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Dallas/Downtown - central business district in Dallas, Texas

Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District of the city of Dallas. Traditionally defined as the area within the belt of freeways surrounding the centre, it is now deemed to have expanded to an area known as Uptown, north of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway thanks to the new walkable Klyde Warren Park, while in the east the center spills across US-75 into the Deep Ellum neighborhood.

Downtown includes most of Dallas' extant historic buildings, its modern skyscrapers, and the majority of its historic institutions. There are no official administrative subdivisions of Dallas, but a local organization, Downtown Dallas Inc., took it upon itself to redefine, develop and advocate the interests of Downtown.

Understand

Uptown is the young, affluent area bounded by I-35E to the west, US-75 to the east, Woodall Rodgers (and central Downtown) to the south, and Turtle Creek to the north.

Deep Ellum, named for its place on the far eastern ("Deep") end of Elm Street ("Ellum"), consists of a 5-to-10-block-long stretch along Elm, Main, and Commerce streets east of Central Expressway. It can be reached easily via Commerce or Main Streets, northern parts of Dallas via Central Expressway to Good-Latimer, or eastern parts of Dallas via I-30 to First Ave/Exposition Ave.

Get in & around

By train

  • DART serves Downtown Dallas with several light-rail and commuters lines running through downtown with lines running in all directions. The furthest commuter lines run to Denton and Fort Worth (with a stop just south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Other lines go to Plano, Richardson, Garland, and south Dallas.
  • To get to Deep Ellum on DART, take the Green Line to Deep Ellum or Baylor Stations.
  • Street parking in Deep Ellum is free during weekday business hours, but the meters are active on nights and weekends, and there are several pay lots in the area.
  • The free-to-ride M-Line Trolley (streetcar) runs from the northern part of Downtown straight through the middle of Uptown, where it connects to DART's Uptown Station (Blue and Red Lines.)
  • Amtrak has a station on the west side of downtown and shares a station with DART's commuter rail lines and 2 of the light-rail lines.

By car

Several expressways meet in downtown Dallas, forming a loop around the neighborhood. I-35E (going south to north) and I-30 (going east to west cross I-45 (from Houston), US-75 (to Sherman and Tulsa), and Woodall Rodgers (connecting I-35E to US-75.)

Old Red Museum

See

  • Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture, 100 S Houston St, 32.77856°, -96.80758°, +1 214 745-1100. M-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Tells the story of the development of Dallas County from pre-historic times to the present day. This museum opened in Mayand the quality of the exhibits and explanations is unusually high. Very much worth a visit if you want to understand the historical context of Dallas. In the restored 1892 Courthouse Building, a few minutes' walk from the Sixth Floor museum. Adults $8 Dallas Museum of Art
  • Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood St, 32.78819°, -96.80163°, +1 214 922-1200. Tu-Su, 11AM-5PM, Th 11AM-9PM, closed Mondays, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Great works of art from eastern and western cultures, from all ages. Free to most exhibits Inside the Nasher Sculpture Center
  • Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St, 32.78810°, -96.79994°, +1 214 242-5100. This collection of sculpture provides a fantastic outdoor oasis in the heart of the downtown arts district. The Renzo Piano designed facility pulls in the surrounding light and energy of the district but does not overwhelm. The indoor-outdoor collection of renowned Dallas collector Raymond Nasher is truly astounding. Ask about the combined admission ticket to see the Nasher and the Dallas Museum of Art, directly across Harwood St. Dallas World Aquarium
  • Dallas World Aquarium, 1801 N Griffin St, 32.78354°, -96.80552°, +1 214 720-2224. More than just an aquarium, this unique zoo tour starts at the canopy level of a rain forest. Visitors wind their way down past many types of animals to find the aquarium at the bottom. $15.95 adults and $8.95 children Reunion Tower at dusk
  • Reunion Tower, 300 Reunion Blvd E, 32.77530°, -96.80886°, +1 214-712-7040, info@reuniontower.com. One of the defining landmarks of the Dallas skyline, has been renovated. There is an observation deck and restaurant at the top of the distinctive ball-shaped tower. 2020-11-15 Perot Museum
  • Perot Museum of Nature and Science, 2201 N Field St, 32.78704°, -96.80601°, +1 214-428-5555, info@perotmuseum.org. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. The Dallas Natural History Museum relocated to this spectacular building funded by Ross Perot, a former Presidential candidate and local billionaire.

The former Texas School Book Repository at Dealey Plaza, now housing the Sixth Floor Museum

  • Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, 411 Elm Street Suite #120, 32.77959°, -96.80835°, +1 214 747-6660. Daily 9AM-6PM. An unfortunate part of Dallas' history is that it is the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Texas Book Depository is the site where shots were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald, and the museum is on the sixth floor of the same building, with an extra exhibition on the seventh. It is a moving experience with videos, full-wall descriptions and photographs, along with artifacts from the event. The museum's gift shop is in a different building. Adults $13.50
  • Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, 211 North Record St, 32.78003°, -96.80767°, +1 214-741-7500. M-F 9:30AM-5PM, Sa Su 11AM-5PM. The core exhibit covers the Jewish Holocaust during World War II. $10 adults, $8 students/seniors Klyde Warren Park
  • Klyde Warren Park, 32.78948°, -96.80155°. 6AM-11PM. In many ways this park is redefining the city's character. The Klyde Warren Park is a privately-funded public space over the underground section of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway which forms the northern boundary of Downtown. With greenery and performance/event spaces, it is one of the rare places in Downtown which allow outdoor recreation and enhances walkability towards Uptown. It is named after a living person, the son of its primary benefactor, Dallas billionaire Kelcy Warren. 2016-08-22
  • Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St, 32.77625°, -96.79696°, +1 214-670-3111. Constructed in the early 1970s, the City Hall of Dallas is a unique architectural monument, shaped by its architect I.M. Pei as an inverted pyramid placed in the centre of a large open plot of land. While constructed of uncovered concrete, the building is not obnoxiously brutalist, as the colour of the concrete was carefully chosen to match the earth tones of the surrounding grounds. Unusual when constructed, it now provides a unique retrofuturistic vibe, which lent it to star, e.g. in Robocop as a dystopian corporate headquarters. 2020-11-15
  • Dallas Museum of Illusions, 701 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75202, +1 214-432-1582, info@moidallas.com. Sunday to Thursday-10:00am to 8:00pm Friday and Saturday-10:00am to 9:00pm. Located close to Dallas World Aquarium, this museum will take you from reality to the world of imagination, fusing fun with education. 2022-07-17

Deep Ellum

Do

AT&T Performing Arts Center

Traditional performing arts in Dallas are housed in a complex of purpose-built objects next to the Klyde Warren Park. Construction was financed by private donations over the 2000s, and design attracted architects of international fame, with every building an architectural point of interest in itself. The major performing arts companies moved to the new buildings, each bearing a name of its principal sponsor, while also leaving space for guest performances, which provides for busy and varied schedules.

  • Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 32.7899°, -96.7986°. Home of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Choir, features a busy schedule of classical music performances 2016-08-22
  • Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St, 32.79098°, -96.79803°. Home of the Dallas Opera company and Texas Ballet Theater, both with wide repertoires, and also welcoming guest performances by acclaimed artists from all over the globe. 2020-11-15
  • Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, 32.79008°, -96.79634°. Unorthodox in its design, the Wyly Theatre has its functions "stacked" one upon another, creating a relatively tall twelve-storey block, covered with anodized aluminium rods on the outside, with main stage seating for up to 600 spectators. The home company is the Dallas Theater Center. 2016-08-22

Apart from the above, the square between the opera and symphony hall is sometimes used for outdoor performances and named Annette Strauss Square for the former mayor of Dallas who championed the arts.

American Airlines center, with fans celebrating the Mavericks NBA victory in 2011

American Airlines Center

The outside of the American Airlines center The American Airlines Center 📍 is a large arena that can seat more than 20,000 people, depending on the arrangement and event. It is most known as the home field for Dallas' basketball and hockey teams. The brick retro arena is just north of Downtown, adjacent to the Victory Park DART and TRE (Trinity Railway Express) rail stations, at address 2500 Victory Ave.

  • Dallas Mavericks. Dallas' professional basketball team, playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ticket prices vary from $10 up to $240 for a seat very close to the action. In 2011, the team won the NBA championship. Though the centerpiece of that team, Dirk Nowitzki, has long since retired, the Mavs remain relevant thanks to Luka Dončić.
  • Dallas Stars. Dallas' professional hockey team, playing in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Other activities

Buy

There are some good antique stores in the Knox-Henderson area.

Eat

There are tons of restaurants, or a couple dozen anyway, including Dick's Last Resort, Hooters, and what was the original Spaghetti Warehouse. There are several popular local establishments as well. This area does not make the list of must-see places in Dallas but is a convenient place for dinner or a drink if you are already in the area.

Central Downtown/West End

The area around West End (North Market Street) and further east along Main Street are the best places to start looking. On Sundays check out the food vans parked long the road by Klyde Warren Park.

The Crescent in Uptown Dallas

Uptown/McKinney

It must be said that a bona fide "foodie" would be remiss to skip the fabulous restaurants that line McKinney Avenue and environs -- if there's one arena in which Dallas merits its own pretentions to "world-class" status, it's in its varied, creative restaurants, where quasi-celebrity chefs hold forth with true flair. Just to the north of McKinney is the Knox-Henderson area. It is similar but more laid-back. The west side of highway is Knox Street. This is just on the edge of Highland Park, and it features a plethora of home-decorating boutiques as well as eateries and watering holes. Cross the freeway and Knox becomes Henderson -- bastion of hip but laid-back eateries, check out Fireside Pies for one.

One of the many wacky storefronts of Deep Ellum

Deep Ellum

Drink

In the West End

Central Downtown

Uptown

Traveling Man sculpture at the Deep Ellum DART station

Deep Ellum

Downtown Dallas seen from the Reunion Tower

Sleep

Mid-range

Splurge

Connect

Downtown Dallas

Timezone:MultiplePopulation:6,074Coordinates:32.78, -96.80