If you’re looking for family fun in the Dallas-Fort Worth area suburbs, here are 10 things to do in Mid-Cities and the surrounding area.
Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, Keri Houchin earns a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Mid-Cities refers to an area between Fort Worth and Dallas. It includes Bedford, Euless, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Hurst, Irving, North Richland Hills, Southlake, and several other towns.
Most of these cities are not large enough to each have 10 family-friendly tourist attractions for a stand-alone post, but I also didn’t want to leave them out of the series.
This post is part of a series on 10 Things to Do in Texas. Read the others:
Arlington | Dallas | Fort Worth | Garland | Houston | Mid-Cities
Things to do in Mid-Cities
1. Irving Arts Center, Irving
The Irving Arts Center is a hub for theater, history, and art exhibits. The sculpture garden has permanent installations, but everything else changes regularly. The best way to see what’s coming soon is to check the calendar.
Past family-friendly exhibits have included Ghengis Khan, Egyptian mummies, and Peruvian Gold.
2. Artisan Center Theater, Hurst
Artisan Center Theater has a special children’s series performed for kids and by kids. Like the main programming, the schedule changes each season.
Many of the shows are based on fairy tales or Disney Princess stories. Audience participation is part of most shows. Tickets are inexpensive ($5 for kids and $10 for adults at the time of posting).
3. Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Grapevine
The Grapevine Vintage Railroad is beautiful to see and provides a unique look at the DFW landscape. Passengers can take an authentic, vintage locomotive car on a round-trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards and back.
The train runs most weekends year-round, with extra rides during holidays. There are two ticket options: first-class, which rides in air-conditioned/heated cars and touring class, which rides in open-air/heated cars.
4. Heritage Park, Euless
Across from the Euless Heritage Museum, the four-acre Heritage Park shares a piece of history. The green space under the water tower is home to three historic buildings: the Fuller House, Himes Log Cabin, and McCormick Barn. The park also has a modern playground and a short walking trail.
5. LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Grapevine
LEGO fans of all ages can have fun at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Little kids will enjoy the rides and building with bricks. Big kids (and adults) will appreciate the detailed exhibits.
Read about our experiences at LEGOLAND.
6. Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Grand Prairie
The “Odditorium” is packed with strange, weird, and downright unbelievable sights. There are 12 themed galleries to walk through with artifacts like shrunken heads and a model of the world’s tallest man.
There are also three other attractions (for an additional fee): Louis Tussaud’s Palace of Wax, the Enchanted Mirror Maze, and the Laser Maze Challenge. Ripley’s Believe It or Not is open daily.
7. Bob Jones Nature Center, Southlake
Hike through 700+ acres of trails, watch birds, and explore nature. The Bob Jones Nature Center also hosts lots of classes for kids and adults. Admission is free, but most organized activities have a fee.
8. NRH2O, North Richland Hills
The city water park, NRH2O, is family friendly and has rides for all ages. Single-rider, multi-rider, and family areas are designated with height requirements. Even those who don’t enjoy water slides can have fun in the wave pool, endless river, and water playground.
Select nights in the summer, the water park shows family movies on a projection screen over the pool.
9. Sea Life, Grapevine
Sea Life Grapevine is an indoor aquarium conveniently located right next to Legoland Discovery Center. It’s geared towards younger kids, but older ones will enjoy walking through an underwater tunnel, petting a ray, and watching all the unusual sea creatures.
10. Boy’s Ranch, Bedford
This urban park hosts tons of community events, year-round. Even when there isn’t something on the calendar, the park has a big pond with a jogging path, sports fields, a playground, picnic areas, and a fishing pier.
It is also the home of Bedford Splash, an aquatic center with water slides and pools, open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Each of the towns in the area has a unique combination of entertainment, restaurants, history, and public parks. Find more things to do in Mid-Cities by researching each individual town.
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
bob jones nature center link is broken.
Thanks for letting me know! I’ve updated it to their new website.