Things to see in Dallas

Tourist offices

Visitor Information Center of Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau

Address: 100 S Houston Street, West End, Dallas, TX 75202
Tel: +1 214 571 1316 .
Opening Hours:

Mon-Sun 0900-1700

www.visitdallas.com

Located inside Dallas’ Old Red Courthouse Museum, staff are friendly and happy to dish out everything from activity ideas to tips on where to find the best steaks.


Passes

A Dallas CityPASS (www.citypass.com/dallas) can be purchased from the tourist office for $48 and includes discounted admission to the city’s top attractions, including Dallas Zoo and the Reunion Tower’s GeO-Deck.

Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum

Formerly a rather ordinary building in Downtown Dallas, the fortunes of The Texas School Book Depository were transformed on November 22 1963 when President John F Kennedy was shot dead outside. Killer Lee Harvey Oswald worked at the depository and fired the fatal shot from the sixth floor – now a museum.

Opening Times: Tue-Sun 1000-1800, Mon 1200-1800.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 747 6660.
Fair Park

The 111 hectare Fair Park was created in 1936, for the Texas Centennial Exposition and includes a smorgasbord of attractions, ranging from museums to theaters. Highlights include the Texas Discovery Gardens, the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Music Hall at Fair Park. There is also a lovely (albeit child-focused) aquarium.

Opening Times: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 670 8400.
John F Kennedy Memorial

Designed by Philip Johnson, a Kennedy family friend, the JFK Memorial sits just off Dealey Plaza close to the Old Red Courthouse. A stark white stone platform, it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and is the site of an annual commemoration ceremony on the anniversary of President Kennedy’s death.

Opening Times: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 747 6660.
Website: http://None
Reunion Tower

One of Dallas’ most recognizable landmarks, Reunion Tower is home to the GeO-Deck – a circular observation platform 561ft (181m) off the ground. Known to locals as ‘the Ball’, the top of the tower is lit up with LEDs at night and is home to a restaurant aptly named Cloud 9.

Opening Times: Mon-Sun 1030-2100
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 712 7040
Southfork Ranch

Once a private home, Southfork Ranch has been a full time tourist attraction since 1985 – after the owners got fed up with Dynasty fans showing up and asking to see the home of the Ewing family. Still a working ranch, visitors can go trail riding or put their feet up and watch one of the frequent ‘showdeos’.

Opening Times: Mon-Sun 1000-1630
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 972 442 7800.
Dallas Zoo

Sprawling over 105 acres three miles south of central Dallas, the city zoo was opened in 1888 and is the oldest in Texas. Thanks to the 406 species of animal that lives within, it’s also one of the most popular with highlights including the Giants of the Savannah exhibit and the in-house monorail.

Opening Times: Daily 0900-1600.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 469 554 7500.
Klyde Warren Park

The only proper park in Dallas, Klyde Warren Park covers five acres and is the place to go if you’re in the market for a free yoga or pilates class. There are also poetry readings, concerts and plays, while the north side has chess tables. For the peckish, there’s usually a food truck around with options ranging from Vietnamese to Texas BBQ.

Opening Times: Daily 0600-2300.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 716-4500.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science

One of Dallas’ most popular attractions, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science occupies 180,000sqft and boasts 11 exhibition halls. Highly interactive, highlights include the jaw-dropping 3D simulations and the spectacular Big Bang Dome. The museum’s cube-shaped building, giant glass lobby and lovely rooftop deck are worth making the trip for alone.

Opening Times: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 428 5555.
Dallas Museum of Art

Housed in a colossal concrete and steel building, the Dallas Museum of Art boasts 23,000 works drawn from six of the world’s seven continents. The US and Mexico feature heavily but there is also a 1,400-strong collection of impressionist paintings and frequent visiting exhibitions.

Opening Times: Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun 1100-1700; Thu 1100-2100.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 922 1200.
Wilson Block and Swiss Avenue Historic Districts

The Wilson Block is an entire block of houses on Swiss Avenue, acquired by Henrietta and Frederick Wilson in 1899. One of the six, the Wilson House, is open to the public and includes exhibitions giving an introduction to the area. Nearby Swiss Avenue is home to the mega mansions of the original oil barons – showing off their early 20th Century taste, or lack (in some cases) thereof.

Opening Times: Tues-Fri 1000-1600, Sat 1000-1400.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Telephone: +1 214 826 4947.
Visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing. You should verify critical travel information independently with the relevant embassy before you travel.