Florida's Natural History

In every town you can find a gem, something you didn’t expect but creates amazing memories. As I was tooling down Florida through Gainesville, I found one of those spots: The Florida Museum of Natural History.

I’ve been to some of the most famous natural history museums in the world: London (stunning), New York City (over-rated), and Chicago (cool every time, even when dragging a 10 year old behind me). I had no idea what to expect, but it was free (one of my favorite words) so I figured I might as well check it out on my way through town. I wasn’t expecting much. I mean, it’s Florida, not exactly known as the museum capital of anything, right? Or at least that’s how most of the world seems to view the sunshine state.

What I didn’t realize, was that it was Florida’s Natural History Museum (versus a Natural History Museum in Florida – see the difference and how I didn’t see the distinction before entering the building?). Everything in it was about the people, animals, and habitats of Florida. As soon as I realized that, my excitement level doubled (potentially tripled, but that makes it seem like I wasn’t excited in the first place, and I always like going to museums, even the weird or janky ones. No matter what there’s going to be something interesting!).

One of the aspects of the Indian Mounds in Georgia I found interesting was everything I learned about the first nations who had settled in the southeast. Throughout the information, there had been references to trade and interaction with the Seminole people of Florida, but little was elaborated on (because it obviously wasn’t about them so much as about the Mississippian people). The museum gave me a wonderful introduction to both the Seminole and Miccosukee people, both past and present.

While this was really interesting, my absolute favorite part was the exhibits about animals.

A child-like giddiness filled me when I found myself “shrunk” in Florida’s waterways, and when I walked into a room filled with pre-historic animal skeletons.

Learning about the different habitats and the animals that dwelled in them made me excited to see more of The Real Florida (poor state parks, they really are trying to get people excited about things besides theme parks and beaches). Understanding some of the diverse ecosystems that make up the state will definitely add to my enjoyment of Florida.

My art geek even got some satisfaction when I rounded a corner to find some of the most amazing x-ray images of animals I’d ever seen.

They used computer imaging to recolor different attributes of the bodies (think of body heat maps, I guess), allowing people to see the bones in a new way. I think I was the only person in the museum who stopped and examined each and every picture. I would have bought a print if they’d been sold in the museum shop!

Then, there were the butterflies . . . It cost more, but how could I not see the butterflies?!

I will admit, butterfly houses can be hit or miss, but this one was massive! (translation: it couldn’t be bad, right?).

Paths wove through a rainforest filled with lush plants, a pond with waterfalls, and butterflies, so many butterflies (I must give a nod to the moths as well. Don’t you feel like they get the shift? Everyone is like, “butterflies are so beautiful,” “How amazing are butterflies,” but there are some pretty cool moths, am I wrong? They just keep it undercover, not flashing their bright colors around for anyone to see. But if you’re patient you’ll be rewarded).

The whole space was a feast for the senses. Bright blooms dripped from delicate pedicels (sorry, I should say delicate stems but that doesn’t sound as pretty!). Butterflies (and moths) flitted, flew, and fluttered. The lightly humid air exuded with an aromatic blend of fresh greens and tropical blossoms. All these stunning sights and smells were gloriously underscored by the gentle burbling of the water. (Can you tell that my inner poet got tapped with that one?).

As you can tell, I really enjoyed the Florida Museum of Natural History! It was just another reminder that when you’re open to new experiences you never know what you’ll find.