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.

The Alachua Phenomenon: Two Centuries in Florida’s Eden | Main Gallery
Alachua County, by modern standards, is characteristically un-Floridian. It has no beaches, it has no amusement parks, and it presently has no commercial citrus groves. And yet, today Alachua County is the beating heart of north central Florida. The Alachua Phenomenon will examine what made that happen over the last 200 years. In the process, the history of the county will unfold through an examination of the land, environment, agriculture, industry, education, and community. We invite you to join us and discover two centuries in Florida’s Eden.

A Journey from Arrival to Self-Sufficiency
Mini-Exhibit in the Mary Ann Cofrin Gallery
From 2024 right up until presidential inauguration day in 2025, the Greater Gainesville International Center worked with the International Rescue Committee to resettle six refugee families here in Gainesville. This is the story of some of our newest neighbors, told through the live drawings of Terrence Ho and narrative by Lauren Poe.

"Art from the Archives" Exhibition
We are thrilled to announce that the popular Art from the Archives exhibition has been extended through November 29!

The Museum is open Wednesday-Saturday 11 am-4 pm. We will be closed for Thanksgiving November 27-28.

On display in the Main Exhibit Hall are fourteen pieces of art rarely seen – oil paintings, photographs, and more! Paintings and watercolors by Emmaline Buchholz, Dolores Seidel Morales, and Robert Carson are a few of the many pieces we have selected to share.

This free exhibition gives visitors a chance to gain a broader understanding of the Matheson’s permanent collection and the Museum’s ongoing work to preserve our collective history.