GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Look on any list of creatures that people are afraid of, and bats are likely to turn up in the top 10.

What You Need To Know

  • Lubee Bat Conservancy in Gainesville is home to the largest bat species in the world

  • The facility is celebrating 35 years of saving, protecting and educating the public about bats

  • Its VIP tour allows guests to visit, feed and learn about over 150 bats that make their home here

Myths that surround bats cause much of the fear of the flying mammals.

But there is a place in Florida where some of the largest bats in the world live and anyone can visit them.

Brian Pope, director of the Lubee Bat Conservancy in Gainesville says that people really don’t know about bats and are often mystified about the creatures.

“There is a lot of myths associated with bats, such as bats being blind. But bats actually have excellent eyesight," Pope says.

Celebrating 35 years, Lubee Bat Conservancy is a safe home to over 150 bats. The nonprofit is the spot where various bat species spend their days playing, eating, socializing and interacting with their roost mates.

Through its VIP program, anyone can spend a little time there with them.

“With the VIP tours, they get to come in with the bats. They get to interact with them. They get to feed them," Pope says. "They get our little back scratchers, and they get to scratch the bats.”

The VIP tours take visitors behind the scenes at Lubee, including multiple toy storage units. These bats have tons of toys to play with and thrive on stimulation.

“Toys, games, puzzles," Pope says. "They like things that make noise.”

One highlight of the property is the Malayan Flying Fox Bats, considered the largest species of bats on the planet.

While Florida does not have large native bats, the Sunshine State has many species that make their home here and are essential to the state's ecosystem.

“They are all around us, but there is nothing to fear about these bats," Pope says. "All they are doing is going out at night, eating insects, eating fruit, pollinating flowers, dispersing seeds. When it comes to services provided by mammals, no other animal on earth replicates what bats do for humans.”

The 75-minute tour introduces visitors to a variety of bat species, including those found in Florida.

Reservations to visit the conservancy are made online. 

For more information about the VIP tour, visit Lubee Bat Conservancy website.