UF Bat Houses, Gainesville

About UF Bat Houses

UF Bat Houses is the world's largest occupied bat houses, located on the University of Florida campus on Museum Road across from Lake Alice. Visitors observe the bats emerging in the evenings seven days a week, watching from benches along the fence line as the colony takes flight. The two structures, built specifically for bat habitation and last expanded in 2017, house an estimated 450,000 to 500,000 bats designed for a capacity of 750,000. Three species live here: Brazilian free-tailed bats, southeastern bats, and evening bats. The colony consumes approximately 2.5 billion insects nightly, including moths, flies, mosquitoes, wasps, and ants. Bats normally emerge 15 to 20 minutes after sunset on calm, warm evenings above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The experience suits anyone interested in wildlife and natural pest control, requiring only observation from a distance. No staff or facilities are onsite, and parking is available on the UF campus in Gainesville.