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About Gainesville
The surrounding area offers a wide array of activities including nature, museums and historic cities.

General Information Local News

Shopping & Restaurants

  • The Oaks Mall - A major attraction is the recently renovated 1 million square foot Oaks Mall, an enclosed shopping facility with five anchoring department stores and 150 other shops, boutiques, and services.
  • Butler Plaza - The Butler Plaza Power Center is located in the heart of the explosive southwest area of Gainesville. Butler Plaza is not only the largest power center in Florida but is also the largest in the Southeast.
  • Union Street Station - Consists of retail and restaurant space including sidewalk cafes, nightspots and shops while the upper levels contain well appointed office spaces and condominiums.
  • Local Restaurants - complete listing of local restuarants with the online phonebook, separated by restaurant-type as well (i.e. italian, mexican, chinese, etc.)
  • City of High Springs - Just 15 minutes from Gainesville is the cute town of High Springs. This small town has many specialty stores, outdoors stores, antique shops, and restaurants.

Cultural Events

Outdoor/Nature Activities

  • Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park - This huge sinkhole was formed when an underground cavern roof collapsed, creating a bowl-shaped cavity 120 feet deep. (The lush growth of plants and many of the animals of the park are similar to those of the Appalachian Mountains region.)
  • Ginnie Springs - Includes seven crystal-clear, freshwater springs nestled in over 200 wooded acres along the banks of the Santa Fe River. (Canoes, snorkel equipment, and tubes can be rented at the Dive Center/Central Store.)
  • Ichetucknee Springs - One of the world's most beautiful rivers, giving rise to a spectacular and complex ecosystem, and providing a recreational resource for upwards of 200,000 visitors a year.
  • Kanapaha Botanical Gardens - Comprised of 16 major collections visually accessible from a 1 ½ paved walkway. These include the state's largest public display of bamboos and the largest herb garden in the Southeast.
  • Lake Alice Wildlife Preserve - a signature feature of the University of Florida campus. It is a proven sanctuary to alligators as well as many birds. At dusk, a colony of bats that roost in a nearby bathouse emerges to cleanse the sky of much of the insect life that the lake nourishes. (Located off of Museum Road)
  • Paynes Prairie State Preserve - This 21,000-acre preserve is among the most significant natural and historic areas in Florida. Paynes Prairie offers some of the best seasonal wildlife and plant viewing in Florida, while protecting a very dynamic part of natural Florida.
  • The Suwannee River -
  • Other Parks
  • Great Day Trips

Local Cities of Interest

  • St. Augustine - America's oldest city is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful St. John's River. Architectural masterpieces of Spanish Renaissance and Colonial Revival frame lanes of art galleries, antique shops and collectibles. (75 miles from Gainesville.)
  • High Springs - Just 15 minutes from Gainesville is the cute town of High Springs. This small town has many specialty stores, outdoors stores, antique shops, and restaurants.
  • Micanopy - The oldest inland settlement in Florida. Visitors leisurely wander in and out of shops selling antiques, old books, ceramics, stained glass, jewelry and other specialized arts and crafts. (9 miles south of Gainesville)
  • Cedar Key - A quiet island community of about 700 residents located on the Gulf of Mexico along the big bend of Florida. Many people visit each year to walk the historic streets browse the shops and galleries, explore the back bayous and enjoy the world-famous restaurants featuring seafood fresh from local waters. (50 miles southwest of Gainesville)

Statewide Attractions

  • Silver Springs - (Ocala, 40 miles) Home of the world famous Glass Bottom Boats. The 350-acre nature theme park offers an exciting variety of rides, shows, and attractions.
  • Sea World - (Orlando, 135 miles) SeaWorld Orlando is the world's premiere marine adventure park with 200 acres of world-class shows, thrilling rides and unforgettable animal encounters.
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park - (Orlando, 125 miles) Take a magical journey through a world of animals both real and fantastic where the lion is mighty, but imagination is king.
  • Epcot Center - (Orlando, 125 miles) Touch the future and travel the world with an amazing array of attractions and live performances.
  • Universal Studios (Orlando, 125 miles) Feel the energy of the world's first 3-D cyber-adventure, zap an army of marauding aliens and face the fury of a full-blown tornado.
  • Universal's Islands of Adventure - (Orlando, 125 miles) Journey through all five Islands of Adventure, where you'll defy gravity, escape the jaws of T-Rex, brave white water rapids, face the world's first inverted dueling roller coasters, and battle evil high above the city streets.
  • Busch Gardens (Tampa, 130 miles) The ultimate family adventure park offering an array of fascinating attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent. A unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country's premier zoos featuring more than 2,700 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games.
 

 
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