Matheson Museum Temporary Exhibits

Since its grand opening in 1994, the Matheson History Museum has been an integral part of our city’s cultural landscape, welcoming visitors from north central Florida and beyond. We strive to make the museum accessible and welcoming to all.

Located in the heart of downtown Gainesville, the Matheson History Museum is home to the 1867 Matheson House, permanent and temporary exhibits on Alachua County and Florida history, and a local history library and archives filled with resources for the researcher and the curious alike. Throughout the year we host a variety of programs on local and Florida history.

Weaving a Community: 30 Years of the Matheson History Museum. Mary Ann Cofrin Exhibit Hall
In the late 1980s, Gainesville had a well-documented and researched history, numerous nationally-recognized historical sites, and multiple civic organizations centered around the preservation and proliferation of local history. What it did not have was a centralized place dedicated to that rich local history, where the accumulated knowledge and artifacts of the last two centuries could be housed and protected. This year, the Matheson History Museum will commemorate its 30th Anniversary of meeting that need.

To celebrate, Weaving a Community will take an all-encompassing view of the Matheson’s history and its origins. The exhibition reveals the museum’s roots through the history of the Matheson family, the American Legion Hall, and the wider civil society. It presents our history in an unbroken tapestry, revealing interesting and intertwined threads that tie the museum, the history of Gainesville, and our community together.

Voices and Votes: Alachua County in the Main Exhibit Hall
Opens Thursday, June 27, 2024
“Voices and Votes: Alachua County,” focuses on our local history of elections, civil rights, and more. Researched and curated by Liam Shanley and Willett Hancock, the local history exhibition will be on display from June 26 through early 2025. It has been created in partnership with the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections and the League of Women Voters of Alachua County.

This is a companion exhibition for the traveling Smithsonian exhibition, Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, which will be on display at the Matheson from July 20 to September 7.