Gainesville Vacation Rentals

What you'll love about Gainesville

The University of Florida gives Gainesville an energy and cultural depth that most Florida cities lack, from the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History to the outstanding free Harn Museum of Art and the Gators' legendary Swamp game-day atmosphere. 

The natural springs within an hour of town—Ichetucknee, Ginnie Springs, Blue Springs—are among the clearest and most beautiful in the state. Paynes Prairie Preserve's wild horses and bison, the UF Bat Houses' nightly emergence, and Kanapaha Botanical Gardens give Gainesville a remarkable natural character right within city limits.

Fun things to do

• Attend a Florida Gators football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, The Swamp.
• Tube the pristine Ichetucknee River through one of Florida's most beautiful state parks.
• Snorkel or dive the crystal-clear springs at Ginnie Springs or Blue Springs.
• Watch 500,000 bats emerge at sunset from the UF Bat Houses near Lake Alice, free and spectacular.
• Walk Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park's boardwalks and observe bison and wild horses.
• Explore the Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park, a dramatic 120-foot deep sinkhole.
• Sample craft beers and live music at Gainesville's walkable downtown and Midtown districts.
• Visit the Thomas Center Galleries for rotating art exhibitions in a beautifully restored historic building.
• Day trip to Cedar Key, a charming fishing village on the Gulf Coast 50 miles west.

Local tips

• Gator game day vacation rentals book out months in advance. Plan far ahead for football weekends.
• The bat emergence at UF Bat Houses is free, dramatic, and best from April through October at sunset.
• Ichetucknee Springs requires reservations in summer; book your tubing launch time in advance.
• Gainesville summer heat is intense. Springs are the perfect solution and stay 68°F year-round.
• The Harn Museum of Art is free and consistently outstanding. Don't miss it even on a short visit.
• Kanapaha Botanical Gardens' wisteria arbor typically peaks in late March. Spectacular timing.
• Paynes Prairie is excellent for wildlife—bison, wild horses, sandhill cranes, and alligators are all commonly seen.
• Gainesville has no beach but is about 90 minutes from both Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast beaches.
• The Fest music festival in late October draws punk and alternative acts from across the country—a beloved Gainesville tradition.
• UF campus is free to explore and one of Florida's most beautiful. Visit the Plaza of the Americas and Century Tower.

Gator pride, glass-clear springs, and Florida's most surprising city.

Set among the oak hammocks and spring-fed rivers of north-central Florida, Gainesville is one of the country's great college town—and far more than that. Home to world-class natural history museums, a live music scene that punches well above its weight, and some of the most remarkable freshwater springs in the American South, this city will make you wish your kids went to college there.