Free Things to do in Dallas! |
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Dallas never fails to provide activities for everyone. If you are a buget conscious visitor, Dallas' free things to do page is for you. See the categories below to get the most out of your visit to the city that lives large and thinks big.
Event Hotline
Get instant up-to-date information by calling The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau’s regularly updated special events hotline. To access the 24-hour hotline in English or Spanish, call 214-571-1301.
Do you have special cost-free attractions we might add to our list? Please email us!
 Dallas Arts District The Dallas Arts District is the largest urban arts district in the nation with 19 blocks (68 acres) of culture. With the completion of it newest jewel, the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the district now boasts more buildings designed by Pritzker prize winning architects in one contiguous location than anywhere else in the world. - Dallas City Hall Dallas' City Hall is a site to see. Famed architect I.M. Pei designed the inverted-wedge shaped building, which is one of the most distinctive structures in all of Dallas. The plaza is home to one of Henry Moore's largest bronze sculptures.
Where: Downtown, 1500 Marilla St.
Phone: 214-670-3687
- Fountain Place
 Waters dance and leap skyward at downtown's Fountain Place. At the base of this dramatically sculpted 1.2-million-square-foot office tower of green reflective glass lies an oasis of colorful flowers, waterfalls, 172 bubbler fountains and a central fountain. The latter is one of the world's most complex fountains and consists of 360 computer-driven water jets. Designed by the acclaimed architectural firm of I.M. Pei & Partners, Fountain Place has received international recognition.
Where: Downtown, 1445 Ross Ave. at Field Street
Phone: 214-855-7766
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- Dallas Public Art Over 300 pieces of public art are on display throughout the city including the works of world-known artists many of whom are from the Dallas area and have achieved international status. A brief stroll through downtown Dallas will introduce visitors to visually stunning displays that enhance parks, public buildings and pedestrian corridors. The City of Dallas provides maps for self-guided tours.
- Irving Arts Center
 The Irving Arts Center is located on a 10-acre complex, in the heart of DFW. Among other things, the facility includes two-state-of-the-art theaters, four galleries – that range from intimate to grand, and a sculpture garden. The Center is a Smithsonian affiliate and offers daily exhibits. In addition to daily exhibits, the Center also offers annual events including the Holiday Open House and the Transportation Art Contest.
Where: 3333 North MacArthur Blvd., Irving
When: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays – Fridays and; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturdays; 1 pm. – 5 p.m. Sundays
Phone: 972-252-2787
- NorthPark Center
 NorthPark's 1.4-acre landscaped garden, CenterPark, doubles as a serene, urban retreat and an exciting venue for free community events. Relax and dine amid world-class sculptures, canopies of trees and green expanses of lawn. The collection includes Ad Astra, a 48-ft tall orange steel structure, Corridor pin blue – a larger than life safety pin, by Claes Oldenburg and Coosie van Bruggen among others. The collection carries on NorthPark’s tradition of showcasing major works by world-renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Frank Stella and Jonathan Borofsky.
Where: North Central Expressway at Northwest Highway; complimentary shuttle to/from Park Lane DART Light Rail Station.
When: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays (department store, restaurant, theater, spa and holiday hours vary)
Phone: 214-361-6345
- The Meadows Museum The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University has the most comprehensive collection from the Spanish masters outside of Spain. There are also special exhibitions, a sculpture garden and the tree-lined SMU campus is an eye-catcher itself. Call about special exhibits.
Where: 5900 Bishop Blvd.
When: After 5 p.m. Thursdays
Phone: 214-768-2516
- Trammell Crow Garden
 Enjoy the Sculpture Garden at the base of the statuesque Trammell Crow Center in downtown. More than 20 statues from the French masters, including Rodin, reside in this peaceful setting with cascading waters and beautiful gardens.
Where: Downtown, 2010 Flora St.
When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays
Phone: 214-979-6430
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- Dallas Central Library
 Read all about it at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. This public library includes one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed in 1776. William Shakespeare's First Folio of Comedies, Histories & Tragedies is also on permanent display.
Where: Downtown, 1515 Young St.
When: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays; and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays
Phone: 214-670-1700
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- Greenville Avenue
 Greenville Avenue is one of the oldest entertainment areas in Dallas and is home to many boutique and eclectic shops as well as live-entertainment clubs, great bars and restaurants. Greenville Avenue is home to Granada Theater, a perfect spot to catch live music as well as foodie favorites like Terilli’s (expected to reopen by fall 2010) and J Pepe’s. It also hosts the ever-popular Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Where: Greenville Avenue between Mockingbird Lane and Ross Avenue
Phone: 214-363-1850 (Greenville Avenue Business Association)
- Uptown and West Village Dallas' popular Uptown District is exploding with new residential and retail centers, with a variety of elements coming together for a shopping, dining, and entertainment experience that will appeal to all types of tastes. Just east of Uptown is the popular West Village area. Home to tree-lined streets and eclectic cafes and restaurants, the area offers the perfect spot for window shopping
 and people watching. When exploring Uptown and West Village be sure to hop aboard the free McKinney Avenue Trolley.
Where: Uptown (McKinney Avenue, between Akard and Lemmon streets); West Village (McKinney Avenue, between Lemmon and Blackburn streets)
Phone: 469-341-1199 (Uptown); 214-219-1144 (West Village)
- West End What was once a warehouse and an old candy and cracker factory has been reborn into a tourist's delight. Downtown's West End Historic District, great for browsers, features specialty shops, and a variety of restaurants and clubs. Summertime nights in the district are often filled with the sound of free concerts.
Where: Downtown/Market and Munger Streets
General Information: 214-741-7180
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- Dallas Symphony Orchestra Summer Concerts: Dallas' outdoors beckons lovers of nature and music. During the spring and early summer months, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra performs in area parks. You can also hea
 r "Jazz Under the Stars" at the Dallas Museum of Art on Thursday evenings.
Phone: Dallas Symphony Orchestra: 214-692-0203; Dallas Museum of Art: 214-922-1200
- Nasher Sculpture Center First Thursday Films Enjoy a free movie during the first Thursday of the month, as the Nasher Sculpture Center in partnership with the Dallas Film Society presents award-winning American movie classics like The Maltese Falcon, All The President’s Men, and The Grapes of Wrath, based on major American novels.
Where: Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora Street
When: Admission at 5 p.m.; Movie begins at 7 p.m.
Phone: 214-242-5100
- Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
 The acoustically renowned Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, designed by I.M. Pei, is yours to tour on select Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. (Please call in advance for monthly tour schedule, as tours are subject to change with rehearsals and performances.) Discover the 4,535 pipes on the Herman W. Lay Family Organ crafted by C.B. Fisk Inc., which is truly an acoustical wonder! Enthusiastic and experienced volunteer docents are available to welcome visitors, school groups, conventions and families for one-hour tours detailing points of interest throughout the Meyerson. Once a month, schedule permitting, a 30-minute organ demonstration of the Lay Family Concert Organ is presented, followed by a tour of the Center.
Where: Downtown, 2301 Flora St.
Phone: 214-670-3600
- Victory Park
 Get Reel As the summer months approach, head outside and down to Victory Park to catch a movie under the stars. Bring your lawn chairs, popcorn, family and friends and join others on select days throughout the months of June and July in the Plaza near American Airlines Center.
Where: Plaza near American Airlines Center, Victory Park
When: Select days during June and July, 7:30 p.m.
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- Dallas Farmers Market
 From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week (except special holidays), local farmers display and sell a mouth watering and eye-pleasing selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs and floral plants at the Dallas Farmers Market. A perfect open-air market to leisurely stroll, take in the colorful, glorious sights.
Where: 1010 S. Pearl St.
When: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
Phone: 214-939-2808
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- Baylor University Medical Center Adrian E. Flatt Hand Exhibit Named after one of the foremost hand surgeons in the world, The Adrian E. Flatt, M.D. Hand Exhibit is an extraordinary private collection of more than 100 cast, bronze-coated hands. The contrast of sizes and sense of personal capability when viewing life-size hands is intriguing. Personalities include Katherine Hepburn, Walt Disney, Louis Armstrong and Winston Churchill.
Where: Baylor University Medical Center, Truett Building, 3500 Gaston Ave.
When: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays
Phone: 214-820-6684
- Farmers Branch Historical Park: The Farmers Branch Historical Park is home to several historic structures from the 1840s to the 1940s. Structures include log cabins, the oldest stone structure on its original foundation in North Texas and a 1930s gas station. Tours are free; interactive programs are available.
When: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and noon-6 p.m. weekends; Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Phone: 972-406-0184
- Freedmen's Cemetery: Less than one mile north of downtown Dallas, is Freedmen's Cemetery, a pre-Civil War burial ground in what was once the Freedmen's Town Area–a small Dallas community formed by African-Americans freed from slavery in the mid-1860s. This historic and state landmark memorial features figures cast in bronze by artist David Newton.
Where: North Central Expressway between Lemmon Avenue and Hall Street
Phone: 214-670-3284
- Historic Dallas: Dallas is home to some scenic and captivating, beautiful and breathtaking neighborhood communities. Walk, ride or drive around Turtle Creek and adjoining Highland Park, and don't miss the historic homes of Swiss Avenue (including the Wilson Block Historic District), Kessler Park, Munger Place and other lovely locales featuring gorgeous parks, lakes and landscapes.
Phone: 214- 821-3290 for public tours
- JFK Memorial: Dallas pays homage to one of its darkest times, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated during his 1963 visit. Designed by Kennedy family friend Philip Johnson, the John F. Kennedy Memorial is an open-roofed, concrete-walled monument symbolic of an open tomb. It is not unusual to find flowers and notes placed here. Nearby, the infamous School Book Depository and "grassy knoll" have not changed at all - part of the historic nature of the museum and area - since that devastating day in our nation's history.
Where: Downtown, Main and Houston Streets
- Mary Kay Cosmetics: Take a walk through history and experience a dream that began more than three decades ago when Mary Kay set out to build a company that would give women unlimited opportunities to achieve success in every aspect of their lives. During your visit to the museum, you'll relive the rich heritage of the company and see how it progressed from a tiny storefront to the amazing success that it is today. Celebrate each step in the fulfillment of one woman's dream and the marvelous achievements of women who believe in it. Where: 16251 N. Dallas Parkway
When: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays for self-guided tours (reservations required for guided tours)
Phone: 972-687-4024
- Mustangs Sculpture in Las Colinas: Nine bronze, beautiful and larger-than-life mustangs splash their way across a stream cut through the stone and granite plaza of Williams Square. Stroll across the plaza and visit the Mustangs of Las Colinas Sculpture & Exhibit, which includes an informative 20-minute film about mustangs and the making of this breathtaking sculpture.
Where: O'Connor Road, north of Texas 114
When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays
Phone: 972-869-9047
- Observation Station: From the observation area known as Founders Plaza at DFW International Airport, you'll see some of the 1,800 daily takeoffs and landings from one of the world's busiest airports. Witness winged wonders in this area that features long-distance binoculars, graph board to help you identify the aircraft, speaker system featuring audio straight from the control cower and four picnic areas.
Where: 2829 30th St. (Carbon Road) at D/FW International Airport
When: 6 a.m.-midnight daily
Phone: 972-574-6000
- Pioneer Plaza:
 A growing number of bronze, larger-than-life steers and their cowboy escorts move along Pioneer Plaza, adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center. This bronze cattle drive is located on the actual Shawnee Trail Drive of the 1850s and is the largest bronze monument of its kind in the world.
Where: Downtown, Young and Griffin Streets
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- Children’s Medical Center of Dallas: Model Train Display The country's largest permanent model train display is in Dallas; and happily, it's in the lobby of Children's Medical Center of Dallas. Eight trains run simultaneously at this free exhibit. Children's Medical Center has a small fee for parking.
Where: 1935 Motor St., between Stemmons Freeway and Harry Hines Boulevard,
Phone: 214-640-2000
- Dallas Museum of Art
 First Tuesdays: Enjoy spending time with your little one the First Tuesday of every month at the Dallas Museum of Art. Youngsters five and under (along with an adult companion) can enjoy art projects, story time, performances, and gallery activities. Where: Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 Harwood
When: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Center for Creative Connections
Phone: 214-922-1200
- Fantasy Landing Fantasy Landing, Dallas' first public playground for well and disabled children, is a unique and special highlight of the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department. The playground features customized ramps, tennis courts and pull tunnels with bars for children in wheelchairs. Brightly colored brick paths help visually impaired children find their way through the play area.
Where: Kiest Park in Oak Cliff
Phone: 214-670-1918
 Galleria Dallas Showtime Saturdays Showtime Saturdays is a weekly family-friendly entertainment event held adjacent to the Galleria’s award-winning Play Place (Level 3). It’s fun for the whole family every Saturday as Dick Monday and Tiffany Riley of Slappy’s Playhouse, along with their friends and special guests entertain crowds with magic, puppet shows, storytimes and more.
Where: Galleria Dallas (Intersection of I 635/LBJ Freeway and Dallas North Tollway, Level 3 near Play Place
Phone: 972-702-7100 - Nasher Sculpture Center First Saturdays: If arts and crafts are your thing, then gather the family together and head to Nasher Sculpture Center for its free First Saturday Events. Each month’s “Big Idea” centers on a specific theme and is designed to bring out children’s artistic sides. Through art projects, scavenger hunts, NasherKids Live! Performances and storytime, children learn and develop their creative skills.
Where: Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora Street
When: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Phone: 214-242-5100
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- The African American Museum
 The African American Museum in Dallas has one of the largest collections of African-American folk art in the nation. The museum features several permanent exhibits including: and First Friday Music Under the Dome.
When: (exception - special exhibitions), noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays; and 1-5 p.m. Sundays.
- Crow Collection of Asian Art The Crow Collection of Asian Art contains more than 600 paintings, objects of metal and stone, and large architectural pieces from China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia. More than 300 works are on display in the galleries, including precious jade ornaments from China, delicate Japanese scrolls and a rarely seen 28-by-12-foot-tall sandstone facade of an 18th-century Indian residence.
Where: 2010 Flora St.
When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays
Phone: 214-979-6430
- Dallas Tourist Information Center
 Relive the city's past with a visit to the Old Red Courthouse, site of the Dallas Tourist Information Center in the Downtown Historic District. The Center features touch-screen information stations, Internet access stations, a viewing room to see Dallas videos and a full staff available every day of the week. Around the corner, you will find John Neely Bryan's Cabin, the reconstructed home of Dallas' founder. Just a stroll away is the popular West End, Dealey Plaza and the DART Light Rail.
Where: The Downtown Historic District is in the block enclosed by Market, Elm, Commerce and Houston Streets.
When: Open seven days a week including holidays. (Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m. 24-Hour Events Hotline: 214-571-1301.
Phone: 214-571-1301
- Hall of State The Hall of State is home to the Dallas Historical Society which offers more than 3 million historic documents and three-dimensional objects in its collection. History buffs will love the wealth of information on Dallas and Texas history as well as the regularly sponsored exhibits
When: 10am -5pm Tuesdays-Saturdays; 1pm -5 pm on Sundays.
Phone: 214-565-9026
- Thanks-Giving Square
 Thanks-Giving Square – private, interfaith and educational – welcomes people of all nations, cultures and religious traditions. A unique chapel and exhibition promoting a spirit of Thanksgiving featuring a meditation garden, bells and fountains make this the "Home of American Thanksgiving."
Where: 1627 Pacific Avenue
When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekends and holidays
Phone: 888-305-1205
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- Cedar Ridge Preserve: Just a short drive from downtown is the Cedar Ridge Preserve, featuring 600 acres of preserved wilderness and mesquite prairie, with 9 miles of hiking trails, native-plant nurseries, a picnic area, nature programs and a visitors' center. A small donation is recommended.
Where: 7171 Mountain Creek Parkway Phone: 972-296-1955
- Dallas Parks and Lakes Whether you prefer land or water, Dallas has plenty of outdoor opportunities to enjoy. Dallas features 17 lakes with 4,400 surface acres of water. The largest and most popular lakes offer fishing, sailing and canoeing; trails for hiking and biking; and playgrounds and facilities for picnicking. (Some parks charge a small entrance fee). Also, enjoy the more than 21,000 park acres and 374 neighborhood, community and regional parks and 18,618 acres of greenbelt/park land available throughout the city.
Phone: 214-670-4100 (Dallas Parks and Recreation Department)
- Dallas Trails Hike, bike, walk or run -- Dallas offers happy trails for you. The Dallas Parks & Recreation Department maintains a number of bike/hike trails such as the 9.33-mile trail at White Rock Lake, 8300 Garland Road, which connects with the 7.3-mile trail at White Rock Creek Park. The Katy Trail is another 3.5 miles running from Airline Road, near SMU campus to American Airlines Center, in Victory Park.
Phone: 214-670-4100 to locate a trail
Phone: 214-670-4039 for bike route maps.
- Trinity River Audubon Center
 The Trinity River Audubon Center in the Great Trinity Forest boasts over 120 acres. Operated by the National Audubon Society, the Center hosts thousands of children annually. With hands on exhibits, nature viewing trails and a Children’s Discovery Garden, it’s the perfect place for children, families and adults. The Center is also the first LEED certified project to be completed by the Dallas Park and Recreation department.
Where: 6500 South Loop 12
When: Third Thursdays of each month; 9 am – 9 p.m.
Phone: 214-398-8277
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- Galleria Dallas It is no wonder that the "Guide" section of The Dallas Morning News votes Galleria Dallas as "Best Place to People Watch," or shall we say "star watch." Well-known faces such as Carrie Underwood, Sharon Stone, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, Miley Cyrus, Rob Reiner, Robert Pattinson and Mary J. Blige have been seen touring the Galleria. Ice skaters are also fun to watch on the indoor rink where Olympians Dorothy Hamill, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton have performed.
Where: LBJ at Dallas Parkway North
Phone: 972-702-7164
- Retail Renaissance The looking is free, but the buying may be hard to resist! Visit many of the city's fine centers and stores such as the renowned Galleria Dallas – modeled after Milan's fashion forward masterpiece, NorthPark Center – where you can enjoy more than 235 world-class specialty stores and restaurants – and Highland Park Village – the first planned shopping center in the United States.
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