Weekend in Gainesville Florida with a toddler

Gainesville is less than a 2 hour drive away from Jacksonville, and is a good weekend getaway if you are looking to get out of Jacksonville. Here’s how we did a Gainesville Florida Weekend with a toddler. 

Looking for more weekend trips from Jacksonville? Here are a few we have covered so far: 

• Daytona Beach Weekend Getaway (with a toddler)
• How to Travel Every Weekend
• Treat Your Weekend as a Vacation
• An Orlando New Years Weekend Getaway
• Where to go for 3 days in Huntsville AL (Itinerary)
• How to go on a Day Trip to St John from St Thomas
• Three Days in Everglades National Park

Looking for more posts about Gainesville? Here’s a few we’ve written so far. Some are written on a sister site we own, Voyage Florida:

• Weekend in Gainesville, FL
• Towneplace Suites Gainesville Hotel by Marriott Review

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo – Weekend in Gainesville FL with a toddler

Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo is a small zoo located inside the Santa Fe College campus. Open from 9 until 4, with the last entry at 3pm, our toddler loved looking at the animals and running around the paths. There’s even a small playground inside the zoo. 

The price is affordable, with our toddler getting in free and we paid only $8 per adult. Although the zoo is small, there are plenty of animals to see and they look pretty well cared for. I loved seeing the Visayan warthog, an animal endemic only to the Philippines. 

There is a small playground located inside the park, and plenty of walking trails for toddlers to run around in, tire themselves out, and see animals. A downside is the park is not really that stroller friendly, so you may need to baby wear or use a stroller with bigger tires in order to comfortably get around.

Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park – weekend in Gainesville Florida with a toddler

After we had a picnic at the zoo, we had a bit more time left so we drove to the Devil’s Millhopper State Park, around a 15 min drive from the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. 

This state park is seventy a huge sinkhole that is now open to the public. One can climb down the sinkhole through the use of boardwalks and stairways. It is a bit surreal being inside a sinkhole that big with lots of waterfalls cascading down the different sides. 

It is entirely doable to do if you have a child who can walk. Our toddler loved the stairs but got tired eventually and asked to be carried. There is also a hiking trail that goes around the top of the sinkhole, and is a very easy hike. 

Overall, the park’s main attraction revolves around the sinkhole. If the sinkhole is closed, it doesn’t make much sense to pay the entrance fee just to hike. It costs $4 per car to enter, on an envelope system up front, no change provided.

La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve

While we personally have not been able to visit yet, the La Chua Trail is on our bucket list. One of my closest friends did it and she said that there were loads and loads of alligators very close to the trail when she hiked. 

There were even alligators crossing the path itself! She said it was a bit freaky walking so close to them but fun. Aside from alligators, you might also be able to see bison! Bison? In Florida? Yes! The state park is one of the few that has its own herd and you can see them sometimes on the trail and lookout points. 

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens – weekend in Gainesville Florida with a toddler

A big botanical garden located within a 8 minute drive from Celebration Pointe (and the hotel we stayed in Gainesville, the Hotel Indigo, but more on that below), the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is named after Kanapaha Lake. 

The walk around the garden is very pleasant, with beautiful, Instagrammable spots scattered throughout. The garden has a good souvenir shop as well as a wraparound balcony with rocking chairs to relax in. 

For toddlers, the children’s garden has a playground. It rained the morning before we arrived so the playground was wet. It is still a good option to tire your child out. 

A highlight for us is the bamboo forest. Do not miss it. Expect to see the whole place in 2 hours, depending on how quick you are and how long your child might want to stay in the playground. 

Historic Haile Homestead 

On the way down to Cedar Key, and a bit further on the same road from Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is the Historic Haile Homestead. It is a historic house, dating back from the late 1800s. Tours are only available on weekends for $5 for adults and free for kids under 12! Tours are only available every hour from 10:15 to 1:15 on Saturdays and 12:15 to 3:15 on Sundays.

This is definitely a place we will visit when we drive down to Cedar Key with our little one. There should be plenty of open spaces outside that the toddler can run around in. We’ll just have to make sure that once he’s inside to have a few treats and toys ready to keep him busy!

Shopping in Gainesville

A highlight of most people when traveling is the shopping options. Here are some of our favorite stores when we visit Gainesville. A few of them are mom and pop shops while some are chains. 

In case you guys are wondering – no, our child has no patience when it comes to shopping. He will only go for a max of 10 to 15 minutes and demand to go outside after. Best if the store has a toy area so he can look and play with the toys and will make him want to stay longer. 

Book Gallery West – book shopping in Gainesville

Book Gallery West is a locally operated indie bookstore that also sells used books. We love going here because they have amazing used books, sold for half off the listed price, and in amazing condition. 

There’s a bargain bin located up front, where you can get books between $1 to $3. The bookstore is located at a plaza where Publix is, so good to drop by when you’re going grocery shopping to save a trip! 

2nd and Charles – Gainesville

2nd and Charles is a chain owned by Books A Million (BAM) but it feels very unique. The store sells new and used books, as well as video games, toys, and other collectibles like Funko Pops. 

You can bring your old toys, books, and trade them for new items in the store to help lower your shopping costs! We never know what we are going to find in the store, and we love visiting other locations even though we have a branch close to our house. 

Celebration Pointe – Shopping in Gainesville

Celebration Pointe is a new development which has entertainment, dining, shopping, and accommodation options all in one spot. 

Centered around an open area high street, the area feels high end, with lots of restaurants, live music, and a few shopping options. Our toddler loved running around the high street, with the turf and the sculptures and loved looking at the nice cars parked along the road. 

Where to Stay in Gainesville FL on Points

Looking for points hotels within the Gainesville area? Here are a few options based on hotels we have stayed in on our quick weekends away. 

Hotel Indigo Celebration Pointe (IHG Rewards) – where to stay in Gainesville

Just a little bit off exit 384 of Florida’s Highway I-75 and within the Celebration Pointe complex is a newly built Hotel Indigo. Redemption rates are relatively low for the quality of the hotel you are staying in. 

Free parking is available on the lot across the street, so keep that in mind if you have a lot of luggage to bring in. There is a driveway area you can utilize when checking in and/or loading and unloading luggage for your convenience. 

The lobby area is beautiful and the rooms feel lush. You can read more about our hotel review in a further post. 

Easily bookable if you have IHG points, which you can obtain by using an IHG credit card. Can even use a free night credit if rates are around the 40k point amount. 

Towneplace Suites Gainesville (Marriott Bonvoy) – hotel with kitchen in Gainesville FL

We first booked this hotel on a mistake pricing, which was honored! This hotel absolutely amazed us. Our suite had a king bed and a kitchenette area which is perfect for those who are traveling with toddlers or  need a place to cook. After all, self catering is cheaper than eating out all the time when traveling. 

Enough gushing about this hotel, you can read more about our Towneplace Suites Gainesville hotel review here. 

Easily bookable using Marriott Bonvoy points, which could be obtained by signing up or using a Marriott branded credit card. 

The hotel is also just off Florida’s I-75 highway on exit 387 and is an easy drive to food, shopping, and tourist sites. 

Things to do close to Gainesville – Day trips from Gainesville FL

Here are a few stops we recommend outside of Gainesville. A few of them are on the way from the drive from Jax to Gainesville, so they could be good day trips if you’re looking for a few trips outside the city. 

Waldo Farmer’s Market in Waldo, FL 

Open only on weekends, the Waldo Farmer’s Market gets busier the later it is in the day. There’s freshly grown fruits and vegetables available as well as lots of thrift store finds located in various stalls. There’s also a large antique barn next door, which you are free to peruse before or after you get your fill of the outdoor area. 

Parking is free and plenty of spots are available within the area. Stay for an hour or more, depends if you are looking for something or nothing in particular. 

Bluefield Estate Winery

Bluefield Estate Winery is a small batch operation which creates sweet wine from fruits. My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting where he did the wine tasting and I did blueberry picking. We ended up with a bucket of blueberries which we ended up freezing and feeding to our toddler, and 2 bottles of sweet wine.

Expect to stay around an hour in the winery. Blueberry picking is a good activity to do with a toddler, or even just for the adults. 

Hoggetowne Medieval Faire – things to do outside Gainesville FL

The medieval fair only happens a couple of days a year, and is located in the Alachua County Fairgrounds, outside of Gainesville. 

It is a place to see people dressed up like in the medieval period, watch jousting matches, and eat and drink like kings. You’ll find so many people eating turkey legs, it is actually quite insane. 

It does get hot and there’s not much shade in the faire so try to sit, rest, and keep hydrated as much as you can. Take your time walking around the booths and seeing the shows, otherwise it may get too overwhelming for the senses.

Weekend in Gainesville with a toddler

Hopefully this post helped you plan a weekend in Gainesville with a toddler. Do read our other posts about Gainesville (will open on a new page on our sister site, Voyage Florida):

• Weekend in Gainesville, FL
• Towneplace Suites Gainesville Hotel by Marriott Review

Did we miss out on any other spots or care to share an activity to do in Gainesville?  Feel free to leave a comment below!