Visit Dallas

A plaza where history turned in November 1963, free museums designed by great architects, murals and concerts in Deep Ellum, then the rodeos and cattle of Fort Worth to the west: two to three days are enough to get a feel for Dallas.

Why visit Dallas?

Dallas is where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on 22 November 1963, an event retraced at the Sixth Floor Museum on Dealey Plaza. The city also has a walkable Arts District gathering museums, an opera house and a symphony hall, and serves as the gateway to Fort Worth and its western culture.

Dallas's must-sees

Kennedy's memory, architect-designed museums and Texas culture, from Dealey Plaza to Fort Worth.

Sixth Floor Museum

An exhibition on Kennedy's life, assassination and legacy, on the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository. Views over Elm Street from the windows.

Dallas Museum of Art

An encyclopaedic collection from antiquity to contemporary art, with free general admission. Temporary exhibitions are charged, with late openings on some evenings.

Nasher Sculpture Center

A Renzo Piano building and garden of modern sculpture, with works by Rodin, Matisse, Giacometti and Miró. One to one and a half hours is enough.

Reunion Tower

An observation tower crowned by a lit-up ball, the emblem of the skyline. Its glass-walled deck offers a 360-degree panorama over the city and Dealey Plaza.

Perot Museum

A nature and science museum in a concrete cube designed by Thom Mayne, with dinosaurs, minerals and interactive halls that families love.

Dallas Arboretum

Botanical gardens on the shore of White Rock Lake, known for their tulip displays in spring and their decorated pumpkins in autumn.

Fair Park

An Art Deco complex built for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. Every autumn it hosts the State Fair of Texas and its giant cowboy, Big Tex.

Fort Worth Stockyards

A former livestock market where longhorns parade twice a day. Saloons, boot shops and weekend rodeos, an hour from Dallas.

What to see in Dallas, neighbourhood by neighbourhood?

The West End and Dealey Plaza

West of downtown, the West End keeps old brick warehouses and the plaza where Kennedy's motorcade passed on 22 November 1963. The Sixth Floor Museum occupies the floor of the former school book depository from which the shots were fired: allow an hour and a half with the audio guide and book a time slot online. Philip Johnson's memorial, an open cube unveiled in 1970, stands two blocks away. To follow this thread further, the president's grave lies in Arlington National Cemetery, across the river from the federal capital.

The Arts District and Klyde Warren Park

North-east of downtown, the Arts District brings together, over some twenty blocks, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the Winspear Opera House and the Meyerson Symphony Center designed by I. M. Pei. Several collections are free to enter, making it easy to spend a day there on a small budget. Klyde Warren Park, a green deck built over a freeway in 2012, links the area to Uptown: food trucks at lunchtime, free activities and lawns until the evening. The free McKinney Avenue heritage trolley then heads up into Uptown.

Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts and Lower Greenville

East of downtown, Deep Ellum was a cradle of Texas blues in the 1920s; its mural-covered walls now house music venues, tattoo parlours and breweries. Come in the evening, from 8 pm. South of the Trinity River, the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff gathers independent shops and restaurants over a few streets of low 1930s buildings. Lower Greenville, to the north-east, lines up bars and patios popular with locals. These three areas are far apart: plan on ride-hailing or a car, around 15 minutes between each.

Fort Worth and day trips

About 50 km west, Fort Worth celebrates its past as a cattle town. At the Stockyards, a herd of longhorns is driven down the street twice a day, in late morning and late afternoon, and rodeos take place at weekends. The nearby Cultural District lines up Louis Kahn's Kimbell Art Museum and Tadao Ando's modern art museum. The TRE train links the two downtowns in about an hour. On a first trip to the United States, a day is enough; stay a night if a rodeo appeals.

Frequently asked questions about Dallas

Should you book the Sixth Floor Museum in advance?
It is advisable, especially at weekends and in summer: tickets are sold by time slot and midday slots fill up. Allow an hour and a half to two hours with the included audio guide, then cross the street to the grassy knoll and the mark painted on Elm Street.
Can you see the X on Elm Street where Kennedy was hit?
Yes, two Xs painted on the road mark the approximate points of the shots. Do not stop in the road to photograph them: Elm Street carries live traffic and several pedestrians have been injured there. Take pictures from the pavement or from the grassy knoll.
Dallas or Fort Worth: where to stay to visit both?
Dallas has more hotels and nightlife, Fort Worth a more western atmosphere and often lower prices. For two or three days, stay in Dallas and visit Fort Worth as a day trip. If weekend rodeos appeal, book a night at the Stockyards.
What time is the longhorn cattle drive at the Stockyards?
The Fort Worth Herd parades every day around 11.30 am and 4 pm on Exchange Avenue, except in extreme weather. Arrive ten minutes early for a kerbside spot. The show is free and lasts only a few minutes.
Can you visit Dallas without a car?
Partly. DART links DFW Airport to downtown, the West End and Deep Ellum, and the McKinney Avenue trolley serves Uptown. For Bishop Arts, the arboretum or Fort Worth in the evening, ride-hailing is more practical. A car is still useful beyond three days.
Can you tour the Cowboys' AT&T Stadium outside game days?
Yes, the Arlington stadium, between Dallas and Fort Worth, offers guided tours on non-event days, including locker rooms and the field. Book online and check the calendar, as concerts and games cause closures. Allow about 30 minutes' drive from downtown.

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