Top 13 Museums in Dallas
Dallas offers a variety of highly-rated, kid-friendly museums with free admission, perfect for families and visitors alike.
Compare some of the best museums in the city that highlight Dallas’s history, art scene, and fascinating science exhibits. Explore these must-visit spots to experience the unique culture that shapes the city.
Updated August 2025
African American Museum
The African American Museum is the only institution of its kind in the Southwest and showcases one of the largest folk art collections in the nation. It features a remarkable collection of art and compelling exhibits honoring African American culture.
- Must-See: Facing the Rising Sun is a powerful display featuring original photographs, artifacts, and first‑person video testimonies that bring the story of Dallas’s historic Freedman’s Town life
- Location: 3536 Grand Avenue
- Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm
- Admission: Free general admission, with fees for special events and exhibits
The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection
Step back in time and immerse yourself in the rich culture and heritage of Japan's legendary samurai at The Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection. This remarkable museum boasts an extensive collection of complete samurai armor sets, detailed helmets, imposing masks, lethal weaponry, and even the ornate horse tack used by these revered warriors.
- Must-See: Catch the museum’s rotating display of exquisitely crafted Edo-period armor, part of a world-class collection of nearly 300 samurai artifacts that’s one of the largest of its kind outside Japan.
- Location: 2501 North Harwood Street
- Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11am-5pm (with Wednesdays from 10am-11am as family hour for groups with children ages 0-6)
- Admission: Free admission with free timed-entry pass
Crow Museum of Asian Art
Stroll through the tranquil sculpture garden at the Crow Museum of Asian Art for a truly peaceful and meditative experience while admiring works of art. Located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District, the museum has permanent and rotating art exhibitions from China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia. It hosts a variety of community wellness classes.
- Must-See: Don’t miss the ongoing 'The Shogun’s World: Japanese Maps from the MacLean Collection' exhibit, a rare showcase of beautifully detailed Edo-period maps that reveal the political, cultural, and cartographic artistry of feudal Japan
- Location: 2010 Flora Street
- Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm
- Admission: Free general admission
Dallas Contemporary Museum
Keep a pulse on current art trends at the Dallas Contemporary Museum, a dynamic art institution with no permanent exhibitions. Instead, the museum showcases contemporary art through rotating exhibitions, concerts, and special events.
- Must-See: EJ Hill + Martin Gonzales: Velvet Faith, the current collaborative exhibition featuring immersive sculpture and performance-based works that explore community trust, resilience, and creative reclamation in thought-provoking ways
- Location: 161 Glass Street
- Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm
- Admission: Free general admission
Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum
Visit the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum to explore the profound history of the Holocaust and the evolution of human and civil rights. Through its intimate and personal exhibitions, the museum encourages reflection and a deep understanding of the enduring importance of preserving human dignity and justice.
- Must-See: Experience the interactive Dimensions in Testimony℠ Theater, where survivor holograms answer your questions in real time
- Location: 300 North Houston Street
- Hours: Wednesday-Monday 10am-5pm
- Admission: Adults $19, seniors 55+ $17, military and first responders $17, educators $17, visitors with disabilities $17, students $12
Dallas Museum of Art
Journey through the Dallas Museum of Art to admire a diverse collection of over 25,000 works spanning centuries and featuring renowned artists from various eras, like Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent Van Gogh.
- Must-See: Step into Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, a mirrored infinity room that immerses you in glowing gourds and endless reflections.
- Location: 717 North Harwood Street
- Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11am-5pm
- Admission: Free general admission, with fees for special events and exhibits
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Discover the history of aviation at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. With over twenty galleries featuring the groundbreaking Wright Brothers' plane, sleek modern jets, spacecraft, and an array of captivating artifacts, this museum offers an all-encompassing narrative illustrating the extraordinary journey of human flight.
- Must-See: Marvel at the Apollo 7 Command Module, the actual spacecraft from NASA’s first crewed Apollo mission in 1968
- Location: 6911 Lemmon Avenue
- Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 1pm-5pm
- Admission: Adults $15, seniors 65+ $10, youth 13 and under $10, children 2 and under are free
George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum
Delve into the pivotal moments of American history at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The museum offers a unique window into the life and decisions of a U.S. President, through five permanent exhibits, special exhibits, and an extensive library filled with thousands of artifacts and photographs.
- Must-See: Catch the museum’s rotating display of exquisitely crafted Edo-period armor, part of a world-class collection of nearly 300 samurai artifacts that’s one of the largest of its kind outside Japan.
- Location: 2943 SMU Boulevard
- Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-3pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm
- Admission: Adult $26, seniors 62+ $23, college students $23, youth 13-17 $24, children 5-12 $20, infants 0-4 free
Meadows Museum
Located on the Southern Methodist University (SMU) campus, the Meadows Museum proudly houses one of the world's most significant collections of Spanish art from the 10th to the 21st centuries. Admire works by celebrated painters, including Diego Velázquez, Ribera, Murillo, Goya, Miró, Sorolla, Dalí, and Picasso.
- Must-See: Admire Diego Velázquez’s Sibyl with Tabula Rasa, a Golden Age portrait and one of the few Velázquez works on display outside Spain.
- Location: 5900 Bishop Street
- Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10am-5pm; Thursday 10am-9pm; Sunday 1pm-5pm
- Admission: Adults $12, seniors 65+ $10, non-SMU students $4. Free admission on Thursdays after 5 p.m. Meadows Museum members and youth 18 and under are admitted for free.
Museum of Biblical Art
Founded in 1966, the beautifully renovated Museum of Biblical Art is home to eleven galleries, including the National Center for Jewish Art, the Museum of Holocaust Art, and a European Art Treasury. The museum also features an on-site Art Conservation Lab, the Via Dolorosa Sculpture Garden, and offers a wide range of programs, field trips, and events
- Must-See: The Museum of Biblical Art's installation of Don DiCianni’s 40-foot “Resurrection of Christ” mural is a show-stopping highlight with a unique composition and life-size figures
- Location: 7500 Park Lane
- Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 11am-5pm, Sunday 1pm-5pm
- Admission: Museum of Biblical Art $15, National Center for Jewish Art $8, Museum of Holocaust Art $8, Audio Tours $10
Nasher Sculpture Center
Experience a stunning modern and contemporary sculpture collection at the Nasher Sculpture Center. It's a must-see destination for art lovers with iconic artworks from Calder, Matisse, Picasso, and Rodin on display in galleries and gardens.
- Must-See: Jonathan Borofsky’s Walking to the Sky, a soaring, stainless-steel installation of figures ascending a 100‑foot pole that captures ambition and wonder in public-scale form
- Location: 2001 Flora Street
- Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11am-5pm
- Admission: Adults $10, DART riders $8, seniors 65+ $7, educators and students $5; children under 12, military, first responders, SNAP EBT card holders, and members are free
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Designed to spark curiosity in visitors of all ages, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is home to eleven thoughtfully designed permanent exhibits offering hands-on learning experiences and exciting special events. It is the perfect location for a memorable family outing.
- Must-See: Check out Glow Lab, a dazzling, inflatable wonderland of color and light that invites hands-on creativity and collaborative play
- Location: 2201 North Field Street
- Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-5pm
- Admission: Adults $25, youth 2-12 $15
Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a captivating time capsule situated within the historic Texas School Book Depository building. It immerses guests in the social and political landscape of the early 1960s, analyzes the tragic events of President Kennedy's assassination and its enduring consequences, and offers a profound link between the past and the present.
- Must-See: Stand at the recreated sniper's perch in the southeast corner of the sixth floor, where the original boxes and window frame have been meticulously restored to match the scene as it appeared on November 22, 1963.
- Location: 411 Elm Street
- Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm
- Admission: Adults $22, seniors $20, youth $18
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