One of the first things you will want to do when you get to Dallas is to explore that famous Highland Park homes. Highland Park is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country and you will understand why when you get there! The homes in this neighborhood are immaculate and they go on and on, it is definitely jaw dropping. Make sure to weave through the neighborhoods off of Preston Road starting up around Park Lane all the way down to where Preston Road turns into Oak Lawn and meets Turtle Creek blvd. Don’t miss Armstong Parkway or the historic Swiss Avenue either! After your driving tour, window shop in the prestigious Highland Park Village shopping center.
After getting a glimpse of how the rich and wealthy live, head downtown and check out the Nasher Sculpture Center which has free admission on the first Saturday of every month between 10am-2pm.
Head on over to Uptown and West Village (McKinney Ave through Routh Street). It is a bustling area with great shopping, dining and entertainment. You can also catch the Mckinney Avenue Trolley and take a free ride on an old trolley. The Trolley stops where you can get off and walk to other points of interest and then catch the next trolley when you are ready. Check out the trolley website for schedule and route map. http://www.mata.org/
North of Dallas you will find fun free things do to as well. Head to the Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm in Allen, TX. Each month they have a different free weekly event during the summer such as “Live on the Green”, featuring different musical groups from 7pm-9:30 Fridays, Movie on the Green Thursdays or Yoga on the Green Saturdays. Visit their website under special events for a calendar of current happenings.
Visit the Mary Kay museum, free admission. Just be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. Open Monday – Friday 9am-4:30 pm. 16251 N. Dallas Parkway, 972-687-5720
Another fun free activity you can do is check out the Dallas Farmers Market. It is open daily from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. located at 1010 S. Pearl St.
If you are looking to check out the more eclectic area of Dallas, head to Deep Ellum, just east of downtown where you will find the home of the Dallas Jazz scene as well as interesting shops, galleries, eateries and nightclubs.
For something family friendly, head on over to the Owens Spring Creek Farm, 1401 E. Lookout Dr., Richardson, Texas 75208 Website: www.owensinc.com/owens_scfarm.htm. Upon entering you will first visit The Owens Museum which will take you 100 years back in time. After visiting the old fashioned shops in the museum, head outside and enjoy the farm animals including beautiful horses and ponies. Guided tours and parking is free with a reservation.
For more historic experiences, visit Fair Park located at 1300 Robert B Cullum Blvd., Dallas, TX 75226 Website: www.bigtex.com. This is a 277-acre park known for it’s various museums, eight museum to be exact. This is a great attraction year round however the best time to visit is during the State Fair. Not all of the museums have free admission so check on the website before you go.
On one of Dallas’s many nice days, you could pack a picnic and head over to White Rock Lake. If you are up for more action, take a walk, jog or bike ride around the 9.33 mile trail that goes around the lake. If that’s not enough, take a paddle boat, kayak, canoe, sailboat or motorboat (under 10 horsepower) and enjoy a day on the water. Take a drive around and decide where you want to stop, but a good entrance is at Williamson and W. Lawther. Other entrances are on Garland Rd., E. Northwest Highway and N. Buckner Blvd.(Exploring Dallas with Children).
Also not to miss is the West End Marketplace, an old cracker factory turned tourists delight. It’s free to enter and look around but there may be special events going on that you will have to pay to participate. The West End Historic District is located at 603 Munger Ave at Market St., Dallas TX 75202. The Maketplace contains over 40 specialty retail shops, a fountain, restaurants and clubs and during the summer you are bound to take in some free concerts.
