Things to do in Dallas for 1 day
 

Hi all,
On my return flight from Mexico back to Australia via LA, I have a day or so to spare. Rather than spend it in LA, I'm thinking Texas could be interesting.

Can anybody give me any ideas of 1 or 2 things to do. I'll be arriving about 10am on a thursday, and leaving midday the following day.

I'm interested in architecture and history, rather than sport, for example.

Thanks!

Other than history related to JFK, I wouldn't consider Dallas to be rich with history and architecture.

If I only had 24 hours in Dallas, I would eat the entire time. Rent a car, check into the hotel, then go to Sonny Bryan's on Inwood for some hardcore BBQ (it is out of the way and sooo worth it). Then go downtown to see the JFK stuff, or head to Highland Park Village for some great shopping (Northpark is my favorite mall, though). If you need reading for your flight, on Northwest Highway you will find Half Priced Books, the ultimate used book retailer. That right there could carry you until dinner, which you should eat at one of our fabulous Tex Mex restaurants, my recommendation being Ojeda's on Maple Ave.
http://maps.citysearch.com/location/9603462

For breakfast the following day I would hit up Bread Winners: breadwinnerscafe.com

Not very historical and a lot of driving, but a fun stopover, I think!

We enjoyed the Sixth Floor Museum, which is all about JFK's assassination. There is also great shopping in Dallas, if that interests you.

Thanks all. The jury is still out on whether it's LA or Dallas. As much as I love food - I do have a 15hr flight out of LAX - and I still need to see a bit more of the world before I clog my arteries completely :)

If you are going to rent a car drive south about thirty five miles to Waxahachie
http://www.waxahachiechamber.com/
Have lunch at the 1879 Townhouse restaurant, 111 S. College right next to the old courthouse. Have a great lunch (best in town), view the beautifully restored courthouse; drive around Waxahachie observing the multitude of turn of the century homes from a hundred years ago. From Waxahachie take Highway 287 to Fort Worth and spend the night in downtown Fort Worth where you can wander around Sundance Square.
http://www.sundancesquare.com/
(Downtown Fort Worth can be enjoyed at night in contrast to downtown Dallas at night where the goal is to not be a crime victim.)

The next morning, if interested, you can visit the Kennedy murder scene in Dallas before your plane. Maybe better would to sleep in; have a great brunch and get prepared for your plane ride.

If you do go for Mexican in Dallas try Rosita's, 4906 Maple (it's about two blocks from Ojeda's, much smaller and friendlier).

The best thing to see in a short time in Dallas is the Sixth Floor Museum, which is the "JFK stuff" that laclaire speaks of. It is a very good museum, and you can easily get through it in under 3 hours.

Fort Worth is just a short drive west of Dallas, and most foreign visitors really enjoy the history and old west atmosphere. The Stockyards are very popular! There are daily cattle drives, and lots of truly unique Texas shops, and Billy Bob's honky tonk. You can even stay right in the middle of it all at the historic Stockyards Hotel.

I assume you'll have a car.

While in Dallas, apart from the JFK museum, don't miss the Nasher Sculpture Garden in the Arts District. It's got a wonderful collection of great sculptures, and the building itself is a piece of art - desgined by Renzo Piano.

Across the street from Nasher is the Meyerson Symphony Center. It is another beautiful building - designed by IM Pei. Public Tours are given on selected Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 1pm.

If you like Art, there'll be a Van Gogh exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art coming up. It opens this weekend.
http://www.dallasmuseumofart.org

BTW, to see more famous buildings, head to Fort Worth.

The Kimball Art museum is designed by Louis Kahn.

The Fort Worth Modern is designed by Tadao Ando.

The Amon Carter Museum is designed by Philip Johnson.

There you have it - lots of Pritzker Prize-winning architects designs here in DFW.

I agree with yk: go to the museum district in Fort Worth. The Kimbell (designed by Louis Kahn) should not be missed. The current exhibition is "Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh." Check it out at http://www.kimbellart.org/exhibition...ions.cfm?id=29

The Amon Carter museum (designed by Philip Johnson) has an outstanding collection of American Western art. The Sid Richardson gallery has a huge collection of Remingtons, but it's closed until Nov. 10.

I live in Dallas, but my two cents would be to visit Fort Worth. Seems there's a bit more history and architecture there. Try the Amon Carter Museum and then Sundance Square/Stockyards. FW also has a fair amount of historic residences just outside of downtown, and if you're into nature at all, I've heard the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens are gorgeous. Have a friend who was married there.
Happy travels,
CDG

Fair Park in Dallas is a place you should visit. It is actually a Worlds Fair site from the 1930's, and the original Art Deco architecturee is somewhat well preserved. It also has a nice selection of mural art.

The park has several museums. The latest and biggest one is the Women's Museum, only one of its kind in the US, I'm told. Also, check out the Great Room in the Hall of State. There is an African-American art museum, an aquarium, a couple of science museums, a railroad museum, and a horticulture center.

Another suggestion is to ride the McKinney Avenue Trolley through the Uptown district of Dallas. Uptown is a fairly urban place, with galleries, unusual shops, plenty of restaurants, bistros, etc.

My favorite little museum is the MADI museum on Cole street... the trolley goes by it. The MADI style is very different from anything else I've seen, very colorful and graphic, but definitely esthetic.

The Trolley will eventually take you to an urban district called the West Village... I think you should try hard to check it out.

Am I correct that your flight goes from Mexico to LA? Why would you fly LA to Dallas and back to LA for such a short time? You won't get to see much at all. Are you sure you want to invest that much more time in the air? I would suggest something closer to LA.