The Florida Museum of Natural History will host its Museum Fest: Explore What’s Next on March 8.

Museum Fest, a free event, will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will celebrate fan-favorite activities from previous events as visitors will get an up-close look at museum objects, such as looking for fossils, picking up a native plant, and touring the butterfly and moth collections.

“From classics like the dig pit and free native plants to a sneak peek of our collections and upcoming off-site programs, this is a community celebration of all things Florida Museum,” said Janelle Peña-Jiménez, Florida Museum’s public programs coordinator in a press release.

According to the release, “Visitors can take a behind-the-scenes look at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, home to one of the world’s largest butterfly and moth collections, and learn about the unique work that goes into preserving these insects directly from the experts that study them. These free tours will take place at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Space is limited to 25 participants on a first-come, first-served basis; visitors can sign in at the welcome table upon arrival to reserve a spot.” 

Visitors can meet the researchers who study a range of topics from evolutionary genetics to mammals to imperiled butterflies from across the museum and university, including the Florida Museum Mammals Collection, Daniels Lab, Blackburn Lab and UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute.

Food trucks from the B’z Gelati or Fat G’s BBQ and Catering will also be on site.

Visitors can select one of the following plants to take home for free: Darrow’s blueberry, lyreleaf sage, largeflower false-rosemary, east coast dune sunflower, Simpson’s stopper, Atlantic St. John’s wort, swamp twinflower and privet senna.

The Florida Museum’s public exhibitions at Powell Hall will temporarily close beginning March 24 for an extensive expansion project. The museum will continue to have an ongoing presence in the community with expanded programming at local farmers markets, sporting events, on UF’s campus and the Alachua County Library District branches.

Museum Fest will also highlight the upcoming event schedule, a preview of the mobile gift shop that will accompany staff around the community, along with a sample of outreach programs that are funded by the Children’s Trust of Alachua County, like Science Surprises.

“As the Florida Museum undergoes an exciting transformation, our presence in the community will continue to be as strong as ever,” said Jaret Daniels, curator of the Florida Museum’s McGuire Center and interim director of exhibits and public programs, in a press release. “We’re excited to share this with our guests and to highlight how the museum’s impact transcends physical boundaries with our upcoming outreach initiatives and engaging off-site programs.”

The final day to visit the Florida Museum before the expansion is March 23. The expansion will include the construction of a 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.

While the event activities are free, there will be an admission fee for the “Butterfly Rainforest” exhibit.

For more information about the event, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/event/museum-fest.