Media Release

The NTTW offers include:

·         Sat, May 3: Historic Haile Homestead - Buy one admission, get one Free
Historic Haile Homestead built in 1856, is one of the few antebellum homes in North Central Florida. The Haile House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and was restored in 1996. Trained docents guide visitors through the Homestead and its history.
Address: 8500 SW Archer Rd (SR 24), Gainesville
Hours: Sat, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Phone: 352-336-9096

·         Mon, May 5: Florida Museum of Natural History & Butterfly Rainforest - Free Butterfly Rainforest exhibit admission to anyone mentioning National Travel & Tourism Week.
Address: SW 34th Street and Hull Road, Gainesville
Hours: Mon., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phone: 352-846-2000

·         Wed, May 7: Dudley Farm Historic State Park - Free admission
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this park demonstrates the evolution of Florida farming from the 1850s to the mid-1940s-through three generations of the Dudley family.
18730 W. Newberry Road, Newberry
Hours: Wed., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phone: 352-472-1142

·         Wed, May 7: Oleno State Park & River Rise State Park - Free admission
Located along the banks of the scenic Santa Fe River the park features sinkholes, hardwood hammocks, river swamps, sandhills and a suspension bridge over the river. Visitors can picnic at pavilions and enjoy hiking on nature trails. Canoes and bicycles are also available for rent.
Address: 410 S.E. O'Leno Park Road, High Springs
Hours: Wed., 8 a.m. - sundown
Phone: 386-454-1853

·         Thurs, May 8: Ironwood Gold Course - “Thirsty Thursday” Free 12oz draft or 32oz soda with green fee.
Ironwood Golf Course’s layout is sculptured around century-old pines and lakes.
Address: 2100 NE 39th Ave, Gainesville
Hours: call for hours
Phone: 352-334-3120

·         Thurs, May 8: Baseball: UF vs Vanderbilt – Fans can cut out a buy one, get one free general admission pass in The Gainesville Sun ad on Wednesday, May 7
Address: McKethan Stadium, 2190 Stadium Road, Gainesville
Time: Thur., 8:30 p.m.
Phone: 352-375-4683

·         Fri, May 9: Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe College - Buy one admission, get one Free
The Kika Silva Pla Planetarium is the only planetarium in North Central Florida, seats 60 guests beneath a 34 ft Spitz dome, and is equipped with two state of the art planetarium projectors.
Address: 3000 NW 83rd Street, Building X-129, Gainesville
Show time: Fri., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Phone: 352-395-5225

·         Fri, May 9: Baseball: UF vs Vanderbilt - Pepsi Family Night
Families can purchase 4 General Admission tickets, 4 hotdogs and 4 sodas for only $20.
Address: McKethan Stadium, 2190 Stadium Road, Gainesville
Time: Fri., 7 p.m. 
Phone: 352-375-4683

·         Sat, May 10: 7th Annual Gainesville’s Amazing Race - First 50 teams to register for this scavenger hunt receive a goody bag. Prizes will be awarded. 
Address: begins at Infinite Energy, 7001 SW 24th Ave, Gainesville
Time: Registration at 9 am, race starts at 10 a.m.
Visit the Hospitality Council website to register or for more information.

·         Sat, May 10 Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe College - Buy one admission, get one Free
The Kika Silva Pla Planetarium is the only planetarium in North Central Florida, seats 60 guests beneath a 34 ft. Spitz dome, and is equipped with two state of the art planetarium projectors.
Address: 3000 NW 83rd Street, Building X-129, Gainesville
Show time: Fri., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9 p.m.
Phone: 352-395-5225

·         Sun, May 11 Kanapaha Botanical Gardens - Mothers get in Free; children under 6 free every day.
Kanapaha is a 62-acre facility developed and operated by the North Florida Botanical Society, a non-profit educational organization.  Kanapaha is comprised of 14 major collections visually accessible from a 1.5 mile paved walkway. These include the state's largest public display of bamboos and the largest herb garden in the Southeast.
Address: 4700 S.W. 58th Drive, Gainesville
Hours: Sun., 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Phone: 352-372-4981

Other events during National Travel & Tourism Week include: a Tourism Week Proclamation Reading and the announcement of the winners of the Alachua County Customer Service Awards on Wednesday, May 7 at the VisitGainesville’s NTTW annual luncheon at Eastside High School, where members of their culinary program will serve lunch.

The 31st Annual National Travel and Tourism Week is an annual event sponsored by Travel Industry Association and commemorated by states, cities and organizations across the nation. Travel is a major U.S. industry that is vital to the economic stability, security and perception of the United States. The goal of NTTW is to highlight the powerful economic, social and cultural impacts of travel through events and celebrations that recognize the incredible job the travel industry produces.

VisitGainesville is the official tourism sales and marketing organization for Gainesville and Alachua County.  The Alachua County Hospitality Council is a non-profit member-based organization comprised of local and regional sales and marketing professionals in the hospitality industry. 

For additional information about Gainesville and National Travel and Tourism Week activities in Alachua County, visit the VisitGainesville NTTW website.

For more information, contact John Pricher at 352-374-5260 or jop@visitgainesville.com.