Dallas Attractions
The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is
a short walk from the conference site. The permanent collection
ranges from artifacts from ancient Egypt to modern sculptures and
paintings. Expect to spend at least half a day if you are planning to visit all
the exhibitions. Admission is free, except for special exhibitions
(see our events page for current
exhibitions). If you visit DMA, I recommend lunch at the
Seventeen Seventeen
restaurant on the second floor. It has the best Sunday
brunch in town ($25 fixed price). There is also a nice cafeteria in
the atrium on the first floor (Atrium cafe).
West End is an entertainment area west of downtown with many restaurants and tourist attractions
(see our restaurant page for a restaurant list).
You can reach West End by riding the light rail or
the bus loops A or B. The light rail
stops outside the conference site and goes directly to West End.
The ticket is $1.00 each way but you can get a day pass.
The bus loops A and B
cost 50 cents and, like the light rail, are very convenient since they stop outside the conference site.
At the north end of West End there is a warehouse, called the West-End marketplace, which has many tourist
shops, movie theaters, and fast food restaurants. The major attraction near West End
is the Sixth Floor Museum
with exhibits about the life and death of J.F.Kennedy. Expect long
lines on weekends. On Pearl and San Jacinto there is a nice aquarium, called
the Dallas World Aquarium,
which is great fun for kids. If you visit this museum,
I recommend lunch at Eighteen-O-One inside the museum.
The Fair Park is an area southeast of downtown with many museums, exhibition halls, and concert halls.
It is about 10 minute drive from the hotel.
A must-see museum is the
Science Place,
a hands-on science museum which also includes an IMAX theater and a planetarium.
Another nice museum in Fair Park is the Dallas Museum of Natural History.
The Dallas zoo is conveniently located next to a light rail stop (red line).
It's great fun for kids.
This is the largest amusement park in North Texas. It is in Arlington, 20 minutes drive west of Dallas.
The ticket is about $36 (more info).
Next to six flags, there is a water park called the
Hurricane Harbor,
which has a $25 admission (more info).
Fort Wort is 45 minutes drive west of Dallas.
The area around Sundance square has become very cosmopolitan the last few years with many restaurants
and art galleries, and with a spectacular concert hall (the Bass Hall).
A must-see museum in the cultural district west of downtown is the
Kimbell Art Museum,
which is the best in the metroplex and among the best small art meuseums in US.
North of downtown, there is the Fort Worth Stockyards historical district,
which looks like a setup for a western movie. It has many tourist shops where you
can buy your cowboy hat and boots. Near the stockyards, there is a famous bar, called
Billy Bob's Texas, with live rodeo shows and live country music.
Shopping
There is nice department store downtown, called
Neiman Marcus,
which has been an institution for high fashion in Dallas. It is located on Ervay and Main.
A very nice shopping mall near downtown is the NortPark Center.
You can go there using the light rail red line
and exit on Park Lane (the last stop). Then you get a free vintage street car that
connects the rail stop to the mall. For the ultimate shopping experience,
visit the Galleria in North Dallas.
Last updated: Feb 23, 2000
(by LF)