10 Things to Do in Dallas, Texas

Dallas is one of the biggest cities in Texas and is full of family fun for all budget levels. Here are ten things to do in Dallas on your next trip.

I’ve lived in Fort Worth for just about my whole life. Dallas is like our best friend who lives next door. Although DFW might seem like one big metropolis, each city has tons of unique attractions on its own. You could easily spend a week in Dallas and not see it all!

Things to do in Dallas

1. Perot Museum of Nature and Science

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is easily my favorite thing to do in Dallas. This museum has 11 permanent exhibits on 5 floors, plus temporary exhibits. It includes everything from dinosaurs and space to geology and engineering.

Everything is hands-on and kids really get to experience science, rather than just observe it. My kids love racing against a t-rex in the sports area, creating a bird in the dino room, and building robots to battle in the tech section.

2. Dallas Museum of Art

General admission to the Dallas Museum of Art is free. (Special exhibits/events may have a charge.) The general collection includes paintings, sculptures, glass, pottery, textiles, and hundreds of other objects from around the world in every time period.

Pick up an Art to Go family tote bag at the main entrance for activities, crafts, games, and other fun things to do inspired by the art. The museum also hosts special family events and late-night events, which might include films or gallery activities.

3. Dallas World Aquarium

The Dallas World Aquarium is located downtown, pretty close to the Perot. There are five main sections organized by geography. If you think the aquarium is just fish, think again. This one also has birds, primates, frogs, lizards, and a tree kangaroo. My favorite is the tiny fairy penguins.

4. Klyde Warren Park

Klyde Warren Park is not your typical park/playground space. First of all, it’s built on top of the highway in a see-it-to-believe-it kind of way. There is plenty of green space for running and playing, climbing equipment, and splash fountains.

There are tables and chairs throughout the park or bring a blanket to hang out on the grass. You’ll also find games to check out, live music, classes, and other scheduled activities. The park is free, but you’ll need to pay for parking nearby.

5. Dallas Zoo

The Dallas Zoo seems to always have new babies. It also has koalas, lemurs, otters, a naked mole-rat, and plenty of other odd critters, in addition to more common zoo residents.

The zoo is very walkable in a few hours and is also stroller/wheelchair friendly. To save on admission, watch the zoo’s website for seasonal discounts and the annual Dollar Day, usually in July.

6. Dallas Heritage Village

Explore and learn at Dallas Heritage Village, a living history museum near downtown. The 20-acre outdoor museum has several historic homes, shops, and city buildings from around the Dallas area that were built in the mid-1800s.

Tour the grounds and see how local families lived over 150 years ago. Check the events calendar and plan to visit during a cooking demo, musical performance, or a gunfight at the saloon.

7. Reunion Tower Geo-deck

If you’re familiar with Dallas, you probably call this building “the ball.” The building is 560-feet tall with a big sphere on top. Ride the elevator up to the GeO-Deck for the best view of the city.

You can step outside onto the very-safe-enclosed balcony for some incredible photos. On a clear day, you can look west and see Fort Worth! There are also interactive touchscreens that have info on many of the attractions you can see from there, including maps, distances, and video clips.

8. Medieval Times

Eating with your hands while watching knights joust? Yes, please. We took our son to Medieval Times for his birthday one year and he said it was the “best ever.”

Guests sit at long tables surrounding an arena and watch a combination theater show and jousting match. Each section is assigned a knight to cheer for and a cool paper hat to wear. The princess and other royalty act out a story on stage, complemented by horseback knights down in the arena. (Note: If you are allergic to horses or hay, there are tons of both.)

9. Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

There are tons of flowers, of course, at the Dallas Arboretum. Although I could spend hours with my camera, the part that makes it fun for kids is the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. Although it has an additional fee, it’s totally worth it. There are tons of hands-on educational exhibits, including giant flowers that teach plant parts, treetop walkways, a secret garden labyrinth, and an edible garden full of growing produce and health lessons

 In addition to year-round flowers, the arboretum has seasonal exhibits, like the Pumpkin Village in fall and Dallas Blooms in spring.

10. The 6th Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza

While this isn’t a place I would recommend taking young kids or even some teens, I wanted to include it because I had an amazing experience there. The museum, which occupies the Texas Book Depository where JFK was assassinated, has an exhibit dedicated to the story of his life and death.

Visitors get a headset for an audio tour and walk through the story. I was surprised at the volume of photos, videos, and audio recordings from those who were there. It is a must for any history buff.

What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:

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