Dallas has plenty of attractions targeting niche audiences, offering exceptional experiences at a great value. There are also several attractions with broad appeal, paving the way for experiences that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family irrespective of age and interest.
Here are four things every Dallas apartment resident should do at some point.
Ride the McKinney Trolley
Like San Francisco with its famed cable cars, Dallas has vintage streetcars that are a living part of its heritage. The M-Line, also known as the McKinney Avenue Trolley, runs through the trendy Uptown neighborhood. Masterfully restored Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars dating to the World War II era, powered by electricity, run along the tracks on McKinney Avenue between St. Paul and Blackburn. The streetcars are safe, clean, well-maintained, typically run 365 days a year, and possess a great deal of vintage flair. Perhaps best of all, it is free to ride in one.
If you have not already taken a ride on the McKinney Trolley, it is high time you made your way to the McKinney Avenue Trolley. If you live in AMLI Quadrangle, you may even want to consider using the trolley to get to and from work or when running errands. For schedules and a route map, visit MATA.org.
Visit Klyde Warren Park
Connecting Uptown with the Dallas Arts District and Downtown, Klyde Warren Park is one of the best new things to come. And this isn’t just conjecture. Dallas residents have made their voices heard via online ratings sites and park visits. Thousands of residents turned up to visit the park during its opening weekend in August 2012, and it is estimated an additional one million residents visited between then and the park’s first anniversary.
Built atop the 366 at the point where the freeway cuts Dallas in half, this five-acre green space is an engineering marvel and thus a site worth seeing in itself. A dog park, a children’s park, a putting green, recreation fountains, and a games area featuring ping-pong tables and more are just a few of the truly impressive sections into which Klyde Warren Park has been zoned. Hundreds of free activities are available for visitors to partake in, with palanque lessons, zumba, and tai chi among the most popular of the exercise-centered ones. Other wildly popular events include the daily presence of food trucks during lunch hour (11 AM to 3 PM, weekdays) and free live music on Thursday evenings. Klyde Warren Park can get really busy on weekends and holidays, so consider visiting on a weeknight if you want to enjoy it in the company of fewer parkgoers.
Attend a DMA Exhibit
Founded in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is another living piece of history. Although its current location has only housed its works since 1984, the museum’s collection is a long time in the works. Featuring works by Gauguin, Matisse, and Mondrian, the DMA’s permanent collection is enough to satisfy any art lover’s thirst for artistic stimulation. The museum’s temporary exhibitions, which range in subject matter from the jewelry work of a single modern artisan to the work of an entire architectural design school over a period of five decades, are varied enough in size and scope to appeal occasionally to those of us who are not art fiends. Temporary exhibitions often have a charge, but general admission is free, making a visit to the DMA another family-friendly activity. If the weather is nice, residents of AMLI Quadrangle can even walk to the DMA. Otherwise, the McKinney Avenue Trolley runs to Klyde Warren Park, which is only a stone’s throw away from the museum.
Tour the Dallas Arboretum
In an idyllic location on the eastern shores of White Rock Lake, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is another family-friendly attraction. Occupying 66 acres of beautifully well-maintained green space,the arboretum is always a favorite attraction and has been ranked as one of the top botanical gardens in the United States. Autumn at the Arboretum is one of the most popular events held at the venue.
The next time you’re looking for a fun activity that is uniquely Dallas, remember this list.
With a burgeoning population of nearly seven million people and one of the country’s most dynamic and successful economies, Dallas and the DFW Metroplex have a lot to offer.
What is your favorite family-friendly Dallas attraction or event, on or off this list?
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