UF is proud to put arts at the heart of our community by supporting and enriching student and faculty exhibits, performances, concerts and recitals. The University is a place of discovery, both terrestrially and intergalactically.
Begin your journey by visiting UF’s Cultural Plaza, home to the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Harn Museum of Art and the Curtis M. Phillips Center for Performing Arts. From there, continue your voyage by taking a walk through UF’s campus to explore the University Gallery or learn all about the moon, planets and stars with the Department of Astronomy.
Please check availability and hours through each facility’s website.
Florida Museum of Natural History
Located on the University of Florida campus, the Florida Museum of Natural History is home to more than 40 million specimens and cultural archival treasures. Since its founding in 1891, the Museum has advanced its mission to discover and disseminate Florida’s biological diversity and cultural heritage.
As the state’s official natural history museum, it is celebrated for its exhibitions that explore Florida’s unique habitats and cultural history. An exceptional hub for teaching and learning science, the Museum is dedicated to advancing research, education and public engagement for the Gainesville community.
Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
The Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts convenes a conversation across the disciplines of science, art and humanities. Dedicated to the cultural and artistic well-being of the Greater Gainesville community, UF Performing Arts brings world-class international performers to the stage in Gainesville. Whether it’s a Broadway show, a transcendent dance performance, a musical act, or a public figure sharing their life story, UF Performing Arts does it all.
Harn Museum of Art
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida is an 112,800-square-footfacility, which includes 40,400 square feet of exhibition space, five garden spaces, a 250-seat auditorium, study center, museum store, café and classroom spaces. The Harn’s collection totals more than 11,300 objects including African, Asian, modern and contemporary art, and photography with significant representations of ancient American and oceanic art, as well as a growing collection of natural history works on paper.
UF warmly invites the Greater Gainesville community to the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art for exclusive, free once-a-month events. Museum Nights offer an array of activities and performances with the purpose of creating meaningful connections between community and art. The museum is committed to the continued collaboration with the University and community partners to inspire, educate and enrich people’s lives through art.
University Gallery
Take a walk through UF’s campus to the School of Art + Art History in the College of Arts and you’ll find the University Gallery. The space is organized into three art galleries that encourage appreciation and understanding of art and its role in society. University Gallery’s primary mission is to provide the community with a contemporary venue that continually explores new directions in visual art and historical perspectives.