Current Exhibits
Temporary Exhibits
Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway | Feb. 4, 2012 - Sept. 3, 2012
With Artist Ray Troll and Paleontologist Kirk Johnson
Dinosaurs are coming to Gainesville! This exhibit combines some of the Florida Museum's paleontology specimens and the fossil-inspired artwork of celebrated artist Ray Troll to explore questions about evolution, extinction and early life on Earth. Troll's whimsical illustrations including insights from paleontologist Kirk Johnson help bring to life real fossils such as the horned dinosaur Triceratops horridus, a giant ammonite, a trilobite cluster, a crinoid (sea lily) slab, fossil fish from the world famous Green River Formation and much more.
Dugout Canoes: Paddling through the Americas | Nov. 13, 2010 - Nov. 2013
Don't miss the boat! This object-rich and interactive exhibition produced by the Florida Museum features American dugouts from ancient times to present. Find out how dugout canoes have affected life and travel throughout the Americas, from Florida to the Amazon and the Pacific. Discover the world's largest archaeological find – 101 ancient dugouts at Newnans Lake, and how scientists study dugouts from the past. Learn how the dugout tradition is alive and well in Native communities today.
Birds of the World: From Science to Art | Aug. 13, 2011 - April 29, 2012
This exhibit showcases the art and process of creating the book Birds of the World. Released in 1961, the volume is one of the most popular and comprehensive bird books ever published. Through their correspondence and illustrations, follow the collaboration of world-renowned artist Arthur Singer and equally famous Florida Museum ornithologist and author Oliver Austin. From early draft to final art, this exhibit provides an inside look at how an artist and scientist inspired each other to produce an artistic and literary masterpiece.
Permanent Exhibits
Butterfly Rainforest: Where Science Takes Flight!
Stroll through this 6,400-square-foot screened, outdoor enclosure with tropical plants and hundreds of living butterflies. View thousands of Lepidoptera species on the "Wall of Wings" and learn about butterfly and moth biology. See scientists working in the Butterfly Rearing Lab and the Research Labs.
Collections are the Library of Life
Catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Museum's vast natural history collections. See the skull of Albert, one of the University of Florida's first live mascots, and open drawers to investigate specimens from the Museum's collections. The exhibit also highlights the Museum's more than 100-year history and its internationally recognized collections and research projects.
Discovery Room
Encourage your child's curiosity and wonder in the ever-changing hands-on Discovery Room! Live animals, preserved specimens from Museum collections and a variety of science resources provide many opportunities for families to learn about the world together.
Explore Research
Learn about some of the University of Florida's most interesting discoveries and research through this interactive multimedia exhibit. Featuring short videos updated monthly and an interactive Smart Board, the exhibit engages visitors in the journey of scientific discovery at UF, including its relevance and benefits. Explore Research is a collaborative project of the Florida Museum of Natural History, UF Office of Research and UF Scientific Thinking and Educational Partnership.
Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life & Land
Drawing upon the Florida Museum's internationally acclaimed fossil collections, this award-winning exhibit describes the last 65 million years of Florida's history. Walk through time beginning with the Eocene, when Florida was underwater, to the Pleistocene when the first humans arrived 14,000 years ago. More than 90 percent of the 500 fossils are real and many were found within 100 miles of Gainesville.
Our Energy Future
This exhibit is full of tips about reducing energy use at home and hands-on activities. Learn about alternative energy sources, the rooftop solar array that powers part of the Museum and more. Bring the entire family to experience this fun and engaging exhibit.
Northwest Florida: Waterways & Wildlife
This exhibit follows water as it flows through the unique environments of northwest Florida, the most biodiverse region of the state. Explore a hardwood hammock featuring a life-sized limestone cave, a seepage bog with its carnivorous plants, a Native American trading scene and more.
South Florida People & Environments
This exhibit celebrates the story of native people in South Florida and the environments that supported them. Walk along a boardwalk through a mangrove forest, travel underwater to view larger-than-life marine creatures, visit the house of a Calusa leader and much more.
Outdoor Gardens
Florida Wildflower & Butterfly Garden
Located just west of the Museum, this demonstration garden showcases Florida's native wildflowers and their importance as host and nectar plants for Florida's native butterflies. It encourages visitors to imagine how they could transform their own yards into an inviting and colorful, yet practical and water-saving mecca for butterflies and other wildlife.
Fossil Plant Garden
Located next to the Florida Museum's main entrance, this garden is landscaped with modern species of plants whose ancestors lived millions of years ago and are preserved as fossils in many places around the world.
Floor Plan Map
Get a detailed map of the Museum along with descriptions of current and upcoming exhibits:
Download the Florida Museum Floor Plan Map (PDF)