We hadn’t considered Dallas a typical vacation spot until local friends — former Dallas residents — convinced us to give it a try. After our recent four-night getaway, we can confirm they were right. We barely scratched the surface, but we ate well, explored lively neighborhoods, and discovered plenty of kid-friendly activities. Here’s a concise recap of what our family loved in Dallas and a few things we’re saving for a next visit.
Why Dallas? We had a short window between summer camps and family visits, along with credit card points to use for flights. We needed a quick, direct trip from the Florida Panhandle and narrowed our options to three cities. Our friends’ enthusiastic recommendations made Dallas an obvious choice.
5 Favorite Things In Dallas
If you’re planning a family trip, here are the five highlights our crew enjoyed most:
- The museums
- Vibrant neighborhoods
- Interactive games and activities
- Great casual food spots
- Places we didn’t have time for (saved for next time)
Those categories are broad, so here are the specifics.
1. Museums We Loved In Dallas
We received a long list of museum tips from friends. With kids aged 11 and 15, we prioritized the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science — both located downtown.
The DMA is expansive and free for most exhibits, making it a comfortable, air-conditioned place to explore art across many eras and styles. We spent nearly two hours and still didn’t see everything. A family-friendly activity room with materials and prompts kept the kids (and adults) happily creating for a long stretch.
The Perot Museum surprised us — our tween and teen insisted we go after spotting the building from the highway. It’s filled with interactive exhibits that engaged every member of our family. Favorites included the gemstone room, the earthquake simulator, the human body exhibits with physical challenges, and the “build your own bird” activity on the top floor.
2. Neighborhoods We Loved In Dallas
Previous work visits kept us downtown, so this trip we explored neighborhoods off the usual path. We only had time for a few districts — Deep Ellum, Lower Greenville, Highland Park — but the Bishop Arts District was our favorite.
Bishop Arts has an abundance of independent shops, cafes, and restaurants. We spent hours browsing a stationery and art supply shop where our son picked up supplies and our partner bought an art print. Other favorites included Taylor Kingston Mercantile, where everyone found a souvenir, plus the Oasis Plant Shop and a local flower shop — fun to browse but we avoided buying anything living to carry home.
We left wishing we’d spent even more time wandering Bishop Arts and other neighborhoods. There’s a lot to discover on foot.
3. Games We Loved In Dallas
Games unexpectedly became a trip theme. We tried Cidercade, where a flat entry fee lets you play unlimited vintage arcade and pinball games — like a retro Dave & Busters. The family loved the liberation of not feeding quarters into machines and spent a long time on pinball.
Another standout was Activate — a physical, high-tech venue with a dozen rooms of collaborative and competitive challenges. Rooms like “Grid,” where you run on color-changing floor panels, and “Strike,” where you throw foam balls at digital targets, were active, silly, and surprisingly athletic. Each room had multiple modes and difficulty levels, so it was engaging for different ages and skill sets. We left sweaty, smiling, and hoping one opens near us.
4. The Food We Loved In Dallas
Dallas has a large restaurant scene, but our family prefers casual, crowd-pleasing spots. We certainly missed sampling more Texas BBQ, but we enjoyed several memorable meals.
Katy Trail Ice House
This sprawling, shaded beer-garden-style spot sits alongside the Katy Trail, a popular multi-use path. It’s relaxed, good for people-watching, and comfortable even on hot afternoons thanks to fans and misters.
Snooze A.M. Eatery
Snooze is a national brunch chain we hadn’t tried before. It turned out to be our favorite meal of the trip — generous portions, varied menu, and a playful retro vibe. Perfect for a leisurely family breakfast.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Hopdoddy served up creative burgers and sides that pleased everyone. We wished we’d gone twice — there were so many tempting menu items, and the bowls of crispy Brussels sprouts were a hit.
Halcyon
Halcyon offered a laid-back warehouse atmosphere, excellent coffee, large pastries, and board games at the tables — an ideal casual spot for breakfast or lunch. We enjoyed burritos, acai bowls, and a competitive game of Uno.
We also had a pleasant dinner at a restaurant overlooking Klyde Warren Park — glass walls provided great park views while we dined.
5. The Places in Dallas We Didn’t Have Time For
There were many places we didn’t get to this time, and we’re already planning a return trip to explore them.
In Bishop Arts we only sampled popsicles and coffee between meals, but we spotted several restaurants we’d love to try another visit. We’re also excited to stop by Emporium Pies for a real pie (not pizza). Beyond dining, other attractions on our list include the Fort Worth Stockyards, riding the M-Line Trolley, visiting the Sixth Floor Museum, enjoying Reunion Tower views, experiencing Meow Wolf, and seeing the longhorn statues at Pioneer Plaza.
We came away impressed by how many family-friendly activities and casual dining options Dallas offers. It’s definitely a destination we’ll consider again for a family vacation.
More Family Trips We’ve Taken
If you enjoy family travel posts, we’ve written about other destinations you might like, including spring break ideas, Mexico, Costa Rica, New Orleans, Palm Springs, and more.