Old City Park
The city of Dallas' history is preserved in a living museum nestled in 13 wooded acres just south of downtown, known as Old City Park. This historical village consists of 38 buildings and houses, including a working farm, elegant Victorian homes, a school, church and a bank that is alleged to have been robbed by Bonnie and Clyde, all dating from between 1840 and 1910. All the structures in this recreated turn-of-the-century village have been collected from various locations in and around Dallas, and restored and re-assembled here.
Address: 1717 Gano Street, Dallas
Telephone: Ticket office: (214) 428 5448; Main office: (214) 421 5141
Web site:www.oldcitypark.org
Opening time: Old City Park is open year round Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday noon to 4pm (closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day)
Admission: $7 (adults), $4 (children). For an additional $3 there is an audio tour of the museum
Sixth Floor Museum
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy is commemorated in the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza where the 1963 shooting took place. Most chilling of the exhibits is the window area in the former Texas School Book Depository building from where sniper Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the fatal shots at the 35th President’s motorcade. The museum also documents Kennedy’s life and legacy, featuring more than 20,000 artifacts and a large amount of archival material. A granite marker at the corner of Houston and Main Streets outside shows where Kennedy was assassinated and a memorial stands in nearby John F. Kennedy Plaza. Visitors to the museum can also view the Zapruder film of the assassination.
Address: 411 Elm Street, Dealey Plaza, Dallas
Telephone: (214) 747 6660
Web site: www.jfk.org
Opening time: Daily 9am to 6pm; closed Christmas Day
Admission: $10 (adults), $9 (children 6-18). Audio tours are available for an additional $3.50
The Stockyard District
Fort Worth is THE place to experience the romance and mystique of the American Wild West, and the Stockyards National Historic District is the ideal place to start. The district encompasses 15 blocks packed full of exciting 'Cowtown' attractions, from rodeos to cattle drives, country music shows, shops selling genuine cowboy gear, saloons and Texan diners, and the 'Tarantula Train' steam railway on which regular re-enactments of a train robbery are performed. The Stockyard District is also the venue for several annual festivals and western events and home to the world-famous Billy Bob's Honky Tonk.
Address: East Exchange Avenue, Fort Worth
Telephone: (817) 624 4741
Web site: www.fortworthstockyards.org
Opening time: Daily cattle drives at 11am and 4.30pm. Various other events at different times
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Fort Worth’s Modern Art Museum is second only in size to it’s counterpart in New York, and is the oldest art museum in Texas, having been chartered in 1892. The museum is housed in an eye-catching building, consisting of five long flat-roofed pavilions atop a 1.5-acre pond, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The museum’s permanent collection of modern and contemporary paintings includes works by Picasso, Andy Warhol, Rauschenberg and Pollock. The museum also hosts visiting exhibitions and features a large sculpture collection.
Address: 3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth
Telephone: (817) 738 9215
E-mail: info@themodern.org
Web site: www.mamfw.org
Opening time: Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm. Closed Mondays and holidays
Admission: $8 (adults); concessions available. Free on Wednesdays, and first Sunday of the month
Cattle Raisers Museum
The museum is dedicated to telling the story of the cowboy and cattle ranching industry of the southwest. Use has been made of talking mannequins, interactive exhibits, authentic artifacts and theatre presentations to bring alive the legends and lore of the Wild West, from Texas Rangers to rustlers. The museum also contains the largest collection of branding irons in the world.
Address: 1301 West Seventh Street, Fort Worth
Telephone: (817) 332 8551
Web site: www.cattleraisersmuseum.org
Opening time: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm
Admission: $3 (adults), $1 (children 4-12)
Fort Worth Zoo
Fort Worth’s Zoo is ranked as one of the top five in the United States and is home to more than 5,000 animals living in natural habitat settings like Raptor Canyon, the Koala Outback and Asian Falls. A recently opened new eight-acre section called Texas Wild takes visitors on a journey through the state to see indigenous animals like swift foxes, ocelots and white-tailed deer, including some endangered species. This section includes a mock-up of a Texas town with a restaurant, store, saloon and jailhouse. Another popular diversion here is the chance to try managing a computer-simulated ranch.
Address: Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth
Telephone: (817) 759 7555
Web site: www.fortworthzoo.com
Opening time: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm (April to October); daily 10am to 4pm (winter)
Admission: $10.50 (adults), $8 (children 3-12). Half price on Wednesdays
Dallas Holocaust Museum
The Dallas Holocaust Museum, Center for Education and Tolerance, is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching the lessons of the Holocaust and memorializing its victims. It provides guided tours for groups, audio tours for individuals, public lectures and exhibits. Originally situated in the Jewish Community Center, the museum has relocated to a larger premises in the center of Dallas' historical district, adjacent to the Sixth Floor Museum, due to lack of space and having to turn away thousands of visitors each year. But even this is a temporary measure as an even larger museum is planned, which will be a powerfully symbolic structure to support its profound educational message.
Address: 211 N. Record Street, Suite 100, Dallas
Telephone: (214) 741 7500
Web site: www.dallasholocaustmuseum.org
Opening time: Daily Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm
Admission: $6 (adults); concessions available
