Florida Museum of Natural History

Florida’s official natural history museum is located on the University of Florida campus. The Florida Museum of Natural History houses 28 million specimens million cultural artifacts, including one of the world's largest collections of butterflies and moths.

The Museum’s mission combines research, preservation, and interpretation of both biological diversity and cultural heritage. The main attractions are the permanent exhibition halls that explore Florida's unique habitats and cultural history, and the exciting temporary exhibits. Visitors can see some of the research being conducted. For instance, there are many glass windows through which you can view butterflies and moths being raised and researched in vitro, as well as mounting and cataloging of butterflies and moths from around the world.

Permanent exhibits include:
• Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life & Land
• Northwest Florida: Waterways & Wildlife
• South Florida People & Environments
• Butterfly Rainforest: Where Science Takes Flight

The Butterfly Rainforest is the most dazzling of the permanent exhibits: 6,400 square feet of screened outdoor space with subtropical and tropical plants, a walking trail, waterfalls, and hundreds of living butterflies and moths. The Butterfly Rainforest is part of the Museum's McGuire Center for Lepidopera and Biodiversity, which includes an indoor “Wall of Wings” display. This impressive structure contains more that 13,000 butterfly and moth specimens, images, information panels, videos and maps.

Hours: Monday - Saturday 10a-5p; Sunday 1p-5p. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission: Free but donations accepted. Admission is charged for Butterfly Rainforest and special exhibits.