Make a short drive from Gainesville to Archer to enjoy the historic ambiance of Main Street's early 20th century brick shops and art galleries.
Days Open: Sunday - Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday
Highlights:
• Archer Historic District - click link for description and map.
• Archer Historical Railroad Museum - open Saturdays 9a-1p. Admission: free. Click link for details.
Besides the historic district and museum, if you're here in last week of May or first week of June, don't miss Yulee Railroad Days (check website for exact dates). The annual festival serves to emphasize how railroads shaped the North Florida region, either creating towns along their paths or isolating those that weren’t. Yulee Railroad Days is a series of planned events taking place in the North Central Florida towns that were directly impacted by Florida's early rail lines. Events include local history reenactments, a model train show, a special museum exhibit, train-themed music performances, children’s events, a genealogy program, sporting events, and historic building tours.
The festival is named in honor of Florida's first Senator, David Levy Yulee. His efforts led to the construction of Florida's first cross-state railway, running from Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico, through Archer and other stops along the line, to the town of Fernandina on the Atlantic Coast. Senator Yulee named the city of Archer for his friend General James Archer, Florida’s first Secretary of State. General Archer had helped Senator Yulee with the approval and incorporation of the cross-state railroad project.
Archer is 15 miles southwest from Gainesville.
