Thomas Center
Thomas Center
4.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Enjoy a delightful and free of charge visit to The Historic Thomas Center. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building is a beautifully restored Mediterranean Revival-style hotel. Stroll through the lovely gardens and view the art in one of our two galleries. You can experience the past through the 1920's period rooms and local history exhibits. Listen to the interesting history of the property and the Thomas Family with a free cell phone tour. FREE OF CHARGE/FREE PARKING/HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles67 reviews
Excellent
43
Very good
20
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Carrie N
Sarasota, FL19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Solo
A visit to the Thomas center is well worth your time. There are four fully furnished period rooms where every detail has been included. There are a number of fascinating displays that highlight the history of Gainesville. The building and grounds are beautiful. The two art exhibits were well displayed and comprehensive. This is a wonderful gem in a beautiful historic neighborhood.
Written 25 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marlin N
105 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021
The Historic Thomas Center is a gorgeous venue and we wanted to have our wedding ceremony and reception there. Being public property and having many COVID-19 restrictions, it was a challenge, but Leslie Ladendorf and Jessica Loveless with the City of Gainesville and Thomas Center were so helpful and enthusiastic. They worked closely with us so we could have the dream wedding we wanted despite all the COVID restrictions. Leslie and Jessica went above and beyond to ensure that the event was perfect and every detailed was covered. Our wedding theme was lights and stars. Leslie and Jessica were even able to convince the city of Gainesville to allow us to keep the gorgeous Christmas lights that were in the magnolia trees around the fountain. Those lights which were blue and gold (our wedding colors) added an unforgettable feeling and made the ambiance feel like a true fairy tale.
Written 2 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KBM212
Gainesville, FL243 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Definitely check out the schedule of concerts and other special events. Lovely location in the more established part of the city.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Don N
Raleigh, NC2,092 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Family
Thomas Center is always worth a visit. It is a beautiful restored hotel now used mainly by the City of Gainesville.

They have two small art galleries and at least one is always good. One of the art galleries is in back of the beautiful Spanish Court with it's magnificent skylight ceiling located on the first floor. The other art gallery is upstairs on the second floor which has a great view of the Spanish Court downstairs.

There are several historical room recreations showing how Major Thomas lived back in the 1920s.

The grounds are beautiful. They have a nice fountain out front. There is free visitor parking. Located in historic part of Gainesville.

A hidden jewel in Gainesville.
Written 31 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review. We love it when people help spread the word about us! We hope you'll be back. Our new first floor exhibit opens on June 28th.
Written 3 June 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Wanda1960
Gainesville, FL65 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
I went to a wedding there and it was very nice. I have no idea the price or who catered but everything was presented beautifully.
Written 20 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are glad you enjoyed your experience, Wanda. Make sure to come back sometime and see our art galleries and restored period rooms!
Written 21 March 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Don N
Raleigh, NC2,092 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2018 • Family
The Thomas Center or Hotel Thomas is a great place to visit during Christmas season. They have about a 20 foot tall Cedar Christmas Tree in the Spanish Court. They do this every year.

In addition they have the two small art galleries one behind Spanish Court and the other upstairs overlooking the tree and the court. In addition there is a Christmas Tree in the Thomas Living Room downstairs with old timey lights and decorations.

A wonderful place to visit year round with gorgeous grounds and superb architecture. One of the gems of Gainesville.

Admission is free as well as parking. A must in Gainesville it is not large and won't take a lot of time, but is well worth it.
Written 22 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your glowing review! We are pleased you enjoyed your visit and are thrilled that you are encouraging others to visit Gainesville's best-kept secret. The Thomas Center Associates are a local non-profit, volunteer group who decorate the building each holiday season. We will pass along your compliments to them. We hope you'll be back!
Written 26 December 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

K B
Warren, NJ158 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2018 • Couples
Enjoyed our quick stop at Thomas Center. The outside area is very relaxing. Inside you can view a few rooms. You need to use your cell phone audio to learn about the Thomas Center in the 1920's, there are no tour guides. I could not figure out if you can go into the hotel area, so just visited the main building/house.
Written 3 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad you enjoyed your visit! The building that originally housed the hotel rooms is used for City of Gainesville offices now. We hope you will join us again.
Written 5 November 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

George P
Gainesville, FL61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Family
The Thomas Center which is located in the heart of the city's famous Historic Duckpond Neighborhood has served many functions including its present role as a headquarters to many city government offices. It has a lovely art gallery downstairs in the marbled and stately atrium. It also has an upstairs wrap around open hallway overlooking the grand 1st floor and upward at the enormous rectangular skylight which brightens the 2nd floor are gallery which usually showcases local artists' works. The 1st floor with its marble floor and stately columns adds an elegance and great acoustics for small ensemble and solo musical performances. The expansive and manicured park-like grounds surrounding the Thomas Center, make it a great destination for a picnic or to reflect at the fountain on the many available benches. The Thomas Center was once the home of the Thomas family, then became an army officer's barracks during WW II before its purchase by the city. The 1st floor and outside grounds are often used by the public for weddings and the Santa Fe Spring Arts Festival often sets up venues for children to play during the festival. Medieval Festivals also took place in the past until they outgrew the available space. On the 1st week end in December each year the Thomas Center opens its doors for its annual Christmas celebration with a tree lighting ceremony for its roof-high tree accompanied by caroling, cookies and cider, and for many years horse wagon rides around the neighborhood's duckpond. The wagon rides have been a challenge in recent years since the horse and carriage companies have mostly gone out of business. But the Duckpond Neighborhood residents pitch in and place sand-filled white bags containing candles along the sidewalks up and down the streets as far as the eye can see, so it still remains quite festive.
Written 28 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your generous review. We are quite proud of our longstanding history in the community and particularly enjoy when visitors appreciate it too. I do have one small correction: some officers from Camp Blanding founded an officer's club on our property during WWII, but the property was never actually a barracks. The art exhibits on both floors change out regularly so we encourage you to keep coming back, Thank you again for your support!
Written 29 August 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Maryann M
Wellington, FL80 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Couples
This place was probably a magnificent hotel in the 1920s.... not many rooms are actually set up for viewing... some of the original suites are actually used as office space for the department of parks etc. so they are occupied by people working. The rooms that are set up are lovely... Victorian and tasteful.... free admission so no disappointment. The gardens are small and relaxing. Worth a visit as it’s a quick in and out... set in a quaint neighborhood that’s so worth exploring.
Written 9 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your nice review. We are glad you enjoyed your visit to view our gardens and restored museum rooms. We hope you also got a chance to view our two art galleries. Those exhibits change out every few months, so keep coming back!
Written 11 July 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jincognito
Gainesville, FL645 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Friends
The Thomas Center is a great asset to the City of Gainesville. There is enough to keep visitors happy for 30 minutes with the displays, but really it is good place for concerts, private party dinners etc.
Written 4 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the kind review! Locals are quite loyal to our facility, since it represents Gainesville's roots, and we are happy that visitors from outside the area are discovering us too! Art exhibits change out every few months, so keep coming back!!
Written 6 April 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Thomas Center - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Center

Thomas Center is open:
  • Mon - Mon 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Tue - Wed 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
  • Thu - Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM