Harn Museum of Art — Attraction in Gainesville

5-Star Review for the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art – UF Gainesville

The Harn Museum of Art is a true gem in Gainesville! The collection is diverse and beautifully curated, featuring everything from stunning African and Asian art to modern and contemporary masterpieces. The rotating exhibitions keep things fresh, ensuring there’s always something new and inspiring to see.

The museum is spacious, well-organized, and free to visit, making it an excellent stop for art lovers and casual visitors alike. The staff is knowledgeable and welcoming, and the serene outdoor gardens add an extra layer of beauty to the experience.

Whether you’re exploring on your own or with family and friends, the Harn Museum offers a peaceful and enriching visit. I highly recommend stopping by—this museum is an absolute must-see in Gainesville!

The art museum adjacent to the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville is the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. Located within the University of Florida’s Cultural Plaza, the Harn Museum is one of the largest university art museums in the southeastern United States, boasting a 108,800-square-foot facility with 10 gallery spaces. 

The museum’s permanent collection features over 11,300 works, focusing on African, Asian, modern and contemporary art, as well as photography. Visitors can explore a diverse range of exhibitions that rotate frequently, ensuring there’s always something new to see. 

Admission to the Harn Museum is free. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, with extended hours on Thursday evenings until 9 pm for “Art After Dark.” On Sundays, the museum operates from 1 pm to 5 pm, and it is closed on Mondays. 

The Harn Museum also offers various programs and resources for visitors of all ages, including educational activities, a resource library, and special events. Additionally, the museum features the Camellia Court Café and a museum store for guests to enjoy. 

Whether you’re an art enthusiast or a casual visitor, the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art provides a rich cultural experience that complements a visit to the Florida Museum of...

First of all, the space and quality of collections is excellent; diverse, engaging, exciting.

Now for the bad. This museum bills itself as "kid-friendly," and they claim they want kids to visit. There's even interactive, child-friendly art AND on the day we visited my children were handed a kit bag with supplies to complete an art scavenger hunt. My kids were thrilled. Sounds fun and engaging, right? Wrong!

The first piece we examined was a huge modern sculpture that I wanted to take a picture of next to my kids. One of my children accidentally brushed by it and I admonished them all LOUDLY to be very careful to make sure they didn't touch any art pieces. Apparently this wasn't enough for the creepy bearded attendant who then scolded my kids with the same words. He must have felt a scolding from their own mother was insufficient for my little hooligans (I'm being sarcastic here; my kids are mostly polite and well-behaved). Obnoxious attendant then followed us literally from feet way as we toured two rooms, again scoring my kids when the touched the plexiglas display screens. Obviously, no one can be found in this entire city to walk around with a rag and some Windex once a day. HE MADE US SO UNCOMFORTABLE THAT WE LEFT EARLY BEFORE SEEING EVERYTHING.

The next bad experience was from the attendant in the "Asian Room" who again stalked behind us at every display and again made us too uncomfortable to stay. This was especially unfortunate since my oldest was studying the Eastern hemisphere this year and there were many pieces I was hoping to discuss with her.

Creepy bearded attendant even followed us, scowling, into the supposedly just-for-kids interactive art exhibit. Apparently we also weren't supposed to touch the "touchable" art. 😒😒😒

Like I said, we left earlier then planned because we don't like strangers hovering over us at every turn. We also skipped lunch at the cafe, which is an overpriced sandwich shop. If I had been charged an admission fee, I would've demanded it be returned. We...

I would rate this museum higher except for 2 reasons. First a piece of art that was clearly shown and noted on their website as being on view was NOT on view. I asked an employee and was told that the director had it in their office, not available to be seen by the public. Second, I always carefully read a museum's photography guidelines in advance and the Harn clearly states that photography is allowed (no flash). I was taking photographs of a beautiful work on the wall and was about 30 feet away (no flash of course). A group of 4 people was in front of it and I took that photo because it illustrated the enormous size of the work. A older white man who worked there, not a guard and I don't know his job position, told me he didn't think that was allowed. I told him only their backs showed in the photograph and why I wanted to include them (for scale). I found his intervention unnecessary and rude. No one at any museum I have visited in 50 years has been this rude and there was no reason for this man to speak to me. I love well run museums and most are staffed by competent people. The Harn has some very good art and I will try to get over one rude person but it cast a pall over my visit.

edit to add: I read some other reviews that echoed my rude employee experience. Too bad I didn't know in advance so I...