4 Best Sights in Gainesville, Northeast Coast

Opened in 2018 and named after Dr. James Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, this museum is designed to inspire future inventors and creators with hands-on activities and learning opportunities for children. Permanent exhibits explore the solar system, space and time, and inventors. The Sweat Solution tells the story of how Cade used science and creativity to make Gatorade. At First Flush highlights the history of soap, toilets, and other bathroom essentials.

Scientists surmise that, thousands of years ago, an underground cavern collapsed and created this park's most noteworthy geological wonder: a 500-foot-wide, 120-foot-deep sinkhole that's a designated National Natural Landmark. You can pack a lunch to enjoy in one of the park's picnic areas, and hike its nature trails. Guided walks typically take place on Saturday at 10 am. And you can bring Spot on a visit here, too; just keep him on a leash.

This 112,800-square-foot museum has five main collections: Asian, with works dating back to the Neolithic era; African, encompassing costumes, domestic wares, and personal adornments; Modern, featuring the works of Georgia O'Keeffe, William Morris Hunt, Claude Monet, and George Bellows; Contemporary, with original pieces by Yayoi Kusama and El Anatsui; and Photography, including the work of Jerry N. Uelsmann, a retired University of Florida professor.

One of America's most cherished authors found inspiration in this out-of-the-way hamlet about 20 miles outside of Gainesville. The 90-acre park, set amid aromatic citrus groves, has a playground for kids and short hiking trails, where you might see owls, deer, or Rawlings's beloved "red birds." But the main attraction is the restored Florida Cracker–style home, where Rawlings wrote classics such as The Yearling and Cross Creek and entertained the likes of poet Robert Frost, author Thornton Wilder, and actor Gregory Peck. The house is guarded closely by spirited roosters, and access to its interior is only available by guided tours.