I love the fairgrounds! They are a really wonderful venue for many of the amazing events that come…read moreto Gainesville. The fairgrounds host the Annual Hoggtowne Fair, the Alachua County Fair and most recently the Inflatable 5k! The Fairgrounds themselves aren't much to look at, but they are well maintained, and I am so grateful that we have the space! I do wish it wasn't right next to the Jail, Grace Marketplace and the Airport, but what can you do.

I would say having this event at Depot Park is definitely an improvement. Although the event space…read moreis a bit more condensed, it's a much nicer space. The food vendor lines are incredibly long so don't come hungry. However, they do have some really good options. If you hit the dominos pizza line just right, you'll get a freshly delivered pizza with a low wait time. The bathroom lines were just as crazy. They do have porta potties that are much faster but if you want a real bathroom, you will need to wait. The shows seemed to be more entertaining than in previous years. All in all, it was a good time. Go into it expecting it to be packed with people and having to wait in lines but you will enjoy yourself. Depot Park is so much better of a venue than previous years and it was free...you can't really beat that.

So we missed a year of the fair because of the pandemic, but it has returned for 2022! With the…read morereturn comes a new location as well, as Alachua County has sold off the old fairgrounds by the airport. The new location off of Archer road near Haile Plantation has some things to be desired, but for a temporary location it wasn't so bad... at least, the fairgrounds themselves weren't that bad. The layout of the fair at the new location is different from the old two-lane model that was used at the airport. Now it is more of a quadrangle approach, with one quad assigned to vendors where you can buy all kinds of really expensive things that are half the price on the Internet, one quad assigned to food, one to the jousting field, and the final one assigned to the living chessboard and SCA fields. This actually presents a problem, because the location is the site of the old YMCA baseball fields, and the fences for the fields are still in place, creating barriers for a number of the areas and preventing the flow of people from one area to another. In addition, no longer is there a draw of people past some of the areas that they would normally have been drawn past in order to get to the jousting fields, which means that the SCA and living chess area had a lower flow of patrons, which is too bad because the living chessboard had its best year ever. Parking was also an issue, as the dirt road leading to the parking was rutted and kind of scary, particularly for those with lowered vehicles. Hopefully your suspensions are in good working order! Traffic to the fair is also an issue, with the line of traffic backing up along Archer Road all the way to the Interstate at a couple points during the day. As it is near Haile Plantation, a number of newer housing developments are in the area as well, and the added traffic was not a welcome thing to people living in the area, as could be witnessed by some signs along the road as you worked your way to the parking lot. It would be very surprising to see the medieval fair occur again at this location. As for the fair itself, it is about the same. Most of the same performers and vendors were there, and the horses did their thing by charging back and forth across the jousting field. Good times for those that want to see a good show and buy some expensive trinkets.

Absolutely love this place! The yearly membership is such a deal if you need an air conditioned…read moreweekend activity for your kiddos. The programming is phenomenal. We are so lucky to have this place in Gville.

This museum for creativity and invention established in 2018 and located in a corner of Depot Park…read morein Gainesville inspires future inventors, entrepreneurs and visionaries. Open four days a week Thursday to Sunday 10am to 4pm. Admission $15 for adults, 5-17 $10, college students snd seniors $12.50 and under 5 is free. Established and named after Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, reflects his view of combining science and art in a manner of purposeful creativity. There are exhibits on inventions and technology that came from University of Florida. The museum caters to people of all ages and young children. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) workshops are available where attendants can meet living inventors. A little gift shop located at the front lobby. Parking is free.

Nice selection of different items no Gems Minerals or Rocks…read morehmmm free though paid for the butterfly exhibit 13 each very nice small but very nice worth it no discounts offered

The first time I visited this museum was in 2017. It was awe and there's so much to see here and…read morenew things to learn about. This facility also includes a butterfly garden, which is very interesting. I have managed to visit every year. There plenty of parking at this facility, to include a parking garage as well. If you love museums and live in Florida, I highly recommend visiting this museum.

Among the best in small theaters in Gainesville. This African American run theater presents unusual…read moreplays dealing with contemporary issues or history that shines light on the present. Every play we've seen has been well staged with incredibly fine acting. They're housed in a converted church, and make the most of their small stage and clearly low budget sets. We try not to miss a performance - check it out and I'm pretty sure you'll be a fan too! Pro Tip: Arrive early for the performance. Parking is on-street in a residential neighborhood, so you may have to walk a bit if you don't get there early.

22$ for 1 haunted house and to walk in a circle in a corn maze?! Are u kidding me! And you have to…read morepay an extra 30$ just so u can do everything else?! This is a scam. There was a few parts of the haunted house that were good. But not worth 22$, maybe 5$ at max. Not even that I am paying 22$ for children to wear a 5$ mask and throw red paint on themselves? This is ridiculous. I am a poor in come home and I just wasted over 50$ at this place just so my family could have fun and that was f-ing ridiculous. Would not suggest ever going here. Also I will never be coming back. It's cheaper and more fun just to go to Halloween horror nights. Wish I could give 0 stars and it's f-ing killing me to give you one bc you don't even deserve it with this trash.

I bought tickets to this event as a surprise date for my boyfriend and I. I read through some…read morereviews and was a little nervous as most were pretty negative. However, this place is amazing, I highly recommend! It was $25 per ticket and that gave us unlimited entrance into the corn maze and 1 free enter to the haunted house. On top of these were putt putt, basketball, music, and a cute goat named Molly which were all included in the entrance price. Additional events and specials such as hamster ball, mechanical bull riding and food and drink were also available for an up charge. First was the haunted house. While in line, we were informed that the actors are not allowed to touch us and we are not allowed to touch them as well as the strobe lights which were apart of the house. Through the house, actors, decorations and props kept it very entertaining and different then any other haunted house I've been too. Many actors jumped out and either screamed, shrieked, said something ominous or simply told us where to go or to hurry up. This plus the interesting costume/makeup of the actors kept it frightening and surprising. The corn maze was definitely a one of a kind experience. We went through the maze twice and both times were amazing. During the second time, a worker who was off duty became friends with my boyfriend and they devised a plan for the actors to specifically attack me. This made the experience more enjoyable as well as frightening. Again, there were many actors with many different disguises and body paint to keep you on your toes as well as being a new element of shock around each corner. The maze wasn't much of a maze as you would think. There were no dead ends but there were a couple cut outs that the actors used to hide in. Overall, it was a great experience. I loved how personal the actors became with the guests. During the haunted house, one actor would mention that he'll "see me later" and then would reappear saying "found yuh" or "I told you I would be back". There was another actor during the corn maze who would block my path while remaining quiet and almost taunting me to try to walk past. This made the experience so much better then if they just jumped out and said "boo" and then disappeared. I would recommend that there be better crowd control for the sake of the actors. I did notice a lot of younger kids who would purposefully mess with the actors such as hiding in the maze with them, taking selfies with then without consent and even touching or harassing the actors. I feel like this messed with the safety of the actors and the enjoyment of the other guests. Other than that, this place is amazing and definitely worth it. The price is a little high but the actors definitely deserve it for what they put up with.

The place to be on Thursday nights . Clean fun ; great people to hang out with dancing and…read moresocializing... No smoking or alcoholic beverages..

While visiting Gainesville today we stopped by the Harn Museum of Art. This is a FREE admission…read moremuseum which we love. This place is great and they have so many great pieces. Didn't take many photos because I was involved in the moment with my wife and friends and amazed at all the nice art work they have. We stopped and asked the security officer a few questions. One was how long do these art pieces stay out for viewing and also do they transfer them to other museums around the country. He said they rotate out art work about every few years so it keeps things fresh and no they don't transfer pieces. All pieces stay in house. If you are ever in the area you must stop by the Harn Museum of Art! Also next the year Florida Museum of Natural History will reopen after a full renovation and you also must see that!!! Definitely recommend you visit this!

The Harn Museum of Art is one of my favorite places in Gainesville when I want something calming,…read morebeautiful, and grounding. The galleries are thoughtfully curated, the space feels open and inviting, and there's always a good mix of contemporary pieces, cultural exhibits, and rotating collections that keep things interesting. Their Art After Dark events on Thursday nights are such a nice bonus, the museum feels even more alive, and it's a great way to enjoy art in a relaxed, social setting without it feeling overwhelming. Perfect for a solo night, a date, or something different to do after work. I also love the outdoor garden area; it adds to the peaceful vibe and makes the whole experience feel refreshing. I always leave feeling inspired and reset.