Things to Do in Dallas

Nasher Sculpture Center

Located in the heart of the vibrant Dallas Arts District, the Nasher Sculpture Center is one of the top Dallas attractions, home to one of the world’s finest collections of contemporary sculpture. Designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, together with landscape architect Peter Walker, the museum was established by artists Raymond and Patsy Nasher, who wanted to create a one-in-a-kind museum experience.

The building was designed to seamlessly integrate art with nature by connecting beautiful outdoor garden spaces with the indoor galleries through vast floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights and glazed walls. The Nasher Sculpture Center features rotating exhibitions from the Nasher family collection, as well as special exhibitions in both the indoor and outdoor galleries that showcase, enhance and conserve modern and contemporary sculpture.

The center presents a variety of educational and cultural programs, and monthly events such as twilight strolls and ‘Target First Saturdays’ for children.

2001 Flora St., Dallas, TX 75201, Phone: 214-242-5100

Dallas Farmers Market

Located in the Dallas Farmers Market in downtown Dallas, the Dallas Farmers Market is a beautiful public market that is packed with stalls selling fresh farm produce, ranging from fruit and vegetables to flowers and farm-to-table fare. The market was established in the late 19th century with farmers selling their fresh produce from their wagons in various locations around the city, and since then it has grown in leaps and bounds to become one of Dallas’ largest markets.

The market is spread out over four sheds, selling specific produce. Shed 1 and 3 house local farmers selling their own homegrown produce, as well as produce dealers reselling refrigerated produce and food for export. Shed 2 is home to an array of eateries and delis selling specialty foods and food related products. Shed 4 boasts wholesale produce dealers selling large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables. If you are wondering what to do in Dallas with kids, this is a great place to visit.

920 S. Harwood, Dallas, TX 75201, Phone: 214-664-9110

Recommended Activities for Families

Dallas Museum of Art

Situated in the vibrant and eclectic Arts District, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is one of the city’s major art museums with a large permanent collection of works dating back to the 3rd century. Designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, the museum won a Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects and is home to over 24,000 works of art from around the world that celebrate ‘the human power of creation’ and include collections of Mediterranean, South Asian, European, and African art.

The European collection includes works by Gustav Courbet, Paul Cezanne, Auguste Renoir, and Vincent van Gogh. There are expansive collections of decorative arts and design, as well as ancient American art. The Dallas Museum of Art is one of the best things to do in Dallas TX for art lovers. The museum’s non-circulating research library, The Mildred R. and Frederick M. Mayer Library, contains over 50,000 volumes available to the general public and curators alike.

1717 North Harwood, Dallas, TX 75201, Phone: 214-922-1200

Klyde Warren Park

Spread out over five acres between Pearl and St. Paul Streets over the recessed Woodall Rodgers Freeway, which was once a barrier between the two neighborhoods, Klyde Warren Park is a beautifully manicured urban green space in the heart of Dallas’ urban hub. Designed by the Office of James Burnett and named after the son of billionaire Kelcy Warren, the park offers a lovely space to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and relax.

Resting on the edge of the vibrant and eclectic Dallas Arts District, the park serves as a gateway between downtown and the Arts District and offers a variety of activities, including free daily programs such as boot camp, yoga, outdoor concerts and films, photography courses, drumming classes, and book signings. Trendy food trucks serve delicious food and drinks. There are tables and chairs dotted around the park for the perfect romantic picnic.

2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75201, Phone: 214-716-4500

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

Located in a building once known as the Texas School Book Depository, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a tribute to the late President John F. Kennedy, narrating and chronicling his life, death and legacy. Featuring photographs, films and artefacts, the Museum's exhibitions take an introspective look at the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the legacy he left behind and its impact on today’s global society.

The museum features a number of temporary exhibitions, which aim to foster discussion, education and understanding, as well as an extensive library and Reading Room.

411 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75202, Phone: 214-747-6660

Old City Park

Home to the largest assemblage of 19th century pioneer and Victorian homes, buildings and commercial structures in Texas, Old City Park is an excellent example of living history in the heart of a modern city. Old City Park is a collection of beautiful historic buildings from around the region that have been brought together for preservation and interpretation. Built during the nineteenth century, the village is designed to reflect what life would have been like for a typical Northern Texas community between 1840 and 1910 and consists of 21 impressively restored buildings including a school, church, saloon, hotel, general store and a bank. Tours give a fantastic insight into life during that period, and a calendar of interpretive programs aims to educate, preserve and assist in bringing the history of the quaint village to light.

1515 South Harwood, Dallas, Texas 75215, Phone: 214-421-5141

Attractions for Couples

Texas Discovery Gardens

Located in Dallas' historic Fair Park, Texas Discovery Gardens is a 7.5-acre botanic garden that is organically maintained year-round and is home to a wonderful array of native and naturally-adapted plants. Using environmentally-sustainable methods that help to conserve water, and protect the surrounding natural environment to maintain the gardens, they are the first gardens to be 100% organically certified in Texas.

If you are looking for romantic things to do in Dallas, this is a great place to explore. The gardens are home to the ‘Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium’, which boasts a lush tropical rainforest teeming with hundreds of fluttering butterflies. Other collections in the garden include the Benny J. Simpson Texas Native Plant Collection featuring over 300 species native to Texas; the Faerie Blanton Kilgore Heirloom Rose Garden, an intimate enclave of antique and fragrant roses; and the Shakespeare Garden, filled with flora mentioned in the Bard’s works, as well as an antique sundial.

3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Fair Park, Dallas, Texas 75210, Phone: 214-428-7476

Dallas by Chocolate

Learn all about Dallas’ chocolate history on a unique specialty taste-and-testing food tour run by Dallas by Chocolate. Led by some of Dallas' most knowledgeable food experts, chocolate tours include the history of chocolate, where it originates and how it is made, as well as an assortment of fun chocolate trivia with prizes.

Tours venture to all parts of the city, including Uptown, Downtown, Oak Cliff, Park Cities, and beyond, in luxury mini buses and usually last between three and four hours. On arrival at each venue, visitors are treated to samples of the product, which could include delights such as mouth-watering chocolate croissants and dark chocolate toffees, to name but a few.

Reunion Tower

One of the most recognizable landmarks in Dallas, tReunion Tower is a 561-foot (171 m) observation tower in the Reunion District in downtown Dallas. Locally known as ‘The Ball’, the freestanding structure is part of the Hyatt Regency Hotel complex and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

The tower features three circular floors around a central glass-encased shaft, which offers magnificent city vistas in the lift ride up to the observation deck. The observation deck is called the ‘GeO-Deck’, which offers interactive digital experiences featuring information about various Dallas landmarks and telescopes for breathtaking views.

Enjoy a snack at the Cloud 9 Café whilst soaking up the views. The tower's rotating top level is home to celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s award-winning fine dining restaurant, Five Sixty, so named as a reference to the restaurant's elevation, while the second level is used for special events.

300 Reunion Blvd E, Dallas, Texas 75207, Phone: 214-712-7040