181 Places to See & Things to Do in Dallas-Fort Worth

Everything really is bigger in the Lone Star State – and that includes family-friendly fun. We’ve compiled a Texas-sized summer survival checklist that includes all the must-dos for your growing brood – all within a day’s drive of Dallas Fort Worth. So get out your No. 2s, fill your tank with gas and start checking off these essential North Texas attractions.

Texas culture: You're not a true Texan 'til you've been here and done this

• GeO-Deck at Reunion Tower, Dallas

• Fire Station No. 1 Museum, Fort Worth

• Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth

• National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Fort Worth

• National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame, Fort Worth

• Old Red Museum, Dallas

• Resistol Arena, Mesquite

• Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dallas

• Southfork Ranch, Parker

• Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, Fort Worth

• West End Historical District, Dallas

• Western Currency Facility, Fort Worth

Science spots: Places to bring out their inner Einstein

• Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Fort Worth

• Perot Museum of Nature and Science at Victory Park, Dallas

• Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, Grand Prairie

• Sci-Tech Discovery Center, Frisco

Cool transportation: Get your ticket to ride (so Mom can sit down for a change)

• DART, Dallas area

• Forest Park Miniature Railroad, Fort Worth

• Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Grapevine

• Interurban Railway Museum, Plano

• McKinney Avenue Trolley, Dallas

• Museum of the American Railroad, Dallas

• Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth

• Trinity Railway Express, Dallas-Fort Worth

Aviation museums: Where dreams take flight ... literally

• Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison

• C.R. Smith Museum, Fort Worth

• Founders Plaza Plane Observation Park, DFW International Airport

• Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas

• Vintage Flying Museum, Fort Worth

Animal encounters: Some moms do eat their young – but not here

• Dallas Zoo, Dallas

• Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth

• Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose

• Frank Buck Zoo, Gainesville

• In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Education Center, Wylie

• International Exotic Animal Sanctuary, Rhome

• Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch, Pilot Point

Aquariums & fishing: In the event of Sponge Bob overload

• Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine

• Cabela’s, Fort Worth

• Children's Aquarium at Fair Park, Dallas

• Dallas World Aquarium, Dallas

• SEA LIFE Aquarium, Grapevine

• Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Athens

Astronomy centers: Indulge in a cavity-free milky way

• Noble Planetarium, Fort Worth

• Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Gallery, Fort Worth

• St. Mark’s School of Texas Observatory, Dallas

• UNT Sky Theater, Denton

• UTA Planetarium, Arlington

Lakes & water parks: Places to sport an extra layer of SPF

• Burger’s Lake, Fort Worth

• Dallas Classic Gondola Cruises, Las Colinas

• Eagle Mountain Lake, Fort Worth

• Fort Worth Water Gardens, Fort Worth

• Hawaiian Falls, Garland, Mansfield, Roanoke and The Colony

• Keller Pointe, Keller

• Lake Arlington, Arlington

• Lake Benbrook, Fort Worth

• Lake Grapevine, Grapevine

• Lake Joe Pool, Cedar Hill

• Lake Lavon, Wylie

• Lake Lewisville, Lewisville

• Lake Mineral Wells, Mineral Wells

• Lake Ray Hubbard, Rowlett

• Lake Ray Roberts, Pilot Point

• Lake Worth, Fort Worth

• NRH2O Family Water Park, North Richland Hills

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Arlington

• Trinity River Kayak/Canoe Expeditions, Dallas area

• Wet Zone, Rowlett

• White Rock Lake, Dallas

Ice skating: Mittens in summer? Only at these icy escapes

• Dr Pepper Star Center, Euless, Farmers Branch, Frisco, McKinney and Plano

• Galleria Ice Skating Center, Dallas

• Ice at the Parks, Arlington

• Allen Community Ice Rink, Allen

Amusements parks, entertainment centers & sports: Because they're sure to nap afterward

• Adventure Landing, Dallas

• Alley Cats Entertainment Center, Arlington

• Bowlmor Dallas, Addison

• Celebration Station, Mesquite

• Cowtown Cattlepen Maze, Fort Worth

• Dyno-Rock Climbing Center, Arlington

• Katy Trail, Dallas

• Lone Star Fencing Center, Dallas

• Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie

• Main Event, Fort Worth, Frisco, Lewisville, Grapevine and Plano

• Medieval Times, Dallas

• Pilot Knoll Hiking Trail, Highland Village

• Top Golf, Allen, Dallas and The Colony

• Trinity Trail, Fort Worth

• Sandy Lake Amusement Park, Carrollton

• Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington

• Strikz, Frisco

• Summit Climbing Gym, Dallas, Carrollton and Grapevine

• Wiggly Play Center, Frisco

Professional Sports: Where family-friendly sports and, ahem, beer collide

• American Airlines Center, Dallas

• AT&T Stadium, Arlington

• AirHogs Baseball, Grand Prairie

• Dr Pepper Ballpark, Frisco

• LaGrave Field/Fort Worth Cats Baseball, Fort Worth

• Pizza Hut Park/FC Dallas Soccer, Frisco

• Rangers Ballpark/Rangers, Arlington

Farms & petting zoos: 'Mommy, what's a cow patty?'

• Fritz Park Petting Farm, Irving

• Grisham Farms Petting Zoo, McKinney

• Latte Da Dairy, Flower Mound

• Nash Farm, Grapevine

• Trinity River Farm, Fort Worth

Pick-your-own farms: Kids are expert pickers ... of fruit, that is

• 3 Vines Vineyard, Ponder

• Blase Family Farm, Rockwall

• Duck Creek Blackberry Farm, Sanger

• Gnismer Farms, Arlington

• Henrietta Creek Orchard, Roanoke

Horse-back riding: Yeehaw fun found here

• Benbrook Stables, Benbrook

• Dallas Polo Club, Red Oak

• North Dallas Equestrian Center, McKinney

• Marshall Creek Ranch, Southlake

• Park Lane Equestrian, Dallas

• Prestonwood Polo & Country Club, Oak Point

• Storybook Ranch, McKinney

• Windmill Stables of Spring Park, Richardson

Art museums: For mini monets in training

• Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth

• Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington

• Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas

• Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas

• Irving Arts Center, Irving

• Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

• Meadows Museum at SMU, Dallas

• Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth

• Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas

Historical sites & museums: Round-trip ticket back in time

• Chestnut Square Historic Village, McKinney

• Dallas Heritage Village, Dallas

• Dallas Holocaust Museum, Dallas

• Heritage Farmstead Museum, Plano

• International Museum of Cultures, Dallas

• Log Cabin Village, Fort Worth

Nature & outdoors: It's OK to get a little bit dirty ... dig it?

• Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve, Southlake

• Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth

• Cedar Ridge Preserve, Dallas

• Connemara Meadow Preserve, Allen

• Dallas Arboretum, Dallas

• Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose

• Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, Cedar Hill

• Elm Fork Nature Preserve, Carrollton

• Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Fort Worth

• Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, Fort Worth

• The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, McKinney

• River Legacy Living Science Center, Arlington

• Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden, Dallas

• Texas Discovery Gardens, Dallas

• Trinity River Audubon Center, Dallas

Theaters & music: Shakespeare never saw so many ...

• Artisan Center Theater, Hurst

• Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth

• Casa Mañana, Fort Worth

• Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts, Richardson

• Circle Theatre, Fort Worth

• Creative Arts Theatre & School, Arlington

• Dallas Children’s Theater, Dallas

• Dallas Summer Musicals, Dallas

• Frisco Area Children’s Theater, Frisco

• Grapevine Opry, Grapvine

• Hip Pocket Theatre, White Settlement

• Kids Who Care, Fort Worth

• McKinney Performing Arts Center, McKinney

• Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas

• Plano Children’s Theatre, Plano and McKinney

• Rover Dramawerks, Plano

• Slappy’s Puppet Playhouse, Dallas

• Theatre Arlington, Arlington

• Teatro Dallas, Dallas

• Verizon Theatre, Grand Prairie

• WaterTower Theatre, Addison

• Winspear Opera House, Dallas

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