Dallas attractions

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum’s mission is to teach the history of the Holocaust, provide a place of remembrance, and advance human rights. Through interactive exhibits, including personal testimonies and holograms of survivors, the museum explores the tragic history and consequences of the Holocaust, other genocides, and the United States’ journey for civil and human rights.

Transport to a time of knights, kings, and queens at Medieval Times in Dallas, a unique dining and live-action experience that’s entertaining for the whole family. Enjoy a four-course feast included with your ticket while you watch sword fights, jousting from horseback, and even falcons in flight.

Deep Ellum is a Dallas entertainment district east of the downtown historic district. The community (then Deep Elm) was created when T&P Railroad crossed with H&TC Railroad in 1873 and has been a multicultural neighborhood ever since. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. Restaurants, bars, and shops line its streets, and nightlife picks up after dark.

A food-lover's haven, the Dallas Farmers Market features not only a market site, but shops, restaurants, coffee spots, and food vendors. A place to buy local, the market sells seasonal produce either grown in Texas or within a 400-mile radius. Located in the heart of downtown, the market is spread across a number of different buildings, including the Market Building—a food hall, vendor market and restaurants—and The Shed, an outdoor, open-air pavilion, with food stalls and vendors.

Fair Park is not only one of the largest state fairgrounds in the country but a step back in time to 1886, when the Dallas State Fair—today the State Fair of Texas—first opened; the world’s fair also took place here in 1936. You can still view the park’s extensive original art deco architecture and ride the nation’s largest Ferris wheel.

As they say in Texas, everything’s bigger here—including the malls. The Galleria Dallas is a shopping center with a mix of retailers, restaurants, a hotel, and even an ice-skating rink. A popular spot for both locals and visitors, the mall features mainstream brands and anchor stores, like Nordstrom and Macy’s, along with plenty of food, drink, and snack options.

From ancient Qing Dynasty treasures to contemporary Japanese artworks, the Crow Museum of Asian Art is a vibrant celebration of Asian art and culture. Located in the Dallas Arts District, the museum’s three small galleries display a surprising variety of artworks from the personal collection of founders Trammell and Margaret Crow.

If you’re a fan of luxury brands and a leisurely day that includes a decadent lunch and plenty of exercise for your credit cards, head to the Neiman Marcus flagship store in downtown Dallas. This 1914 Beaux Arts department store, which occupies a full block on Marcus Square, including an on-site restaurant and espresso bar.

The Dallas World Aquarium is home to much more than its colorful array of marine life; here, you’ll see sloths, monkeys, ocelots, penguins, bats, tortoises, and more. In the heart of Dallas’ West End, the aquarium comprises a variety of zones, including a cloud forest habitat, a replica Mexican cenote, a river exhibit, and a cove for crocodiles. It’s a must for wildlife fans of all ages.

Pioneer Plaza, located in downtown Dallas’ Convention Center District, honors the 19th-century cattle drives on the Shawnee Trail with a bronze sculpture of 49 longhorn steer driven by three cowboys on horseback. With a waterfall and artificial cliffs, the park is one of the most popular tourist spots in Dallas.

Simple but profoundly moving, the John F. Kennedy Memorial in Dallas lies just one block from Dealey Plaza, where the president was famously assassinated on November 22, 1963. Designed by architect Philip Johnson, the towering, white-concrete cenotaph features a granite slab with the president’s name etched in gold. It provides a peaceful space to contemplate one of the most pivotal moments in American political history.

John F. Kennedy’s presidency and his untimely assassination in Dallas profoundly shaped American history. Located on the site of the Texas Book Depository, from where Lee Harvey Oswald shot at the presidential motorcade, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas explores JFK’s personal and political life, along with the tragic events of November 22, 1963.

The western gateway to the Dallas Downtown Historic District and a National Historic Landmark in its own right, Dealey Plaza is one of the city’s most-visited attractions. Its legacy is a dark one: the public plaza made headlines around the world on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade passed through the square.