Gainesville has its own charm with a historic downtown in walking distance from The Magnolia Plantation. Our Inn's central location also provides easy access to other surrounding historic towns. Enjoy a day trip to one of the many quaint towns surrounding Gainesville. These towns feature shops, antiques, restaurants, beautiful homes and historic sites. Enjoy fresh air and experiencing nature first hand? How about visiting places of historical significance? Gainesville has a lot to offer.
Pressed for time? There are a variety of ways to spend an enjoyable couple of hours in the Gainesville area. Click here to get some ideas about touring our area.
Culture
Enjoy a night at the theater, an evening of chamber music, a day trip to the art museum and more. Go to Visit Gainesville for an excellent guide to arts and leisure in the area.
The Hippodrome State Theater and Cinema — Ongoing Movies and Theater walking distance from the Inn. For a current listing go to thehipp.org
For University of Florida events, click here to view the University of Florida Events Calendar
Nature and Adventure
Dudley Farm Historic State Park
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this park demonstrates the evolution of Florida farming from the 1850s to the mid-1940s-through three generations of the Dudley family. An authentic working farm, the homestead consists of eighteen buildings, including the family farmhouse with original furnishings, an 1880s kitchen outbuilding, a general store and post office, and a functional cane syrup complex. Park staff in period clothing perform daily chores, raising crops, and tending to livestock. The farm features seasonal cane grindings, corn shucking, and heritage varieties of livestock and plants. Deer, wild turkeys, gopher tortoises, and bluebirds are still seen in the fields. www.floridastateparks.org/dudleyfarm or friendsofdudleyfarm.org
Butterfly Rainforest at the University of Florida
Come face-to-face with exotic, vibrant butterflies fluttering atop a lush tropical canvas of foliage and flowers as you experience the Butterfly Rainforest, at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The screened vivarium houses subtropical and tropical plants and trees to support 55 to 65 different species and hundreds of free-flying butterflies. Guests can stroll through the Butterfly Rainforest on a winding path and relax to the sounds of cascading waterfalls year-round. For more information visit. www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflies
Ichetucknee Springs State Park
The crystalline Ichetucknee River flows six miles through shaded hammocks and wetlands before it joins the Santa Fe River. In 1972, the head spring of the river was declared a National Natural Landmark by the U. S. Department of the Interior. From the end of May until early September, tubing down the river is the premier activity in the area. October through March scuba diving is available in the Blue Hole only. www.floridastateparks.org/ichetuckneesprings
