The fun and friendly spirit of Dallas is infectious and entertaining. Not content with just offering Texan traditions, this is a city that sets out to impress with its international influences and innovative approaches. As a modern metropolis in northern Texas, this is a destination for those seeking out a great time with all the diverse cosmopolitan options of a world-class destination.
Start your adventure with a culinary deep dive – spanning contemporary restaurants, such as Monarch, Uchiba, Pecan Lodge and The French Room, where you’ll find cool settings and inventive menus, to migrant-led kitchens bringing diversity to the table. Elsewhere, local favourite Mi Cocina toys with the bold flavours of Central Mexico, while traditional Texan fare is found on every corner.
Dallas might not immediately conjure up images of cutting-edge fashion, but this is the birthplace of America’s first planned shopping centre and that legacy has lured in stellar brands. Think Hermes, Chanel, Fendi and Tom Ford at the iconic Highland Park Village, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000.
The Downtown area, meanwhile, is home to the four-story shopping marvel FortyFive Ten, where you’ll find serious style in the form of more international icons like Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and Givenchy. If you are after a cowboy hat, Stetson hats are still made nearby at the Resistol and Stetson Hat Factory, and you can pick one up at Wild Bill’s Western Store.
Yet amongst the high-end legacies, there’s still room in this city for new creations and the Arts District in Downtown Dallas is not to be missed. The Dallas Museum of Art chronicles the ages with over 24,000 works spanning 5,000 years – from ancient times to the modern day. Meanwhile, at the Nasher Sculpture Center, serenity reigns as you wander through the world-class artworks and the leafy garden beyond. Dallas has an artsy soul, and you can find enough art installations around downtown to keep your camera busy. Nearby NorthPark Center, Dallas’ largest shopping center, has an exuberant collection of modern sculptures, and at AT&T Stadium the interactive Anish Kapoors Sky Mirror piece is not to be missed.
Aviation and space flight history buffs will delight at Frontiers of Flight where artefacts, including the Apollo VII capsule, take you to the skies and beyond. For equally lofty heights, make time for the Dallas Opera at the Winspear Opera House, where world-class acts take to the stage in this architecturally inspiring complex.
It’s not all future-focused though. This is a city with a diverse population, and therefore an important history to share. The Holocaust and Human Rights museum, located in the West End Historic District, is an eye-opening must-visit on any itinerary. The beautiful building is home to the prominent teaching of the history of the Holocaust and the advancing of human rights in the US and beyond. Meanwhile, the city celebrates the heritage of its Latino citizens in everything from art, food, music and drinks.
For more spectacles of a star-studded variety, watch America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, play at the AT&T Stadium. The pioneering spirit is further showcased here as you’ll spot the inventive ways in which tech is being incorporated into the beloved game. But nowhere is the energy more intense than at the American Airlines Center for those two last minutes of a Dallas Mavericks game, while hockey fans are the most loyal to their team, sporting Dallas Stars jerseys and showing up hours early for the game.
Finally, music history is celebrated every day in Dallas. Just walk in Deep Ellum today and you will see local artists painting the history of Texas blues on the walls of “Blues Alley”; you will see lemons in memory of Blind Lemon Jefferson, the father of Texas Blues, who played at every corner of this neighborhood; and you will easily recognize two of Dallas’ most beloved performers, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Ray Vaughan; you can almost hear his guitar.
Finally, in a city where everything is on offer, it’s good to slow down and let yourself be curious. The city’s green spaces provide an unfalteringly impressive backdrop for scratching the surface. The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a fine example of impeccable curation, while the Trinity River Audubon Center gives you a dose of the wilder wetlands, forests and prairielands.
In the heart of the city, the Klyde Warren Park, or KWP, links the Downtown and Uptown neighbourhoods with an urban oasis, formed from what was previously a concrete-filled highway overpass that today offers food trucks, restaurants, and everything from free tai-chi to capoeira and symphony concerts.
Reinvention and ingenuity seem second nature in Dallas, so whether you’re here to sample the standout cuisine, hang out with locals at a sports game or see the sights – you’re guaranteed a good time.
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