25 Best Things to Do in Dallas, Texas

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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

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Located in the Farmers Market District 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

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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

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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

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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

© Dallas Heritage Village

Home to the largest assemblage of 19th century pioneer and Victorian homes, buildings and commercial structures in Texas, Dallas Heritage Village is an excellent example of living history in the heart of a modern city.

Located in Old City Park, the Dallas Heritage Village 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.

This is one of the top Dallas, Texas attractions. Tours around the village 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

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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

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© Cattleack Barbeque

Cattleack Barbeque was originally founded in 2010 by pitmaster Todd David, acclaimed today for its melt-in-your-mouth signature smoked meats. The restaurant is open limited hours, making it one of Dallas' most exclusive dining experiences. Diners can enjoy excellent lunchtime specials, highlighting smoked meats like beef brisket, pork ribs, homemade sausages, and savory turkey, all smothered in the restaurant's signature Special Reserve barbecue sauce. Delicious sandwiches are also served up, along with hearty homestyle sides like loaded baked beans, cheesy jalapeno grits, and classic potato salad. Diners should note that long lines form early and that a maximum of around 500 people can be served each day.

13628 Gamma Rd, Farmers Branch, TX 75244, Phone: 972-805-0999

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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. Phone: 972-814-5997

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One of the most recognizable landmarks in Dallas, the Reunion 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

© Fearing’s Restaurant

Fearing’s Restaurant offers outstanding all-American fare and superb service in the relaxed, elegant setting of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. If you are looking for romantic date night ideas, this is a great place to try.

Managed by renowned celebrity chef Dean Fearing, author of The Texas Food Bible, the restaurant features seven spectacular Dallas dining and gathering settings where visitors gather to enjoy Fearing’s “Elevated American Cuisine with Bold Flavors and No Borders.” Have an intimate dinner under a vaulted stone ceiling in the Wine Cellar; dine in the elegant surroundings of a magnificent art collection in The Gallery; or watch your meal being prepared by expert chefs in Dean’s Kitchen.

For the ultimate dining experience, dine in the breathtaking glass dining pavilion of Sendrero, which overlooks its own walled garden with water features and the beautifully landscaped Ocaso patio. Enjoy a drink at the legendary Rattlesnake Bar or next to the outdoor fireplace at the Live Oak Bar.

2121 McKinney Ave, Dallas, Texas 75201, Phone: 214-922-4848

© White Rock Alehouse and Brewery

White Rock Alehouse and Brewery is a lively brewpub opened in 2017 by Greg Nixon and Dave Kirk, located in Dallas' lovely White Rock Lake district. The brewery is known for its award-winning craft beers, which are prepared in house at the company's brewing facility. Year-round brews include selections like the company's Big Thicket Blonde Ale, White Rock IPA, Dave's Perfect Pils, Bonnie Barge Brown Ale, and Weiz Ass Bass German Hefeweizen. Diners can enjoy drafts or flights alongside delicious gastropub fare throughout the week, including artisanal flatbread pizzas and shareable appetizers like fried chicken sliders, brewmaster's beer mustard pretzels, and ahi tuna nachos. Creative cocktails are also served up, along with a selection of fine international wines.

7331 Gaston Ave #100, Dallas, TX 75214, Phone: 214-989-7570

© Gemma Restaurant

Gemma Restaurant is a casual California-inspired new American eatery and one of Dallas’ most popular and inviting restaurants.

Owned by Allison Yoder and Stephen Rogers, who previously worked in the Napa Valley, the menu and wine list have a distinct Californian influence, from the relaxed casual ambiance and excellent service to the exciting and seasonal menu and compelling wine list.

Enjoy wintery dishes such as tender braised veal cheeks, served with Japanese turnips, carrots and cipollini onions on black peppery spaetzel, or house-made cavatelli with wild boar ragú, while summer sees lighter delights, such as grilled striped bass with summer beans, tomato and toasted cashew gremolata. Dessert consists of cream cheese crêpes with huckleberry compote and Meyer lemon ice cream.

2323 N Henderson Ave #109, Dallas, Texas 75206, Phone: 214-370-9426

© Spa Habitat Organic Spas

Spa Habitat is a brand of award-winning organic spas in various locations around Dallas that offer personalized spa services and high quality organic products. Spa Habitat spas are located in the West Village in Uptown Dallas, the Historic Downtown Plano, The Shops at Legacy, and the WinStar World Casino Hotel.

The day spas have a relaxed, eco-friendly atmosphere, and professional, experienced spa staff, who will pamper you in style. Services include a selection of luxurious massages, body wraps and scrubs, facials, hand and foot treatments, as well as tailor-made spa packages.

Inside the spa, you will find an organic apothecary, which stocks the highest quality organic products, sourced both locally and from around the globe.

3699 McKinney Avenue #304, Dallas, Texas 75204, Phone: 214-522-9989

© Le Bilboquet

If you fell in love with Le Bilboquet in New York, you can now enjoy its sister in Dallas. Located in the Knox area, in the Travis Walk center, Dallas Le Bilboquet is very charming and very French, bright and sunny with white table cloths and rattan furniture, a perfect little French bistro where chefs Momo Sow and Jared Robinette use organic, fresh, and seasonal ingredients to create delicious French-American fusion and select French staple dishes. You have to try their poached halibut with snap peas, sautéed wild mushrooms, and mint pesto sauce or the Dover sole – pan seared and served with mixed vegetables, shaved black truffle, and lemon butter. Their wine list is extensive and well selected.

4514 Travis St Ste 124, Dallas, TX 75205, Phone: 469-730-2937

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Designed by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta and his son Victor, the Latino Cultural Center is a brightly colored space with a tower, plaza, fountain and other features inspired by the Latin American traditions.

Visitors can take a free 45-minute tour to admire the architecture, sculpture courtyards, the lobby and current exhibitions. The Oak Farms Dairy Theater hosts a series of events, including dance, ballet, music and movies. Cultural festivals are held outdoors in the plaza. Gallery exhibits showcase art by local and regional artists and change every few months.

On Second Saturdays, families can participate in arts and crafts workshops, listen to stories in Spanish and watch performances.

2600 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204, Phone: 214-939-2787

© Snowbaby

Snowbaby is a unique Taiwanese-style shaved ice joint, opened in 2018 within Dallas' Lakewood neighborhood by Chrissy Kuo. The restaurant serves up unique takes on the popular ice cream-snow cone hybrid dessert, prepared with sweetened condensed milk and ingredients free of all artificial additives. Diners can select from Snowbaby flavors like locally-sourced Whiterock Coffee cold brew or creamy organic coconut, with seasonal selections offered on a rotating basis throughout the year. Topping selections range from honey and oat granola or seasonal fruit selections to sweet treats like cake bites or cookie crumble from local bakery Unrefined Bakery. Asian-style bubble waffles are also served up, along with fruit bubble teas.

6404 Gaston Ave, Dallas, TX 75214, Phone: 214-843-1193

© NorthPark Center

NorthPark Center is one of Dallas’ largest and most popular shopping malls. Located at the intersection of the North Central Expressway (US 75) and the Northwest Highway (Loop 12), NorthPark is home to over 235 stores, ranging from world-renowned department stores, designer boutiques, superb restaurants, cafés and bars, and offers an unrivalled luxury shopping experience.

The center is housed in an award-winning architectural structure complemented by beautiful landscaping, manicured gardens and internationally-acclaimed 20th century artwork, for which it has won countless awards, including the coveted ‘Best Design of the Decade’ awarded by the American Institute of Architects.

Watch a movie at the state-of-the-art AMC NorthPark 15, or dine in style at a range of outstanding restaurants. The center also features deluxe services such as a valet service, duty-free shopping for international visitors and a car-wash-while-you-shop service.

8687 North Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas 75225, Phone: 214-363-7441

© The Library Bar

Located on Oak Lawn Avenue at the Warwick Melrose Hotel, the Library Bar is a go-to spot for after-work cocktails and drinks. The bar is elegantly furnished with a beautiful lapis lazuli bar and candlelit tables.

The full-service bar has a comprehensive menu of cocktails, aperitifs, wine and beers, while a simplified bar menu includes specialty appetizers and light meals. Evenings offer live entertainment with top local entertainers in a stylish, sophisticated ambiance. Stay for dinner at the Landmark Restaurant which serves hand-stuffed duck ravioli, great seafood and grilled dishes.

3015 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219, Phone: 214-521-5151

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Located in the West End Historic District of downtown Dallas, the Dallas World Aquarium is non-profit aquarium and zoo with the aim of conserving threatened or endangered animals through co-operative breeding programs with various other zoos from around the world.

The aquarium is home to a superb collection of exhibits, including an artificial reproduction of the Orinoco Rainforest where you will find a variety of exotic birds, and animals such as three-toed sloths, tamarins, poison-dart frogs, and vampire bats.

Ten main aquatic tanks house marine life from regions around the world, including Indonesia, Fiji, Southern Australia, Japan, British Colombia and the Solomon Islands. An awe-inspiring, interactive 40-foot (12 m) tunnel displays fish that live on the continental shelf, while a number of smaller displays boast colorful corals, jellyfish and vibrant sea anemones.

1801 N Griffin St, Dallas, Texas 75202, Phone: 214-720-2224

© Kenny’s Wood Fired Grill

Offering a warm and welcoming atmosphere with friendly service and a delicious menu showcasing New England cuisine with a twist, Kenny’s Wood Fired Grill in Addison Walk Shopping Center has an elegant club-like feel evocative of a 1940s Chicago-style steakhouse, with dark wood tables, gleaming red leather seating and rustic face brick walls.

The menu features wood-grilled seafood and prime-cut meats, including the famous ‘Steak and Cake’ – an 8 oz. fillet topped with a succulent crab cake. Entrées include chunky clam chowder, smoky, wood-grilled asparagus and delicious homemade mac-and-cheese, with the cheese of your choice, and for mains, the chilled lobster salad is sublime.

Enjoy a glass of wine from a great wine list featuring vintages from around the world, or a James Bond-style Grey Goose martini poured from the signature frozen tap system and shaken or stirred to your taste.

5000 Beltline Rd. #775, Dallas, Texas 75254, Phone: 972-392-9663

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Established in 1900, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra began as a 40-member ensemble and has since grown into a world-renowned orchestra performing in one of the finest concert halls in the world.

The orchestra is hosted in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, a world-class symphony hall that has become a famed landmark on the Dallas skyline. The center rests in the heart of the Dallas Arts District, a unique, 19-block neighborhood in the heart of the city that is the center of the region's cultural life. Home to some of the city’s finest architecture, consisting of museums, churches, performing arts centers, hotels and restaurants, this buzzing district plays a vital role in the orchestra’s function.

In addition to The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, visitors enjoy outstanding cultural entertainment, including innovative chamber opera and grand opera performances by the Dallas Opera at the Winspear Opera House, classic and groundbreaking theater by the Dallas Theater Company at the Wyly Theater, and a variety of performances and programs throughout the district.

2301 Flora St, Dallas, Texas 75201, Phone: 214-849-4376

© Garden Cafe

This Old East Dallas cafe is a cozy neighborhood restaurant where locals go for their Sunday breakfast or brunch to indulge in chicken-salad sandwiches, meatloaf, turkey melts, eggs and bacon and pancakes. The dining room is cozy with exposed brick and comfortable banquette tables but if weather permits sit in the garden, or on the patio, and enjoy all the veggies and herbs that are more than a decoration, some of them are in your plate too.

They are strong proponents of the 'farm to table' philosophy and put it in practice long before it became a fad by growing much of their produce. There are chickens running around too, so you can be sure your eggs will be fresh. They have daily specials, so if you want Cajun catfish, you better come in on Friday.

5310 Junius St, Dallas, TX 75214, Phone: 214-887-8330

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SOLUNA is a Dallas art festival that brings together international artists and Dallas’s best arts organizations while bridging the gap between modern culture and classical music. SOLUNA combines performing and contemporary arts with strong science and educational components by inviting audiences to experience art and music while interacting with the Dallas community. This multi-disciplinary art festival was established four years ago and lasts three weeks. It consists of a traditional part, with classical music performances, while the contemporary part of the festival features hip, edgy hip artists and performers. The festival normally ends with a big concert and great fireworks.

Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St, Dallas, TX 75201, Phone: 214-849-4376

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The 14,000 square foot George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum houses Presidential records, collections, electronic records and audiovisual materials from the White House Photo Office. Visitors can walk through a full-size replica of the Oval Office, a Texas Rose Garden and a Decision Points Theater.

The 67-foot Freedom Hall features a 360-degree high definition video depicting the 44 United States' Presidents. In addition to the permanent exhibits, the museum hosts a series of special exhibits throughout the year, showcasing items from museums and Presidential Libraries across the nation.

2943 SMU Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75205, Phone: 214-346-1650