Starting Monday, the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Powell Hall, along with its public exhibitions, is temporarily closed for the museum’s large-scale expansion project.

In December, the Florida Museum announced that it would close on March 24 to start its new, two-story building on the west side of Powell Hall. This nearly 6,000-square-foot addition will host educational spaces, offices and the University of Florida’s Thompson Earth Systems Institute. The projected reopening is 2026 at 3215 Hull Rd. in Gainesville.

“This is an unprecedented experience for all of us. We welcome the opportunity to engage with the community in new ways during the renovation and look forward to sharing the improved Florida Museum exhibition building with visitors when we reopen,” said Florida Museum director Douglas Jones in a press release.

The Department of Natural History’s 31 faculty members and hundreds of employees will be unaffected by the construction as regular activities will continue in 18 collections in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Dickinson Hall and the Special Collections Building, which are not open to the public.

Instead, the museum will maintain its active presence during the closure with a variety of off-site educational programs.

“In the meantime, science doesn’t stop, and we are as busy as ever. We’re excited to work with our partners to keep inspiring and educating the public at events around Alachua County,” Jones said. “From farmers markets to libraries, you never know where the Florida Museum will be showing up next.”

The upcoming off-site public events in April and May for the Florida Museum include:

• Every Monday in April – Science Surprises at the High Springs Alachua County Library District branch
• Every Thursday in April – Science Surprises at Alachua County Library District Headquarters
• Every Friday in April – Science Surprises at the Library Partnership Alachua County Library District branch
• April 10 – Pop-up Museum: Pollinators at Marston Science Library
• April 11 – Spring Plant Sale at the UF Cultural Plaza
• April 14 – Pop-up Museum: Pollinator Pals at the Grove Street Farmers Market

• Every Tuesday in May – Science Surprises at the Hawthorne Alachua County Library District branch
• May 2 – Library Showcase: Spectacular Shells at Alachua County Library District Headquarters
• May 3 – Museum in the Parks: FrogWatch at Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
• May 8, 15, 22 and 29 – Science Surprises at Archer Alachua County Library District branch
• May 9, 16, 23 and 30 – Science Surprises at Tower Road Alachua County Library District branch
• May 12 – Pop-up Museum at the Grove Street Farmers Market

For more information about the expansion, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/visit/expansion.

For more information about the museum’s upcoming events, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/calendar.