Below are commonly asked questions about the Matheson History Museum. If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, contact us at info@mathesonmuseum.org and we’ll be happy to help. We look forward to welcoming you for a visit.

General Information

  • When is the Museum open?
    • Wednesday-Saturday, 11am-4pm
  • Is there an admission fee?
    • Admission to the Museum and most of our programs are free, but donations are welcomed.
  • How do I schedule a group tour?
    • Tours of the current exhibitions are available free of charge. Please call 352-378-2280 or email SCumella@mathesonmuseum.org to schedule a group tour. It is possible that we can accommodate unscheduled tours during the museum’s open hours but not guaranteed.
    • Tours of the Matheson House are currently unavailable. Learn more about the House Rehabilitation project.
    • Visit our Field Trips and Group Tours page to learn about tours for school-age children.
  • Is there parking available for visitors?
    • Parking is available in the museum’s parking lot and on the evenings and weekends next door at the Law Offices of Attorneys Folds & Walker and at the Alachua County Public Schools District Office.
    • There is one wheelchair accessible parking space in the museum’s parking lot and one behind the Historic Matheson House.
  • Do you have wheelchairs available?
    • Yes, the Museum has one wheelchair available for use. Please ask a staff member for assistance.

Exhibitions

  • What exhibitions are currently on display?
    • The Museum has both permanent exhibitions and temporary exhibitions. The permanent exhibitions are a re-creation of the Matheson & Company Store, a Timucuan Canoe, and items from the historic 1885 Alachua County Courthouse.
    • Our temporary exhibitions are displayed in the Main Gallery and the Mary Ann Cofrin Gallery. You can learn more about the current exhibitions on our website.
  • Do you have digital exhibitions?
    • Yes, we currently have 11 online exhibitions available for viewing via our Online Exhibitions page. We have launched an Exhibit Digitization Project to digitize previous exhibitions and all exhibitions moving forward.
  • How do you decide what to include in exhibitions?
    • The process is collaborative among the staff and community. Exhibits are developed based on the available collections, public interest, and current and historical events. The Museum makes every effort to include a wide variety of topics in our exhibits, as well as verifying that the information presented is factual and represented fairly and justly based on available evidence.

Research

  • What types of collections are available for research at the Matheson?
    • Highlights of our collection include over 20,000 Florida postcards from every county in the state, 1,500 Florida stereoview cards, a large collection of illustrations of Florida from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and Harper’s Weekly newspaper, Elmer Harvey Bone Photograph Collection, records of local civic and social groups, and a large Alachua County History Subject File. The Matheson History Museum’s research library books are catalogued in the collection of the Alachua County Library District and are searchable in their online catalog.
  • How do I schedule a research appointment?
  • How does the Museum research historical topics?
    • Research is done for exhibits, public research appointments, social media posts, and while evaluating parts of the collection or donations. It usually begins in the museum’s library, which contains many books on Alachua County history and culture. We then check our research files which contain community researched and vetted information from local historians and former staff members. We often also utilize local resources such as the Alachua County Ancient Records, the University of Florida’s collection, and other local institutions’ holdings. Digital research allows for much broader results but must be evaluated thoroughly and the findings weighted appropriately. Given our limited staffing, this process takes time and nearly always leaves room for further research.

Museum Origins

  • What year did the Museum open?
    • The grand opening was March 12, 1994.
  • Why was the Museum created?
    • The Matheson History Museum interprets and preserves the history of Alachua County and its environs through historic preservation; offering innovative exhibitions and programs on a variety of topics in local and Florida history; and promoting new scholarship.
  • Who is the Museum named for?
    • Christopher and Sarah Matheson were the last residents of the Matheson House. Christopher was a lawyer, Presbyterian minister, and the longest-serving Gainesville mayor (1910-1917). Sarah, 27 years his junior, was a teacher, the first female elder at Gainesville’s First Presbyterian Church, member of Church Women United, and a founding Board Member of the Matheson Historical Center (now the Matheson History Museum). Sarah deeded the Matheson House to the Matheson Historical Center upon her death in 1996. 

Supporting the Museum

  • How is the Museum funded?
    • The Matheson is an independent non-profit and is funded solely by grants, membership dues, and donations.
  • How do I become a member?
    • Visit our Membership page to learn about our membership levels and benefits. You can easily join online.
  • Do you accept corporate sponsors?
    • Yes, we are grateful to our partners for their generous contributions of time, goods and funds. Learn more on our Sponsor page.

Museum Events and Programs

  • What types of events and programs do you offer?
    • The Matheson’s speaker series takes place throughout the year and features local and Florida authors, historians, and community leaders. We also host the annual Floridiana Festival (May) and Sarah’s Birthday Bash (September). Our Second Saturdays at Sweetwater series is currently paused while the Matheson House Rehabilitation Project is ongoing. Learn more on our Events page.
  • Is there an admission fee for your programs?
    • All of our programs and events are free, unless otherwise stated.
  • Do you offer summer camps?

Matheson Family

  • When was the Matheson House constructed?
    • The Matheson House, one of the three oldest residences in Gainesville, was completed in the late 1850s by Alexander Matheson, an emigrant from Camden, South Carolina. Alexander was Christopher Matheson’s uncle.
  • Did the Mathesons own slaves?
    • Yes, the 1860 federal census shows Alexander and his wife, Harriet Mary Perry, were living on this property with four of their children and three enslaved servants. Alexander also owned a cotton plantation in northwest Alachua County with 21 enslaved workers living on that property.
  • Are there any living Matheson descendants?
    • Christopher and Sarah Matheson did not have children, so there are no direct descendants living today.