Home to both “real” gators and the University of Florida’s “Fightin’ Gators,” Gainesville is where nature and culture meet. Alligators, bison and wild horses freely roam the 22,000 acres of Paynes Prairie State Park, a National Landmark which has lots of walking trails and platforms that provide fantastic views of the prairie and the 100 - 270 bird species that regularly visit here. And then there are the museums. The Florida Museum of Natural History hosts fascinating exhibits about Florida and also features a Butterfly Rainforest with hundreds of free-flying butterflies and birds from around the world.
Just next door is the Harn Museum of Art - one of the country’s largest university owned art museums. The Harn’s impressive collection totals more than 10,000 objects including an extensive collection of Asian Art, as well as modern and contemporary art, photography and more.
For foodies, Gainesville’s vibrant downtown delivers a plethora of excellent local restaurants that range from sushi to steak to everything in between. After dark, lively nightclubs and a professional theater keep things even more interesting.