On the weekends we are in town (not very many), we try to explore a bit of Dallas and the neighboring cities. We mostly try to visit family friendly places with sites or animals to see and activities to do. Keep scrolling to check out this growing list of places we enjoyed the most, right here in the DFW area!
Crow Museum of Asian Art
The crow museum displays Asian Art in many different forms. The purpose of this museum is to celebrate the arts and beautiful culture of Asia. Their exhibitions include Samurai armors, Japanese Ceramics, collections of Jade, and items made with lacquer, to name a few. There is so much information to learn about these objects and paintings, so give yourself time to thoroughly look at all the exhibits.
The museum is absolutely free, but donations are welcome! They also have a gift shop named “Lotus shop” as you exit the last of the exhibits. It contains a wide variety of options, from tea to games.
Address: 2010 Flora St, Dallas, TX 75201
Hours: Closed on Mondays, Tues-Sun: 11AM-5PM
Forth Worth Botanical Garden, Arlington
We took a day trip to Arlington and spent all morning at the Forth Worth Botanical Garden. There was so much to see around the garden. We also went into the Japanese Garden (for a small fee) and loved it.
Last year, the entrance to the main garden was free. However, starting this July, they have started an admission fee to keep the garden well maintained.
Admission: Adults; $12, Seniors (65+); $10, Children 6-15; $6, Children under 5: Free
Address: 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, Fort Worth, TX
Hours: 8AM-6PM
Klyde Warren Park
After one year of being in Dallas, my husband and I finally got a chance to visit Klyde Warren Park. It’s a nice little park located in the middle of the city making it a great place to hang out and enjoy the outdoors. The food trucks and the tables and chairs in the park makes it easy to have lunch outdoors. They had a small park for kids, a dog park, and a trail for walking or jogging. I have not been, but they hold events here from time to time.
Click here to find out all the events happening in Klyde Warren Park in the coming weeks!
Address: 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy, Dallas, TX
Hours: 6AM-11PM
Dallas Farmers Market
The Farmers Market comprises of several sections, including the Market shops, the Shed and the gardens. The market shops, which are inside are open daily and have a wide variety of food and grocery options. We enjoyed some ice cream macarons at Chelles Macarons and delicious curry empanadas from Caribbean Cabana. The Shed is located outdoors on the weekends and hosts many local farmers. You will be able to find some fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, meats, eggs and even honey! Along with all the locally grown items, there are also some arts, crafts and everyday household items, like candles!
The Market Shops Address: 920 South Harwood, Dallas
Hours: Daily 11AM -7/8PM
The Shed at Farmers Market Address: 1010 South Pearl Expressway
Hours: Saturday/Sunday: 9,10AM -5PM
Enchant Christmas, Arlington
We got a chance to visit the Enchanted Lights in Arlington last year. My husband surprised me with tickets to see the lights and we enjoyed it. It covers a large area and it’s great for all ages. There were many kids enjoying the activities, many couples ice skating and big families taking pictures under the huge Christmas tree. It took us about an hour and half to complete the whole area.
The Enchant Christmas runs from the end of November to the end of December. You can buy tickets at the site, but it’s cheaper to get them online before hand. My husband had also bought parking tickets online, but we still had to wait for parking since the line was backing out to the street.
Address: 1000 Ballpark Way F, Arlington, TX 76011
Hours: Daily 5-11PM
Would we go again?
The Enchanted Christmas Lights in Arlington was a great date night. However, we would probably not go there again. It was a great one time thing, so maybe we will try something else next Christmas season!
Fair Park
Fair Park is a wonderful area within South Dallas that offers a lot for the whole city. They hold many educational, cultural and fun events all throughout the year. Fair Park is also the location for the annual Texas state fair, held during the fall. During the events and the weekend, the park is packed with people. If there are no events going on, the park is almost deserted and great to walk around at! Fair Park consists of a big football stadium, several museums, buildings, statues and much more.
We took our nephews to visit the Children’s Aquarium and the Texas Discovery Gardens one weekend and they loved it. The Children’s aquarium is a small yet exciting place for children. It costs about $8 per adult to get into the aquarium and it’s about an hours worth of things to see if you take your time. There is an interactive area where the staff allows you to touch the jellyfish. They also have an outdoor section, where you can touch stingrays and watch the small sharks swimming close by. Besides these two major additions, the rest of the aquarium is pretty much like any other. Since we love seeing animals, we spent plenty of time watching, reading and learning about the sea creatures.
Initially, we were hesitant to go into the Texas Discovery Garden because it looked small from the outside. But this was a great afternoon activity for the kids and the adults! They have several smaller garden areas and fountains. They also have a reptile house and a big playground for children. We spent only about 2 hours exploring the whole area, but if we had more time, I’m sure we would have stayed longer!
Children’s Aquarium: Adults: $8, Children 3-11 $6, Children under 2: Free
Texas Discovery Garden: Adults: $10, Children 3-11: $5, Seniors 65+: $8, Children under 2: Free (They offer some discount for first responders, military and educators; ask about it!)
Every Tuesday is pay-what-you-wish admission!
Open 10AM-5PM
Check out the Fair Park website for upcoming events and information!
There are also a few other things to do at Fair Park, such as seeing the big elephant statue and walking along the Leonhardt Lagoon. There is a great trail within the park and makes for a wonderful day trip for the whole family!
Trails & Hiking!
During the Coronavirus, we explored a few local trails and parks in the Dallas area. We really enjoyed most of them, as it offered a chance for us to go out and get some fresh air. We even walked into a snake in one of the nearby trails!
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, Plano
We got to the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve around 5 pm and it was PACKED and parking was overflowing to the side. We were shocked that this many people were here during this time! But I guess everyone needed some fresh air! Surprisingly, once we entered the preserve, it did not feel crowded at all! It was so huge (200 acres!) and there were so many trails that it was very easy to keep 6 feet distance from others. We enjoyed the trails, the small wildlife and the scenery. There was also a tower with a good view of the city, which was a nice way to end our evening.
Address: 6701 W Parker Rd, Plano, TX 75093
Hours: 5AM-11PM
Cost: FREE
Would we go again?
Yes, we enjoy small hikes and love greenery and wildlife. Besides the fact that it was a little far for us, we thought this was a great place for a light hike!
I’m not surprised that my FOOD section is way longer than this list. Check it out here!
Also, check out the full review for The Dallas World Aquarium!
<< Coming SOON >>
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
In-Sync Exotics
If there are any must go to places in Dallas, leave a comment!