Exhibit Press Kit
Free Admission | Now Open
Dive in and explore Florida’s most valuable resource: water. This engaging exhibit tells the story of the state’s fresh water, from the aquifers underground to the rivers and lakes to the clouds in the sky. Enter a magical glass-bottom-boat theater, and ride, dive and fly through some of the Sunshine State’s most famous springs in a one-of-a-kind immersive experience.
Stroll through the iconic cave and surrounding habitat, updated with new stories, lights and audio to offer a refreshed look at this Museum classic. Examine a lush hammock forest and encounter the plants and animals that call it home. Learn more about the Floridan Aquifer, the source of most of the state’s drinking water. Real objects and specimens from the collections showcase cultural items linked to water and the biodiversity of these biomes, past and present. Explore more about these unique sources of fresh water and see how people have been connected to them for thousands of years. Guests can share what they love about Florida’s water and learn how to be good stewards of this crucial resource.
This is a bilingual exhibit available in English and Spanish. Esta es una exhibición bilingüe disponible en inglés y español.
Acknowledgements:
Water Shapes Florida was made possible by the generous support of Museum donors and grants and is sponsored in part by the 1923 Fund, Florida Division of Historical Resources, B.J. and Eve Wilder Family Foundation Inc., Duke Energy Foundation, Felburn Foundation, Anne and John Shermyen, Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Giovanna Holbrook, Jack Martin, PepsiCo Foundation, Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation and Rotary Club of Downtown Gainesville.
