Twenty months of construction tape later, a newly renovated and expanded Florida Natural Museum of Natural History is slated to reopen to the public on Nov. 23.
While more information is still to come about what the opening day activities will entail, the museum announced Thursday numerous upgrades to the Ken and Linda McGurn Exhibition Hall, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
“We are so excited to share this beloved museum with the public again,” said Florida Museum Interim Director David Reed in the announcement. “Nearly every part of the museum has been upgraded in some way. Some changes you’ll notice immediately, while others are more subtle. But don’t worry, all your favorite features are still here.”
Starting outside, the museum offers a new picnic area and building facade inspired by the state’s natural textures like reptile scales and limestone.
Stepping into the redesigned lobby, visitors will find an expanded gift shop in size and offerings, classrooms, new information desk and renovated restrooms.
The new Jack and Tifi Bierley Inspire Gallery aims to highlight the value of science and importance of life on Earth through hands-on discovery. Visitors can play interactive games, engage with real specimens and learn about the planet in real-time through a NASA-designed Eyes on the Earth interactive and NOAA’s Science On a Sphere Explorer.
The added Daniel R. and Kathleen Hayman Science Up-Close presentation space allows visitors to interact with scientists and educators from a variety of fields as they give live demonstrations and up-close encounters with science.
The museum expansion also included construction of a roughly 6,000-square-foot, two-story building on the west side of Powell Hall.
Although closed to the public, the new space houses offices, educational spaces and the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute. The building has been staffed and operational since the summer after crews completed construction in May.
Both permanent and temporary museum exhibits, like the Butterfly Rainforest, Water Shapes Florida, Wall of Wings and Florida Fossils, were also deep-cleaned and renovated during the expansion. New infrastructure, graphics, lighting, paint and flooring were installed throughout the museum, and the first traveling exhibit is expected to open in Spring 2027.
The South Florida People & Environments exhibit was also transformed into Florida Coastal Life with updated content and a pavilion overlooking the mangrove section. The museum theater is showing a new video about the people—past and present—who call Florida home.
Ennead Architects of New York City designed the expansion, and Scorpio Construction of Gainesville served as the general contractor.
“Part of our mission at the Florida Museum is to make UF research relatable to everyday life,” Reed said. “In our new space, visitors will see scientists up close explaining the importance of their research to the people of Florida. By bridging the gap between scientists and the public, we can create meaningful engagement, helping children to see themselves as scientists and expanding their career opportunities.”
Among some of the regular programming fluttering back to the museum are the butterflies. Staff continued maintaining the living Butterfly Rainforest since the closure in March 2025, when shipments of new butterflies were paused. The exhibit is also expected to reopen in November.
If anyone would like a preview of the museum before the official grand opening, members get a sneak peak on Nov. 22. Memberships can be renewed for the current rates through the remainder of 2026.
The museum will continue hosting off-site events leading up to the reopening, including Plant for Pollinators: Bees and Trees on Oct. 3 and resuming Tot Trots on Oct. 20.
The museum is actively hiring, and all open positions can be found online at UF’s jobs website. More information about volunteers within the Exhibits and Public Programs department will be announced soon.
“We are so happy to welcome everyone back just in time for the holidays,” the museum posted to Facebook. “Include us in your family plans and take a stroll through our exhibits to rediscover all of your favorites!”
The neighboring Harn Museum of Art also closed off certain exhibits for an expansion and renovations in 2025 and is slated to open this fall.