# Free things to do with kids in Gainesville

Parks, playgrounds and other things to do in Gainesville that are free to get into. 71 listed.

Last updated 2026-10-15, from the newest confirmation among these places.

## The list

1. [Veterans Memorial Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/veterans-memorial-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Two play areas, one of them a newer inclusive playground built for kids of different abilities, with accessible sidewalks leading in. Has: free to enter.
2. [Albert Ray Massey Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/albert-ray-massey-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A space-themed playground built for kids of every ability: ramps, flat surfaces, activity boards and a communication board. It's lit after dark. Has: free to enter.
3. [Cofrin Nature Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/cofrin-nature-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A shady playground at the start of a short creekside trail through an old horse farm. Has: free to enter.
4. [Cynthia Moore Chestnut Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/cynthia-moore-chestnut-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Play equipment set inside a bigger spread of fields and nature, with a pavilion close by. Has: free to enter.
5. [Depot Park Playground and Blue Grotto](https://ourplayday.com/places/depot-park-playground-and-blue-grotto-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A playground and a splash pad side by side, next to a garden of outdoor musical instruments kids can play. Has: free to enter.
6. [Fred Cone Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/fred-cone-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A big climbing structure with monkey bars, slides and swings, plus grills and a pavilion if you're making an afternoon of it. Has: free to enter.
7. [Greentree Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/greentree-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A fish-themed playground with swings, slides and climbing, and a covered picnic spot for when the sun gets too much. Has: free to enter.
8. [Lincoln Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/lincoln-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Swings, slides and climbing under big old shade trees, so it stays bearable on a hot afternoon. Has: free to enter.
9. [Northside Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/northside-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A playground beside a play zone with table games for grown-ups, and shaded seating to watch from. Has: free to enter.
10. [Oakview Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/oakview-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Modern play equipment in the shade of big oaks, plus a small bridge over a creek and a pavilion for the snack break. Has: free to enter.
11. [Possum Creek Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/possum-creek-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A playground with wide grassy fields for kites and ball games, and nature trails into the woods when they're done climbing. Has: free to enter.
12. [Smokey Bear Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/smokey-bear-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A bear-themed playground with curving slides and swinging bridges, and a short wooded trail beside it for when the climbing runs out. Has: free to enter.
13. [T.B. McPherson Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/t-b-mcpherson-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A playground inside a bigger community park, with a picnic pavilion close by for lunch between rounds of play. Has: free to enter.
14. [Tom Petty Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/tom-petty-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Separate areas for younger and older kids under tall shade trees, plus swings and a merry-go-round. The playground is at the south end. Has: free to enter.
15. [Green Acres Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/green-acres-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A playground with an open field beside it and shady trails through the oaks. Has: free to enter.
16. [Squirrel Ridge Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/squirrel-ridge-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Built as a model for inclusive play, with accessible paths and shaded benches, so kids of different abilities can play side by side. Has: free to enter.
17. [Unity Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/unity-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Climbing webs, saucer swings and a GaGa pit, so school-age kids have something active to do while younger ones swing. Has: free to enter.
18. [C.F. Franklin Memorial Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/c-f-franklin-memorial-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Colorful play equipment with shade over it and a picnic pavilion close by. Has: free to enter.
19. [Duval Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/duval-nature-park-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A newer playground with swings and slides beside a pond, and an accessible loop around it for a short walk and some birdwatching. Has: free to enter.
20. [Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Park & Nature Center](https://ourplayday.com/places/hogtown-creek-headwaters-nature-park-nature-center-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). Wooded creek trails to follow and a small nature center with local animals, books and crafts. Has: free to enter.
21. [Mark S. Hopkins SWAG Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/mark-s-hopkins-swag-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A small pocket park with play equipment and a basketball court, made for the kids on the surrounding streets. Most people walk in. Has: free to enter.
22. [Oakhill Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/oakhill-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A small playground under big shady trees, with bucket swings for babies and regular swings for bigger kids. Has: free to enter.
23. [Reserve Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/reserve-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A ninja-style obstacle course and traveling rings beside the newer play equipment, so bigger kids have something harder than the slide. Has: free to enter.
24. [A.N.N.E. Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/a-n-n-e-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A shaded playground with outdoor musical instruments to bang on, a newer swing set and an accessible path in. Has: free to enter.
25. [Barbara Higgins Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/barbara-higgins-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A small, shady tot lot with colorful climbers and a pavilion for picnics. Has: free to enter.
26. [Boulware Springs Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/boulware-springs-nature-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). The start of a wide paved trail, with turtles to spot in the spring. Has: free to enter.
27. [Carolyn Beatrice Parker Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/carolyn-beatrice-parker-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Outdoor instruments kids can play, colorful slides and climbing, with a shaded pavilion for a snack break. Has: free to enter.
28. [Cedar Grove Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/cedar-grove-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Swings, slides and a climbing tube under shade sails, pitched at kids up to five, so toddlers get the run of it. Has: free to enter.
29. [Clarence R. Kelly Community Center Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/clarence-r-kelly-community-center-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A playground with a walking trail, garden and basketball court around it. Has: free to enter.
30. [Lake Forest Elementary School Pocket Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/lake-forest-elementary-school-pocket-park-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A roofed, shaded school playground with swings and a quarter-mile track, open to everyone outside school hours. Has: free to enter.
31. [Lincoln Yard Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/lincoln-yard-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A small playground on a short, shaded walking loop past a stormwater pond. Has: free to enter.
32. [Millhopper Library Tot Lot](https://ourplayday.com/places/millhopper-library-tot-lot-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A gated playground you reach through the library's kids' area. Has: free to enter.
33. [Morningside Nature Center and Living History Farm](https://ourplayday.com/places/morningside-nature-center-and-living-history-farm-gainesville) (farm, Gainesville). Longleaf-pine trails and an 1870s living history farm with heritage animals and old-time farm chores. Has: free to enter.
34. [Roper Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/roper-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A small park with a rock wall, swings and shade structures over the play area, plus picnic tables for a snack between climbs. Has: free to enter.
35. [San Felasco Nature Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/san-felasco-nature-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A modern playground in the forest, with shaded picnic shelters and boardwalk trails. Has: free to enter.
36. [Springtree Nature Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/springtree-nature-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). A shaded playground with a picnic pavilion and a short wooded trail down by the creek, for when the climbing's done. Has: free to enter.
37. [The Oaks Mall Soft Play Area](https://ourplayday.com/places/the-oaks-mall-soft-play-area-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Soft play with a tree and a slide for kids 42 inches and under, a space for crawlers and early walkers. Has: free to enter.
38. [Woodlawn Park Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/woodlawn-park-playground-gainesville) (playground, Gainesville). Rock walls and climbing structures alongside the swings and slides, in a shady spot with a picnic pavilion next to it. Has: free to enter.
39. [Abby Wambach Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/abby-wambach-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A scaled-down youth soccer field and a kick wall for young players, and hoops for older siblings. Has: free to enter.
40. [Cellon Oak Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/cellon-oak-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). One enormous live oak and a couple of picnic tables. Has: free to enter.
41. [Cora P. Roberson Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/cora-p-roberson-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). Swings, shade and open grass to run on, but no climbing structure. The pond in the middle is stormwater, not for splashing. Has: free to enter.
42. [John Mahon Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/john-mahon-nature-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A short, easy woodland loop through pine woods and a shady hammock, so even small legs finish it. Good for spotting birds; there's no playground. Has: free to enter.
43. [29th Road Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/29th-road-nature-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A 0.4-mile woodland walk along a creek, short enough for small legs. Has: free to enter.
44. [A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center](https://ourplayday.com/places/a-quinn-jones-museum-cultural-center-gainesville) (museum, Gainesville). The educator's former family home, with oral histories and exhibits on the Black neighborhood around it. Better for school-age kids than toddlers. Has: free to enter.
45. [Albert and Alberta Gator Statues at UF](https://ourplayday.com/places/albert-and-alberta-gator-statues-at-uf-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). Life-size bronze figures of both Gator mascots to pose beside, for a quick photo stop. Has: free to enter.
46. [Bo Diddley Plaza](https://ourplayday.com/places/bo-diddley-plaza-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). An open plaza beside a covered stage where outdoor movie nights and kids' dance parties come through. Has: free to enter.
47. [Bricks & Minifigs Gainesville](https://ourplayday.com/places/bricks-minifigs-gainesville-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). Bins of loose bricks and minifigures to dig through, plus new and secondhand sets. A LEGO kid could easily lose an hour here. Has: free to enter.
48. [Bull Gator Statue at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium](https://ourplayday.com/places/bull-gator-statue-at-ben-hill-griffin-stadium-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). A giant bronze alligator to stand next to for the Gator photo, a five-minute stop. Has: free to enter.
49. [Clear Lake Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/clear-lake-nature-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A short, shaded loop under old live oaks at the edge of a prairie, easy on small legs. Has: free to enter.
50. [Colclough Pond Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/colclough-pond-nature-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A short shaded path to a pond for watching birds from the bank. Small and quiet, with no playground. Has: free to enter.
51. [Coliseum of Comics Gainesville](https://ourplayday.com/places/coliseum-of-comics-gainesville-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). Comics, toys and board games to browse, and now and then an open board-game table where kids can sit down and play. Has: free to enter.
52. [Dave & Buster's Gainesville](https://ourplayday.com/places/dave-buster-s-gainesville-gainesville) (arcade, Gainesville). Racing games, air hockey and basketball hoops, with a dining area so you can eat between rounds. Has: free to enter.
53. [Gary R. Libby University Gallery](https://ourplayday.com/places/gary-r-libby-university-gallery-gainesville) (museum, Gainesville). A quiet university gallery with shows that change through the year. Nothing to touch, so it suits a kid who likes to look and talk about what they see. Has: free to enter.
54. [GEEKS Vintage Toys and More](https://ourplayday.com/places/geeks-vintage-toys-and-more-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). Shelves of vintage and newer toys to browse, and a sensory wall outside that keeps a small kid busy while you look. Has: free to enter.
55. [Gum Root Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/gum-root-nature-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A 1.8-mile loop through swamp, cypress and gum trees, a proper hike. Has: free to enter.
56. [Harn Museum of Art](https://ourplayday.com/places/harn-museum-of-art-gainesville) (museum, Gainesville). An art cart with hands-on activities and games, plus scavenger hunts through the galleries. Has: free to enter.
57. [Heisman Trophy Winners Statues at UF](https://ourplayday.com/places/heisman-trophy-winners-statues-at-uf-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). Life-size statues of three Gator Heisman winners, standing together for a sports photo. A quick stop outside the stadium. Has: free to enter.
58. [Jean Klein Rock Cycle Garden](https://ourplayday.com/places/jean-klein-rock-cycle-garden-gainesville) (garden, Gainesville). A path winding between more than twenty big boulders, with a panel showing how one kind of rock turns into another. School-age kids get the most from it. Has: free to enter.
59. [Matheson History Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/matheson-history-museum-gainesville) (museum, Gainesville). A small museum with rotating exhibits on local history, a calm hour with a curious school-age kid. Has: free to enter.
60. [Mega Gaming & Comics](https://ourplayday.com/places/mega-gaming-comics-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). Comics, Pokémon cards and tabletop games for a young card collector or comic fan to browse. Has: free to enter.
61. [NE 31st Avenue Multi-Use Trail](https://ourplayday.com/places/ne-31st-avenue-multi-use-trail-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A wide paved path for walking, biking or scooting, with a playground to aim for at one end. Has: free to enter.
62. [Owens-Illinois Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/owens-illinois-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A playground and picnic spot by a lake with plenty of alligators. Has: free to enter.
63. [Palm Point Nature Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/palm-point-nature-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A short, easy walk along the lakeshore with waterbirds and butterflies. Has: free to enter.
64. [Santa Fe College Art Gallery](https://ourplayday.com/places/santa-fe-college-art-gallery-gainesville) (museum, Gainesville). Changing shows of photographs, sculpture and video to look at quietly. Has: free to enter.
65. [Santa Fe College Museum of Earth Science](https://ourplayday.com/places/santa-fe-college-museum-of-earth-science-gainesville) (science center, Gainesville). More than 1,700 fossils, minerals and rocks around a college lobby, meteorites included. Short, and made for a kid deep in a rocks-and-fossils phase. Has: free to enter.
66. [Sweetwater Branch Park](https://ourplayday.com/places/sweetwater-branch-park-gainesville) (park, Gainesville). A narrow creekside park with a playground and a short shady path along the water, so there's a walk after the swings. Grills for a picnic. Has: free to enter.
67. [Theatre of Memory](https://ourplayday.com/places/theatre-of-memory-gainesville) (museum, Gainesville). A small cabinet of curiosities: old objects, documents and bits of geology to look at up close. Quiet and hands-on, for curious school-age kids. Has: free to enter.
68. [UF Bat Houses](https://ourplayday.com/places/uf-bat-houses-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). The world's largest occupied bat houses, where hundreds of thousands of bats pour out at dusk, watched from behind the fence. Has: free to enter.
69. [UF Campus Teaching Observatory](https://ourplayday.com/places/uf-campus-teaching-observatory-gainesville) (science center, Gainesville). Telescopes pointed at the Moon and planets on public nights, with astronomers there to answer questions. Has: free to enter.
70. [UF Physics Department Lobby Exhibits](https://ourplayday.com/places/uf-physics-department-lobby-exhibits-gainesville) (attraction, Gainesville). An unstaffed lobby with a wave-machine pendulum, an anti-gravity mirror and dishes that carry a whisper across the room. Has: free to enter.
71. [Wilmot Botanical Gardens](https://ourplayday.com/places/wilmot-botanical-gardens-gainesville) (garden, Gainesville). Paved garden paths through camellias and azaleas, so a stroller manages and kids can wander. Has: free to enter.

## Other lists for Gainesville

- [High chairs](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-high-chairs) (42)
- [Changing tables](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-changing-tables) (13)
- [Kids' menu](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-kids-menu) (43)
- [Cribs](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-cribs) (10)
- [Pool](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-a-pool) (24)
- [Free breakfast](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-free-breakfast) (17)
- [Connecting rooms](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-connecting-rooms) (3)
- [Fridge in the room](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-a-fridge) (19)
- [Separate bedroom](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-a-separate-bedroom) (6)
- [Restrooms](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-restrooms) (22)
- [Water play](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/with-water-play) (4)
- [Order at the counter](https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/order-at-the-counter) (27)

## About this list

Every place here is a listing on Play Day, and a place is listed only when something positive is known about it for kids. Each listing carries the kid facts (high chairs, changing tables, kids' menus, wheelchair access) A list needs at least three places to exist.

Page: https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville/free-to-visit. All of Gainesville: https://ourplayday.com/united-states/florida/gainesville