The museum manages one of the largest biological research collections in the United States, including over 40 million cataloged specimens.
The Butterfly Rainforest is a 6,400-square-foot outdoor enclosure that maintains a tropical environment year-round.
The collection includes the world’s largest and most comprehensive archive of butterfly and moth DNA and tissue samples.
A permanent exhibition features fossils recovered from the Montbrook Fossil Site, a significant late Hemphillian-aged site located in Levy County.
The museum houses the 'Florida Fossils: Evolution of Life and Land' exhibit, which spans 65 million years of geological history.
Researchers at the museum identified the 'Titanoboa' fossil remains, the largest snake known to science.
The Florida Museum of Natural History, located on the University of Florida campus, is the state's official natural history museum. The facility features the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, which houses one of the world's largest collections of butterflies and moths. Exhibits focus on Florida's prehistoric fossils, including a reconstructed giant ground sloth and a megalodon jaw. The Northwest Florida Waterways exhibit highlights the region's diverse aquatic ecosystems and subterranean cave systems. Visitors can walk through the Butterfly Rainforest, a climate-controlled outdoor enclosure featuring hundreds of live free-flying butterflies and exotic plants. The museum maintains over 40 million specimens across its research collections. Permanent exhibits provide detailed insights into the heritage of the Calusa and Seminole peoples. The museum serves as a center for paleontology, archaeology, and natural sciences research in the southeastern United States.
The interior of the Butterfly Rainforest, specifically the waterfall feature and the areas where butterflies congregate on flowering plants.
Visit the Butterfly Rainforest during mid-morning when butterflies are most active due to rising temperatures.
Allocate extra time for the fossil exhibits, which are dense with information and touch-interactive displays.
Check the museum's online calendar for special research lectures or behind-the-scenes laboratory tours.
Attempting to visit the Butterfly Rainforest without adequate time, as the enclosure is large and requires a slow, observant pace to see all species.
The museum is generally open daily, but the Butterfly Rainforest may occasionally close for private events or severe weather conditions.
Maintain a quiet volume in gallery spaces and do not touch fossils or displays unless explicitly marked as interactive.
