The open-space preserves in Dallas County cover 21 areas totaling 4,166 acres. This scale gives nature experiences a distinct place in the picture of Dallas: instead of visiting just one park, you can choose from several open spaces and activities in the city.
Nature on a county-wide scale
The preserves managed by the county are open from sunrise to sunset. Hiking, cycling, and kayaking are among the activities available there, so plan your time in nature around these hours. The different ways to get around leave room for a range of interests without requiring you to commit to just one way of exploring.
Spring Creek Park Preserve offers a specific landscape to explore: its unpaved trails wind through a prairie along Spring Creek. For a walking trip, both the trail surface and the landscape are tangible parts of the choice. This means the nature offering can be described in terms beyond the activity itself: here, the trail passes through prairie along the creek.
Kennedy remembrance and Art Deco
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza focuses on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and his legacy. The museum is housed in the former Texas School Book Depository building. Its main exhibition, “John F. Kennedy and the Memory of a Nation,” is on the sixth floor. The site and the exhibition connect Kennedy’s legacy with a specific building and floor.
Fair Park offers a different way to experience history and design: it is home to one of the world’s largest collections of 1930s Art Deco architecture. Fair Park’s museums and gardens bring art, history, and nature to life. An open-air motorized tour of Fair Park offers another way to explore the grounds; availability may vary.
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science also turns its attention to history, this time through the work of handling fossils. Visitors can watch paleontologists and fossil preparators work on fresh fossils from the field in real time. Check before your visit to see whether this experience is currently offered, as viewing arrangements may change.
Gardens, festivals, and wildlife
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden covers 66 acres of display gardens along White Rock Lake. Seasonal outdoor festivals are also held there; individual events may change. If a particular festival is important to your plans, check the dates in advance. The gardens can be a reason to visit in their own right, as well as part of a changing seasonal program.
The Dallas Zoo features habitats ranging from the African savanna to South American rainforests and the Australian Outback. Visitors can explore the Gorilla Trail and Giants of the Savanna in Wilds of Africa on their own. The Monorail Safari offers a different kind of zoo visit: the guided ride lasts 20 minutes and passes through six African habitats. The ride’s operation may vary. This gives visitors a choice between areas to explore independently and a guided tour.
Margarita culture and regional connections
The Margarita Mile is a self-guided tour of margaritas at restaurants and bars in Dallas. One historical milestone in the margarita’s story dates to 1971, when Mariano Martinez and Frank Adams invented the world’s first frozen margarita machine. The tour and the invention are two distinct points of interest if you’re curious about the drink and its history.
Rail connections also help with getting around the region: DART Rail lines connect the Dallas region and provide access to jobs, health care, education, and entertainment. The Trinity Railway Express connects downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, stopping at several stations in between. Check the schedule in advance if you plan to use this connection.
Explore more destinations
Duncanville, Dallas, Irving, Mesquite, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Addison, Desoto, Grand Prairie, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Balch Springs, Hutchins, Seagoville, Rowlett
For the broader travel overview: Texas.
