Hidden Gems Places To Visit in Gainesville, Florida, United States
- 5.0 Depot Park (92 reviews)
-Exploring
Saturday: 7:00 AM - 11:30 PM Spent 1-2 hours Parks
Depot Park is a signature city park in downtown Gainesville providing a space for unique public outdoor enjoyment. Depot features a children's adventure play area with a custom splash pad of waterfalls, water soakers, and ground jets. A water's edge promenade hosts special events like food truck rallies, art festivals, and musical performances. The park is fully staffed and free of charge. See more..
- 5.0 Lubee Bat Conservancy (38 reviews)
-Unique and Awesome
Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to saving bats and their habitats through research, conservation, and education, with a focus on children and community engagement. We are open for Private Tours that are scheduled online If you plan to visit, we suggest scheduling ASAP. We are scheduling 6 months out! See more..
- 5.0 A Nan Buddhist Statue Park (22 reviews)
-Serene Ambiance
Saturday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Parks
This is an excellent place for anyone who may want to do meditation or just get away to spend some "me" time. Such majestic statues and all of them had smiling faces....beauties to behold. So serene, so peaceful and quiet; on the whole a must visit place. Apparently, they run meditation classes on Fridays as well as have prayers every Sunday morning. Will definitely go there again the next time I visit Gainsville. See more..
- 5.0 Alachua County Visitors & Convention Bureau (22 reviews)
-More here than meets the eye
Saturday: Spent < 1 hour Visitor Centers
VisitGainesville is the official tourism sales and marketing organization for Gainesville and Alachua County. VisitGainesville is ready to assist you in planning your vacation or your meeting. From your initial inquiry to dining and entertainment recommendations to the ride home, our experienced and professional staff is your guide to the community. Gainesville is the proud home of the University of Florida. And for some people, that's the beginning and end of the story. But a few minutes spent on this site, followed hopefully by a visit sometime in the near future, and the story changes in a big way. Gainesville isn't just a great college town. It's a great town. Period. It's where nature and culture meet. Where trees draped in Spanish moss line quaint Old South inspired streets. Where a cozy quintessential downtown exudes hospitality, comfort, and at times, a certain refined ease in its shops and restaurants. Where state parks are a virtual playground of world-class natural attractions, sinkholes, waterways and waterfalls, shady pine forests, flora and fauna, and amazing NATURAL North Florida sunsets. And where the surrounding towns like High Springs, Alachua, Cross Creek and Micanopy dial-up the charm even further each in their own individual way. Looking for iconic locations in Gainesville to take photos? We've got you covered. So, welcome to Gainesville. It's a little of what you might expect, and a lot of what you wouldn't. Whether you're staying for a day, week, weekend or longer, we look forward to helping you create your own unforgettable story. One we hope you'll tell again and again. See more..
- 4.5 Stephen C. O'Connell Center (73 reviews)
-UF Volleyball is so much fun!
Arenas & Stadiums
The Stephen C. O'Connell Center, also known as the O'Dome, is an 11,000-plus-seat multi-purpose arena located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility is located on the northern side of the university's campus, and has been home to many concerts and sporting events since it's opening in 1980. The arena plays host to seven University of Florida Athletic Teams. See more..
- 4.5 Thomas Center (67 reviews)
-Our Wedding at the Thomas Center
Saturday: Historic Sites
Enjoy a delightful and free of charge visit to The Historic Thomas Center. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building is a beautifully restored Mediterranean Revival-style hotel. Stroll through the lovely gardens and view the art in one of our two galleries. You can experience the past through the 1920's period rooms and local history exhibits. Listen to the interesting history of the property and the Thomas Family with a free cell phone tour. FREE OF CHARGE/FREE PARKING/HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE See more..
- 4.5 Kanapaha Park (52 reviews)
-Veterans Park is a must visit site
Parks
The war memorial is remarkable in it portrayal of the lives lost in each conflict. Its a great place for events and for individual visits. See more..
- 4.5 Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail (50 reviews)
-AMAZING bike trail!
Biking Trails • Hiking Trails
What a beautiful and peaceful ride! Follows an old railroad line. About 60% of the trail is tree lined and canopied. An abundance of wildlife and tranquility to be enjoyed by anyone including kids. Great family outing. See more..
- 4.5 Historic Haile Homestead (49 reviews)
-Great Tour; Interesting Historical Site!
Speciality Museums
In 1854 the Haile family, from South Carolina, established a 1500 acre Sea Island cotton plantation. The 6,200 sq ft home was the site of house parties attended by Gainesville’s finest citizens. The Hailes had an unusual habit of writing on the walls. See the "Talking Walls," over 12,500 words written by family and friends in every room. Exhibit on the enslaved builders. On National Register. See more..
- 4.5 Gainsville Raceway (46 reviews)
-Tried to attend the Gatornationals
Auto Racing Tracks
Was my first time at this facility, what a nice track. Sadly after we got here Wednesday morning for the 51st Gatornationals, the Governor of Florida cancelled the event because of the corona virus. Even though we were a bit disappointed we understood,better safe than sorry. Looking forward to next year See more..
- 4.5 Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention (29 reviews)
-Hands-on fun for the whole family
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • Science Museums
The Cade Museum's exhibits, educational programs, and Creativity Labs encourage learners of all ages to think like an inventor, meet an inventor, and be an inventor. And we celebrate the entrepreneurs who turn these ideas into practical realities. See more..
- 4.5 Bluefield Estate Winery (27 reviews)
-Loved the wine tasting!
Saturday: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wineries & Vineyards
We are a small family owned winery/vineyard just east of Gainesville. We grown blueberries and muscadine grapes that we use in our wine production. We also open a u-pick of our crops during certain times of the year. Please be advised that while our address states 234, one must actually turn off of 234 onto NE 1st place to gain access to the property. We do not have any roadway frontage at this time. There is a mailbox at NE 1st place that states "winery" on it to mark the turn. We look forward to obtaining better signage and are currently working with the county to obtain the same. We hope to see you at the winery. See more..
What's a Hidden gem?
We call places hidden gems that are new, extremely good, but are not that popular yet - you should check them out. The criteria is to have a rating of 4.5 or more and more than 20 reviews and less than 100 reviews.
