorm. UNFORTUNATELY due to a hurricane a couple years back the access to the bottom of the sinkhole is closed. Yea they are taking their sweet time fixing it but oh well. Trail is usually longer but they closed off another section due to the bridge on the trail being labeled as unsafe. Give them some time and I’m sure things will be repaired in the near future. If you want to complain, maybe try to volunteer to give these rangers a hand fixing some of the issues here(if they allow it). Just my 2 cents here.Written August 12, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- czbrownFrederick, MD130 contributionsThis was a great place to visit just for a few hours. Staff was friendly and the animals were very well taken care of! We enjoyed watching all the animals especially those who were interacting with the staff. Would definitely visit again.Written June 25, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- carriec2 contributionsSomeone told us that we should check out Depot Park in Gainesville as we were looking for something to do. What a cool place. We had some cocktails at an old railroad station and watched folks walk and do yoga around a little lake while we enjoyed some pizza from a little food truck called Humble I think. Great outdoor activity in the area! Oh and if you have kids there is a cool playground with water features too.Written May 15, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- chris iKeystone Heights, FL13 contributionsApril 18 2021
Took people from out of town to hopefully see lots of alligators on the trail and we weren’t disappointed. The trail has been opened up after an extended closure and you are able to walk quite a ways next to lots of alligators sleeping on the banks. Quite a few huge to baby alligators were visible near the water. We enjoyed our visit to La Chief Trail.Written April 18, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - Reese HWest Palm Beach, FL1 contributionThe Ben Hill Griffin Stadium offers a great time for families and friends. They have a large selection of food and drinks for reasonable prices. The energy in the stadium during a game is electric as the fans chant and sing songs that have been sung for generations. I highly recommend you visit for a game in the Swamp.Written September 8, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Tricia A6 contributionsWe have been to the Harn many times and are always impressed with the exhibits. The staff is very helpful as well!Written February 28, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- StarviageraThe Villages, FL1,730 contributionsNice day out with the girls. Not impressive, but nice and tranquil. Many things are not as pretty as the pictures. Don’t forget to buy some food for the Koi. Some are very pretty. Easy walk and if you go early nice birds.Written April 27, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gainesville
- The top attractions to visit in Gainesville are:
- Butterfly Rainforest
- Florida Museum of Natural History
- Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
- Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation
- Paynes Prairie
- The best outdoor activities in Gainesville according to Tripadvisor travellers are:
- Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation
- Butterfly Rainforest
- Sweetwater Wetlands Park
- Paynes Prairie
- University of Florida Bat House
- The most popular things to do in Gainesville with children according to Tripadvisor travellers are:
- Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation
- Butterfly Rainforest
- Sweetwater Wetlands Park
- Florida Museum of Natural History
- University of Florida