Top 10 Nature & Parks in Gainesville, Florida (FL)

**The Butterfly Rainforest exhibit is open to the public. To ensure a safe environment for all visitors, the exhibit has limited entry, a mask requirement and follows a one-way path. Daily Butterfly Spotlights are temporarily paused. For more information, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/museum-blog/covid-19-update.** The Butterfly Rainforest is a 6,400-square-foot screened exhibit exposed to typical Florida weather conditions, resulting in a more natural environment for the butterflies and plants. This living exhibit features hundreds of free-flying butterflies, typically more than 50 species at any given time, birds from around the world and an assortment of other animals including turtles and fish to experience firsthand. The lush landscape is planted in tropical trees and colorful flowering plants amid waterfalls and a walking path. Skilled interpretive staff are available to help answer questions and provide visitors with a personal and highly engaging experience.

Not for profit exotic animal rescue and endangered species animal park and breeding center. Large beautiful nature park with 28 species, over 75 animals including big cat feeding demonstrations.

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.

Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary provides permanent high-quality sanctuary care for New World monkeys and birds being retired from laboratory research, ex-pets, or monkeys who have been confiscated by the authorities. Jungle Friends is also committed to advocacy and education on behalf of all captive non-human primates, and to provide assistance to improve the circumstances of captive primates wherever possible. We work cooperatively with a national network of other credible animal sanctuaries, government agencies, other primate and animal protection organizations, and qualified individuals to find placement for unwanted monkeys and to combat the exploitation and mistreatment of captive primates.

Herb and botanical garden displaying unusual plants from around the world.

A scenic hiking trail that runs continuously from the Big Cypress Swamp in Southwest Florida to the Panhandle west of Tallahassee.

Nature area with woods and swamp as well as an information center describing the wildlife in the area.

The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo houses 70 species, and over 200 individual animals in its collection, including white handed gibbons, red ruffed lemurs, ocelots, bald eagles, Galapagos tortoises, American alligators, and Matschie’s tree kangaroo. The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is Gainesville’s community zoo and the training facility for the Zoo Animal Technology Program. Situated on 10 forested acres, students in the Zoo Animal Technology Program provide daily care for the animals as well as tours of the zoo grounds.