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.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is absolutely amazing! They have different seasonal exhibits…read morewhich are always pretty interesting. The exhibits are beautifully curated, educational, and captivating. The butterfly rainforest is a must-see and well worth the extra charge- it's magical walking among so many vibrant butterflies. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and the whole experience was both fun and inspiring. Great to bring kids and my niece who is 4 years old loved the area for kids , she didn't want to leave . It was engaging and creative of them to have a little area dedicated for kids. Whether you're a nature lover, history buff, or just looking for a great day out, this place won't disappoint.

Great local history museum! Free entry and downtown in a very convenient location. Definitely worth…read morestopping by.

We frequently attend the free lectures sponsored by Florida Humanities at the MATHESON. Always…read moreinteresting and sometimes outstanding. Great way to learn about little known aspects of Florida. Parking is limited (my guess is because people park here for other purposes than attending the museum) so I recommend getting there early.

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.

What a fun experience! We walked in with a party of two and were immediately greeted and given…read moreinstructions on how everything works. One of the girls behind the counter went upstairs and saved us a table and prepared it with what we would need. They have a lot of different pottery pieces to choose from and a bunch of different paints to use. It took us about two hours to complete our pieces and about a week for them to be ready for pickup. A fun note to add is that you can order a drink while you paint-water, sodas, and hard seltzers. We had a great time and plan to go back in the future!

My mom and I went to Corks & Colors and ended up painting mugs. We thought we'd be there for an…read morehour, but it easily turned into three because we were so relaxed and having such a good time. They have a great variety of pieces to choose from, and the whole environment feels cozy and creative. The only thing I'd mention is that the music kept shifting from loud to soft, which was a little distracting. If you're sensitive to sound, sitting outside might be a better option next time (the outdoor seating was full when we went). Overall, we loved it and will definitely be back. It's such a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.

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.

This is an adorable venue in my opinion. I enjoy being here not just for the purpose in which it…read morewas established but because it's such a dignified space with a lot of character as well.

I went here again when I stayed in Gainesville last month. It's still about 25 dollars during the…read moreweekend, which I believe is pretty reasonable for an arcade. They still have their old school games like Terminator 2, Rampage, and Ski Ball. The condition of the machines varies due to a lot of use and wear/tear, but most machines still work. Since almost all games are on free play, you can play as many times as you want, beat the game, and watch the credits roll. There were newer games too and the condition looked good. It got crowded more during the afternoon with kids playing everywhere. The games that cost money were the ticket games and prize games, and the prizes they had looked really nice. The pinball machines are in the expanded area. While I didn't play any of the pinball games, they all looked in great condition and people were having fun. I was very happy they still had Final Furlong 2, and it was a workout rocking the horse in a jockey position. And they still have the mechanical alligator you can ride at the entrance for free. I didn't try the food or drinks, but there are spaces and booths where you can eat. Parking is free, but it can sometimes be hard to find as the lot is a bit small. While I would love to see more newer and better condition games, this is still a great place to spend 25 dollars for a long weekend fun. Overall: B+

I could truly spend all day here and never run out of games to play. Went here for my son's…read morebirthday at his request, and it was a blast seeing how much he enjoyed the older games. Loved seeing all of the retro games that take me back to my childhood. Would love to be able to suggest games for them to get, but I don't know where they would put them they have so many! Didn't try any food, so I can only speak to the gaming experience. Worth every penny.

Maude's Side Car Bar is probably my favorite bar to go to in town when I'm just looking to get a…read moregood drink. The bar tenders are all excellent at their jobs and great to talk to. The inside of the bar has a great atmosphere and design, so it's a great place to hang out. My favorite part of Maude's Side Car Bar has to be their bimonthly, Friday night drag and burlesque show, Downtown Drag! The show is always on the porch or inside the Sun Center mall. Its great to be able to go to a show and grab a seat and relax while the queens and burlesque artists perform! The shows are always full of incredible local talent! The hosts are funny and make the show a great time throughout the whole night! The bar also has great drink specials during the shows! Pictured here was the amazing cast at the end of Downtown Drag's 3 year anniversary show!

We all have watering holes where we meet with fellow humans, and Maude's Side Car Bar, located in…read morethe center of the known universe at the Sun Center in downtown Gainesville, FL is one of those special places. Right next door to the Hippodrome State Theater, it is a wonderful place to get a cold drink before or after the show. Full disclosure: Maudes side car bar is roughly the dimensions of a walk-in closet; this may in turn evoke comments such as "cozy," "intimate," "claustrophobic," or possibly "enforced invasion of personal space." It's small, people! Fifteen people is a mob scene. But the bartenders are friendly, compassionate human beings, however, and so have very generous drink specials throughout the week. Wednesday through Friday happy hours are not for folks looking for a complimentary taco bar and a game on the TV. This is serious happy hour, folks. Jazz plays through the amazing sound system at the SCB and the bartender has a menu of mixed drinks to choose from, or let him make a drink that is invented on the spot. No TV, so you have to talk to the person sitting next to you. Like I said, this could be a good or bad thing, depending on your perspective!