Top Attractions

Dallas blends Texas-sized ambition with genuine cultural depth. Its top attractions range from somber history to world-class art and architecture.

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

Located on the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository, this museum chronicles the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The exhibits walk visitors through the events leading up to, during, and after that fateful day. Standing at the window from which Lee Harvey Oswald fired is a deeply moving experience. Dealey Plaza below is a National Historic Landmark.

Dallas Arts District

The largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation spans 68 acres and includes the Dallas Museum of Art (free admission), the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Museum of Asian Art (also free), the AT&T Performing Arts Center designed by Norman Foster, and the Winspear Opera House by Foster + Partners. Klyde Warren Park, built over a freeway, connects the district with food trucks, yoga classes, and a putting green.

The Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden

Situated on the shores of White Rock Lake, the Arboretum spans 66 acres of manicured gardens with seasonal displays that draw visitors year-round. The spring Dallas Blooms festival features over 500,000 tulips, daffodils, and other spring flowers. The Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden includes interactive science exhibits spread across eight outdoor galleries.

Reunion Tower GeO-Deck

The 561-foot Reunion Tower is the most recognizable feature of the Dallas skyline. The GeO-Deck observation level offers 360-degree views of the city through high-definition digital zoom cameras and interactive touch screens. Visit at sunset for the most spectacular experience as the sprawling Texas landscape turns golden.

Food & Dining Scene

Dallas takes its food seriously, with a steak-and-barbecue backbone complemented by an increasingly diverse and chef-driven restaurant scene.

Must-Try Dallas Foods

  • Texas BBQ: Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum is the most celebrated barbecue spot in Dallas, with lines forming early for their brisket, beef ribs, and the legendary Hot Mess — a loaded baked potato with chopped brisket. Cattleack Barbeque, open only Thursday and Friday, is another cult favorite.
  • Steakhouses: Dallas is a steakhouse city through and through. Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on Mockingbird Lane serves prime beef in a classic setting. Town Hearth in the Design District combines a top-tier steak program with over-the-top decor including a vintage Rolls-Royce inside the restaurant.
  • Tex-Mex: Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village is a local institution for brisket tacos and the famous Mambo Taxi frozen margarita. El Fenix, founded in 1918, is the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant in Dallas and serves classic cheese enchiladas with chili gravy.
  • Chicken Fried Steak: AllGood Cafe in Deep Ellum serves one of the best chicken fried steaks in the city — a massive hand-breaded cutlet with cream gravy that is pure Texas comfort food.

Neighborhood Food Crawls

Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff is the hippest food neighborhood with restaurants like Lucia (handmade Italian), Eno's Pizza, and Emporium Pies. Lower Greenville Avenue features a walkable strip of bars and restaurants. The Asian food scene along Harry Hines Boulevard and Royal Lane in Richardson offers outstanding Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean dining.

Outdoor Activities

Despite the Texas heat, Dallas offers excellent parks, trails, and outdoor recreation throughout the year.

White Rock Lake

This 1,015-acre urban lake three miles east of downtown is the outdoor heart of Dallas. The 9.3-mile trail circling White Rock Lake is packed with runners, cyclists, and dog walkers. Rent a kayak or paddleboard from White Rock Paddle Co., or cast a line — the lake is stocked with bass and catfish.

Katy Trail

Built on a former railroad right-of-way, the Katy Trail is a 3.5-mile paved path that runs from the American Airlines Center through Uptown and into Knox-Henderson. It is the most popular jogging and cycling route in the city, and the trailside Katy Trail Ice House is a perfect post-workout stop for a cold beer.

Trinity River Audubon Center

This 120-acre nature preserve in the Great Trinity Forest — the largest urban hardwood forest in the United States — offers hiking trails, birdwatching, and educational programs just minutes from downtown. Over 200 bird species have been documented in the preserve.

Nightlife & Entertainment

Dallas nightlife ranges from rowdy honky-tonks to sleek cocktail lounges and one of the best live music scenes in Texas.

Deep Ellum

This historic entertainment district east of downtown is the epicenter of Dallas nightlife and live music. Deep Ellum's Trees is a legendary venue that has hosted everyone from Radiohead to Erykah Badu. Elm Street is lined with bars, breweries, and music venues. The neon-lit murals covering nearly every building make the neighborhood an open-air gallery after dark.

Uptown

The McKinney Avenue corridor in Uptown is Dallas's upscale nightlife strip, lined with cocktail lounges, wine bars, and rooftop patios. The Rustic serves live Texas country music with craft cocktails in a sprawling indoor-outdoor space. The Joule Hotel's rooftop pool bar, SODA Bar, is one of the most stylish spots in the city.

Cowboys & Country

Billy Bob's Texas in nearby Fort Worth (30 minutes west) is the world's largest honky-tonk with live bull riding on weekends and major country music acts. In Dallas proper, the Longhorn Ballroom — a historic venue that hosted everyone from Bob Wills to the Sex Pistols — has been revived as a live music destination.

Hidden Gems

The Bishop Arts District Mural Walk

Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts District is covered in vibrant street art that most visitors discover by accident. The murals celebrate the neighborhood's diverse Latino, Black, and artistic communities. Walk the side streets between Bishop Avenue and Davis Street to find dozens of large-scale works that turn ordinary buildings into canvases.

Thanks-Giving Square

In the middle of downtown Dallas, this small park features a spiral chapel designed by Philip Johnson with a stunning stained-glass ceiling called the Glory Window — the largest horizontally mounted stained-glass piece in the world. The peaceful garden with a waterfall provides an unexpected oasis amid the office towers, and most people walk right past without looking up.

Northpark Center

While technically a shopping mall, NorthPark Center houses one of the finest private art collections in the city, with works by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, and Mark di Suvero displayed throughout the public spaces. The architecture by Eero Saarinen protege E.G. Hamilton is itself a modernist landmark. It is world-class art in the most unexpected of settings.