The Big D is the third-largest city in Texas (after Houston and San Antonio) and the ninth-largest in the country. It also occupies a storied place in Texas and American culture. There was even a popular TV series named after it and set there from 1978 until 1991. Once the domain of cattle barons and later oil tycoons, Dallas today is dominated by the defense, financial services, and tech industries.
If you’re visiting Dallas or have just moved there, you’re probably wondering what the best things to see and do are. Following are some of our favorites.
Klyde Warren Park
All great cities have great parks that the public can visit free of charge. At this one, you can enjoy nature trails, a dog park, food trucks, a children’s park, live performances, and more.
Dallas Museum of Art
Here, you’ll find art spanning multiple continents and eras, from the 1300s to today. Admission is free, and the staff members are friendly and knowledgeable.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Dealey Plaza is where Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy, and he pulled the trigger from a room on the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository. Today, that floor is a museum dedicated to the tragic assassination as well as JFK’s life and era.
Reunion Tower
Reunion Tower has an oblong shape, which is why locals call it “The Ball.” Rising 470’ above Downtown, it’s an easily recognizable landmark, and it has an indoor and outdoor Geo-Deck from where you can enjoy 360-degree views.
Dallas Arts District
This is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the country. It is free to go there and walk around, and it contains several sites on this list, including the next one.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Kids love this place for the hands-on activities and educational exhibits. During the summer, it’s also an excellent respite from the usually hot and humid weather of the Dallas area.
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Occupying 66 acres in White Rock Lake Park (later on this list), it is one of the best outdoor spaces in Dallas. One of the highlights is seeing over 2,000 varieties of azaleas bloom in the spring.
George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
No matter your politics, it’s always worth it to visit a presidential library to learn more about the important events and issues that faced that administration. This library focuses on the second President Bush and includes themes of compassion, freedom, opportunity, and responsibility.
The Dallas World Aquarium
While you’re visiting the other attractions, don’t miss the incredible rainforest exhibit. Throughout the zoo, you’ll also see many rare and/or endangered animals, such as Orinoco crocodiles and giant river otters.
Dallas Cattle Drive Sculptures at Pioneer Plaza
Once, Dallas was a major cattle city because it was a railroad hub and cowboys would lead drives to the stockyards there. Today, you can see bronze sculptures enacting an epic cattle drive.
The Dallas Zoo
Like other good modern zoos, the Dallas one is about more than just providing a home for interesting and endangered animals. It also seeks to inspire a passion for nature and wildlife conservation, and it supports several such projects worldwide.
White Rock Lake Park
This park containing the aforementioned Arboretum and Botanical Garden has White Rock Lake as its centerpiece. Running, hiking, birdwatching, and fishing are popular activities here.
Nasher Sculpture Center
Raymond and Patsy Nasher amassed a collection of sculptures that now includes more than 400 works by some of the 20th century’s most famous and influential sculptors, including Rodin and Matisse. Tours last up to 2 hours and start at $10 for adults.
Frontiers of Flight Museum
You might think of Love Field as the hub and headquarters for Southwest Airlines. However, it’s also home to this museum that memorializes flight pioneers from the 1920s to today’s space age. It’s fitting since the Dallas-Fort Worth area is known as the Aviation Capital of the World.
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
This museum somberly commemorates and brings to life the history and consequences of the Holocaust. It also explores other historical genocides as well as America’s journey regarding civil and human rights.
Deep Ellum
Originally a warehouse district, Deep Ellum is now a cultural hive with top-rated restaurants, concert venues, boutique shops, bars, and nightclubs. If New York is the “City That Never Sleeps,” Deep Ellum is the part of Dallas that never does.
AT&T Stadium
This venue is home field for the Dallas Cowboys, but if you’re not a fan of “America’s Team,” that’s okay because there’s a lot more going on here. It’s hosted a Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four, as well as world-class soccer matches and live concerts.
American Airlines Center
If you like pro hockey and basketball, you’ll love coming here for home games for the Stars and Mavericks, and you don’t need us to tell you which is which. But if you’re not into those sports, you can still come here for the concerts.
Dallas Farmers Market
Dallas can seem so busy, as can many of the attractions on this list. Are you looking for something wholesome and simple? Come here to enjoy a wide offering of fresh ethnic and local foods that will keep you coming back—or, if you’re a visitor, at least wanting to.
Winspear Opera House
If you’re not already a fan of opera, you probably will be after visiting here. The acoustics are amazing, and they bring both performers and audience members together into the production for an experience that you’ll never forget.
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Featured Image Credit: Kit Leong/Shutterstock
Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.