Did you know that Gatorade was invented in Gainesville, Florida? It is true! Yep, we have researchers at the University of Florida to thank for inventing the popular sports drink known around the world!

The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention in Gainesville has a fantastic, permanent exhibit about the history of the drink and the team of researchers led by Dr. Robert Cade that invented the sports drink to replace the fluids lost during exercise and sports.

My kids and I took a road trip to Gainesville last summer and fell in love with the Cade Museum and its hands-on exhibits and programming. The Gatorade exhibit was a huge bonus and we enjoyed learning the history of such an iconic product.

Here’s a look at the “A Thirst for Life” exhibit documenting Gatorade’s history and connection to Gainesville –

Learn the History of Gatorade at the Cade Museum

Invented in 1960 at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, Dr. Cade and a team of researchers were studying the effects of heat on the human body. Working directly with student athletes, the researchers discovered that the athletes were losing electrolytes and water while playing sports. In addition to the loss of electrolytes, players blood sugar and blood levels were unstable during play.

And in 1965, the researcher’s drink concoction paired with lemon juice (to make it taste better!) was tested on athletes at a University of Florida football scrimmage game. Their findings showed them that athletes who drank Gatorade outperformed those who did not during the second half of the game.

And by the beginning of the 1966 football season, Gatorade was a welcome part of the sidelines at every game.

Interesting Finds in the Gatorade Exhibit

One of our favorite parts of this exhibit was seeing Gatorade commercials from across the decades and also a collection of the different Gatorade bottles and how they’ve changed over the years.

In addition to the commercials, there were also videos that showed iconic moments in sports history that featured Gatorade including coaches getting doused with Gatorade baths after wins and celebrities drinking Gatorade too!

Another part of the exhibit that I found to be pretty incredible – the museum has the actual laboratory where Gatorade was invented! Originally in the sub-basement of the Medical Sciences Center, the lab went untouched when Dr. Cade’s laboratory was moved to another area of the building.

Thankfully, the original laboratory was in prime condition and everything was moved to the museum! While you can’t walk around and touch anything in the lab, you can observe it from a distance and see everything. Pretty unique to see exactly where an international product was created by researchers. Inspiring!

Ready to Visit the Cade Museum of Creativity & Invention?

While most university towns have museums that cater to the community, the Cade Museum of Creativity & Invention is special. It is the most hands-on museum I’ve ever visited and is loads of fun for adults too. So, in addition to the Gatorade exhibit, don’t skip over the rest of the museum during your visit.

Located at 811 South Main Street in Gainesville, Florida – plan accordingly as the museum is only open Thursday through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. At the time of this article, tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 5 to 17 years old. You can purchase tickets online or upon arrival – there is no benefit to purchasing in advanced, except convenience.

Check out the Cade Museum website at www.cademuseum.org to learn more about the permanent Gatorade exhibit and the current traveling exhibits too. Also, check out the Cade Museum Instagram page too – tons of fun pictures and news there too!

** My family and I paid our own admission to the museum. They didn’t even know I was a writer- I was just another mom the day of our visit. All opinions here are 100% my own. **