Gainesville, Florida: World's Largest Bat House
Largest occupied bat houses in North America. 400,000 bats! They swarm starting a half-hour before sunset. Note warning sign: "Beware of Falling Urine and Guano as Bats Fly Overhead." Wear old clothes and a hat.
- Address:
- 2664 Museum Dr, Gainesville, FL
- Directions:
- On the University of Florida campus. I-75 exit 384. Drive east one mile on SW Archer Rd. Turn left onto Hwy 121/SW 34th St. Drive one mile. Turn right onto Radio Rd. Drive a half-mile. Turn left onto Museum Rd. You'll quickly see a small parking lot on the left. Park there. You'll see the bat house in the adjacent field, or you can follow the sidewalk along Museum Rd for a closer look.
- Hours:
- Arrive a half-hour before sunset. Bats may not swarm if it's rainy or cold. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Admission:
- Free
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
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There are only two bat houses now. The third has collapsed.
[Tania, 10/04/2022]
There are three bat houses now.
[Jeff Foushee, 10/15/2017]Showed up a half hour before sunset. Rain had stopped an hour or so earlier. Waited and waited but didn't see one bat. Guess they got room service.
[Scotingr, 06/18/2017]Reports we've received suggest that the bats don't swarm until after the sun has set, but before it gets too dark to see.
The bats came out about 10 min after sunset.
[Mike P, 04/04/2017]
Brazilian free-tailed bats at dusk - totally worth stopping for!
[Heather, 08/23/2016]Page of 2 [Next 1 items]
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Perhaps extra accommodations have been added for bats inconvenienced by the toppling of Perky's Bat Tower in 2017's Hurricane Irma.