Est. 1899
Your next Gator getaway is taking shape in the Historic Duck Pond District, near UF’s campus!
Built in 1899, this historic home is being thoughtfully updated to preserve its original charm and character while adding modern comforts to make you feel at home.
Opening December 26, 2026. Sleeps 8, two-night minimum.
We’ll keep you updated when the home is ready to rent and once the full transformation is completed. Our guest list will receive priority for football games, move-in weekends, graduations, and other special events.
We look forward to welcoming friends and friends of friends, with special discounts for repeat stays and referrals. We hope Gator Haven House becomes your home away from home!
Our hope is to become your home away from home throughout your Gator’s years at UF, and to welcome you back again and again.
1899
A Queen Anne laid out for Florida summers: a deep wraparound porch, tall rooms, and a steep front gable to catch the eye from the street.
1899
The timber frame went up on NE Third Street seven years before the University of Florida came to town.
1899
Clapboard, fish-scale shingles and the gingerbread trim.
2026
127 years later, the trim, the posts and the shingles are all still here.
Next
Furnished and opening for stays this winter.
A quiet Duck Pond street, and a porch that’s been welcoming people since 1899.
The gas grill is out back in the fenced yard. The tailgate starts here.
A 7-minute Uber ride, or an enjoyable 35-minute walk with the crowd.
Anyone staying back can catch every snap on the 98-inch screen in the living room.
A billiard table and a Ms. Pac-Man arcade machine for the stretch between games.
Greetings from
Wish you were here
Historical accounts credit Judge Horatio Davis, twice mayor of Gainesville, with building the house in 1899. General Albert Blanding, the man Camp Blanding is named for, lived here from 1900. Six years later the University of Florida opened its Gainesville campus.
