university of florida bat house

LovesTuscany01

Great show of the bats flying out at dusk. Watch for raptors waiting in the surrounding trees to attack them. Pond across street has gators, turtles, and wading birds. Parking is a bit tight but there is a small lot east of the bat house labeled "UF Gardens" that can be used without UF badges in the evening.

Louie_Blaze

I have been here twice and never ceases to awe me. 300k bats fly out in a constant stream for over 15 minutes so. Very family friendly with kids around shrieking in joy. For a little bit more excitement, several raptors perch in trees around the house and will pluck the bats out of the air. Lake Alice is across the street and is quite serene. I will surely go back.

Hookerfarm

Young or old will love this experience. Make sue to arrive BEFOREHAND sunset to get the full experience.

34476ROse57

This was really cool to see. There is a hawk there. And it waits . As the bats start out , the hawk swoops down and grabs a bat. And it returns a few times for its meal. It was worth waiting for.

GatorGirl444

My hubby & I brought our 8-yr-old & 12-yr-old nephews to GSVL to watch a night baseball game and had some time to spare so we took them to The Bat House. It was a weekend, so we parked close by at the Baby Gators Daycare where parking restrictions were lifted. Arrive about a half hour before dusk to walk around Lake Alice directly across the street - you might see a gator! The bats come out in phases so don't fret if you miss the first wave. There are THOUSANDS of bats! Another circle of life lesson is watching the hawks preying on this daily bat routine - din din time! You witness the hawks grab a bat and fly away. Big hit for the boys!!

webpdq

We take all of our visits here for a sunset view of all the bats leaving the bathouse. It is right next to a lake. Come early and stroll around.

doozerl

Seeing the bats fly at dusk is not to be missed if timing works out for you. This is definitely not something you can see just anywhere and is part of the local Gville culture.

I5495OItoms

Go before dusk as there can be a crowd. You can sit on the fence & watch the bats come out to eat. If you have blonde hair or are wearing white if seems to attract them to fly past you more. Really fun for the kids to see

RhondaSamplesBelcher

Wow!! What a great place to take guests, family and friends. My favorite place in Gainesville. Plus it's on University of Florida campus, so you can see even more. Try it, you'll love it!!

M0rgann73

Who wouldn't want to see hundreds of bats pouring out of a bat house all at once every night! This is something that is so cool to watch!!! Sponsored by Dos Equis, considering that beer brand's mascot is a bat.

Irishlady70

Actually this is interesting if you have never seen many thousands of bats leaving their house at dusk in search of insects. It does draw quite a crowd and the parking can be a bit tricky. Several things that surprised me: 1. they don't all come out at once, they kind of trickle out for the first 20 minutes or so and then comes the swarm you waited for. 2. They are much smaller than I expected, it's still neat but not the visual you think you will see from the movies. 3.There were people there (that had obviously been there before) with umbrellas. I thought, it doesn't look like rain to me....and then I found out that thousands of flying bats passing by overhead will get you wet and it smells. An umbrella will solve that problem. On a real positive note, other than it really is amazing that so many of them can live in those two bat houses, is the fact that hawks station themselves around the bat house and it's fence just before they start to come out and they are expert at diving and catching bats mid air. That in itself is worth the show.

PitaLem

Don't need to trek across the country to see something so cool! It's right here in Florida. Pick a warm night (for more bats), video works better than a still camera. Have a hat. Enjoy the experience.

RL803

if you find yourself visiting the University of Florida, you will not want to miss being at the University's Bat House at least once during a stay in Gainesville. Just before dusk, you should stop by the Bat House, which is located on Museum Road just across from Lake Alice. The House, filled with about 100,000 Brazilian Free-tailed Bats explodes at dusk with bats as they fill the sky. The free-tailed bats are different from many other species of bats because the end of their tail "extends beyond the edge of the tail membrane," according to the university's website http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/wildlife_uf/bathouse.php. These bats do not migrate so you can visit the bat house 365 days a year if you wish for the thrill of seeing the bats leave their home at dusk, each consuming about 500 to 1,000 insects during their nighttime activities. The University also provides easy and free parking at an adjacent parking lot for the event at dusk and a nice exhibit that explains what you will see. Go . . . it will be worth your time.

GatorFamily5

Bring bug spray for your body, because the bugs come out until the bats do, but watching them come out in a group is so amazing! Come early if you want a seat on the bench.

GeorgeE201

The Bat House is a good place to visit at dusk on a pleasant evening. The sight of the huge flock of bats leaving for a night of eating mosquitoes is impressive.