Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Steamboats, Too!)

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Explore Florida’s early transportation history with Dr. Steven Noll, from steamboats on local lakes to the arrival of the Florida Railroad in Gainesville in 1859. Discover how these developments shaped Alachua County and how transportation continues to influence the state today. Admission is free with online registration.

Florida Women, Advice & Social Change

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Discover how newspaper advice columns shaped the lives and relationships of Floridian women in the 1950s and 1960s. Join Dr. Kimberly Voss as she explores how these columns - ranging from traditional to progressive - reflected and influenced social change during a pivotal era in women’s history. Admission is free...

Timucua Language and Culture: Understanding Alachua County’s Native Heritage at the Matheson History Museum

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Who were the Native people of Alachua County? The correct answer depends on the time period, but when the Spanish arrived, the Timucua people were the residents of this region. Due to recent progress in reading and understanding the Timucua language, Native documents can now be read from the colonial...

Free

Spirits of the Past: An Evening of History and Hauntings

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Join us for an unforgettable night where history meets paranormal mystery at the Matheson History Museum and historic Matheson House! Step into the shadows and let an expert paranormal investigator guide you through our historic spaces and grounds, sharing spine-tingling stories and using real ghost-hunting techniques and equipment. Your adventure...

$85

History of the Death Care Industry in Alachua County

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Join local historian Don Davis and a panel of local funeral home industry leaders for a unique presentation on the history of the death care industry in Alachua County. Learn about the county’s many funeral homes and cemeteries and how the industry has changed over the years. Admission is free...

Free

Florida: A History in Pictures

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

View highlights from the popular Facebook group “Florida: A History in Pictures,” with founders Jeff Davies and Mike McGinness. Learn how their group of 300,000 members inspired a bestselling book featuring photos from historical institutions, including the Matheson History Museum, and personal photos from the group’s members. Their presentation focuses...

Free

“Chambers v. Florida and the Criminal Justice Revolution” Author Talk

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Learn how the 1940 Supreme Court decision in Chambers v. Florida banned coerced confessions and helped launch the criminal procedure revolution. Join Dr. Richard Brust as he discusses the 1933 trial in Pompano, FL that sparked this chain of events and how the landmark ruling still impacts us today. Presented...

Cocoa & Culture: Sweet Stories from Trinidad to St. Augustine

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Explore chocolate’s cultural legacy with sweet stories from Trinidad and Tobago to St. Augustine. Dr. Clarissa Carr and graduate researcher Anthea Grant of UF’s Historic Preservation Program present a fascinating evening. Discover how cocoa shaped identity, economy and tradition across centuries through immersive storytelling, oral histories and digital preservation techniques. Presented...

Dancing Through the Snow: 1st Annual “Christmas at the Matheson” Concert

Matheson History Museum 513 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL, United States

Celebrate the season with the inaugural "Christmas at the Matheson" concert "Dancing Through the Snow," presented by Hoggtowne Bronze. The advanced community ensemble, deftly utilizes English handbells to bring you music ranging from orchestral, classical rock and even jazz and blues. Join Hoggtowne Bronze to waltz, sway and samba your...

Free