The Dallas Arboretum has discounted admission and special activities during the month of August. Find out everything you need to know before you go to August Dollar Days at the Dallas Arboretum.
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My family loves going to the Dallas Arboretum. We don’t go as often as we’d like since it’s a bit of a drive. When we do go over there, I do a bit of planning and check out everything coming up. We usually make a full day of it so that we can get the most out of our adventure.
If you’ve never been, August is a great time to go! Yes, it’s crazy-hot outside this time of year, but there’s a ton of stuff going on.
Visiting the Dallas Arboretum
Location: 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218
Hours: The Dallas Arboretum is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily (and late on Wed until 8 p.m.).
Food: There are several dining options and you can also bring your own food.
Dollar Days admission
Every day during the month of August, the garden offers discounted general admission (for kids and adults), parking, and admission to The Rory Meyer’s Children’s Garden.
Rates are subject to change anytime, but in 2021 general admission was $2, parking was $5, and the children’s garden was $2. Altogether, that’s a pretty big discount off of the regular cost.
You can reserve tickets online.
Children’s Adventure Garden
There are tons of special weekday activities scheduled in the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden for August. The adventure garden is full of fun hands-on activities, like an outdoor museum.
Daily programs include special activities like storytime, hands-on science experiments, and educational lessons based on the exhibits in the children’s garden. See the current schedule here.
More Dallas Arboretum activities
In the main garden, there are also lots of fun things to see and do (besides the gorgeous plants, of course). The schedule changes often. Below are a few past events.
Fiat Day
Alfa Romeo FIAT of Dallas, who is sponsoring this year’s Dollar Days, hosts a day full of summer games and nature activities on August 13, 2016.
- Pecan Grove, 9-11 a.m.
outdoor games, bubbles, and a scavenger hunt - Rosine Hall, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
leaf rubbings, puzzles, face painting, and more
Delbert the Dragon
See the whimsical dragon statue in the Pecan Grove created by Gary Lee Price. The friendly-looking dragon is reading a book and surrounded by other statues of kids reading nearby. Be sure to look closely to find all the hidden surprises in the statue. The display is up until November 27, 2016.
Great Contributors
If you love art and history, walk around the arboretum to see six more statues created by Gary Lee Price. The life-sized sculptures include Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Claude Monet, Albert Einstein, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and the Wright Brothers.
This is the beginning of the series, with a total of 10 men and 10 women as the goal. The next phase of the project might include Ruby Bridges, Sacajawea, Amelia Earhart, and Mother Theresa.
Pokemon Go
I couldn’t talk about the Dallas Arboretum without mentioning Pokemon Go. Besides being a great place to walk around outdoors, the garden also has three gyms and over 30 Pokestops.
Visiting tips
If you go during August Dollar Days, here are a few tips to make the most of your visit.
- August in Texas is hot. If you can go earlier in the morning and spend the hottest part of the afternoon in the shade.
- Dress comfortably and bring a water bottle. I always want my family to look nice so I can take photos, but my feet are miserable walking around in nice shoes!
- Bring a refillable water bottle. You can fill it with ice-cold water at water fountains around the garden.
- Open the arboretum map on your phone. It has all of the paths and gardens, of course. You’ll also be able to find bathrooms, water fountains, and tram stops.
Dallas CityPASS®
If you’re planning a trip to Dallas and plan to visit several locations, save money with Dallas CityPASS® tickets. This pre-purchased ticket includes admission to 4 Dallas attractions for a discounted rate. Visit the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Reunion Tower GeO-Deck, then choose between the Dallas Zoo, The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, and the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Learn more.
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
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