Gainesville
Where Nature and Culture Meet

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.

Haile Village Center—
Small Town Charm in Gainesville

Check out SW Gainesville and you’ll discover one of the area’s most charming communities. Located just a short five miles from the University of Florida and a few miles from I-75 Exits Archer or Newberry Road, Haile Plantation boasts 1,700 acres of walking and biking trails, swaths of green space, dozens of lovely neighborhoods and the Hawkstone Golf and Country Club – an 18 hole Gary Player Signature golf course.

At the center of it all is the Haile Village Center, a diverse collection of restaurants, boutiques, spas, and gift shops, interwoven with gracious homes, tree-lined brick sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly streets. Every Saturday morning, there is a local Farmers’ Market in the Haile Village Center where you can shop for locally grown organic produce, fresh baked goods and a variety of crafts.

The market is open from 8:30am until noon and is also a performance venue for local musicians. Throughout the year, the Village is also a hotspot for fun community events and festive holiday celebrations. If you’re in the Gainesville area, make sure to put this one on your itinerary. For more info, check out hailevillagecenter.com