Looking for free things to do with kids in Dallas?
Here is our list…
What to do in Dallas:
1. Take a ride on the McKinney Avenue Trolley. The trolleys are air-conditioned and heated and run up and down McKinney avenue 365 days a year. There are lots of stops along the way so you might consider going at lunch time and finding a restaurant along the route. Kids love any excuse to get on and off the trolley! The McKinney Avenue Trolley’s hours are Monday “ Thursday: 7 am “ 10 pm, Friday: 7 am “ midnight, Saturday: 10 am “ midnight, Sunday and holidays: 10 am “ 10 pm. Check out the routes and schedules.
2. Watch the trains at the Children’s Medical Center train display. Update: This exhibit is no longer open to the public. You are required to have a medical appointment in the building. Housed in the lobby of the hospital, this display is the largest permanent model train display in the country. Eight trains run through an elaborate landscape which includes the Dallas skyline. Children will be amazed at the intricate details of the display from the miniature life-like people and animals to the working lights and sounds. While the display is free, you may have to pay a fee to park in some of the hospital’s visitor lots. The hospital is located at 1935 Motor St., between Stemmons Freeway and Harry Hines Boulevard. You can call 214-640-2000 for more information.
3. Visit the Dallas Farmers Market. Dallas is home of one of the largest public farmer’s markets in the country and offers fresh meats, produce, floral, and specialty food products. It’s open seven days a week from 8 am “ 6 pm. Kids will enjoy the colors of the produce, tasting samples, and talking to the vendors about unusual items for sale. They are located at 1010 S. Pearl Expressway at the corner of Harwood and Marilla Streets, in the southeast corner of Downtown Dallas. For more information, please call 214-939-2808
4. Be thankful at Thanksgiving Square. A hidden jewel in the heart of Dallas, Thanksgiving Square offers many wonderful exhibits including the unique Chapel of Thanksgiving, the Wall of Presidents, the Wall of Praise and the Bell Tower, the new Court of the Nations and the Ring of Thanks sculpture. Visitors may conduct a self-guided tour of the Chapel and the grounds of Thanks-Giving Square free of charge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please call 214-969-1977
5. You can almost hear the cowboys say Round up! at Pioneer Plaza where bronze statues of longhorn cattle and cowboys depict a scene from a cattle drive of long ago. Kids are always amazed at the size of the statues and how lifelike they are. Pioneer Plaza is located at the intersection of Griffin and Young.
6. Get creative at Lakeshore Learning. Every Saturday from 11:00 am “ 3:00 pm, kids make fun craft projects such as a snowman magnet, weather forecast dial, or a Chinese New Year drum. Lakeshore Learning is located at 13846 N. Dallas Parkway near the Galleria. Contact them at 972-934-8866 for more information or check out their website for the schedule of future activities.
7. Storytime and fun atBookmarks at North Park Center, 8687 North Central Expressway, Suite 1514. Kids will love the activities and story times that include Bilingual Books and Boogie, KraftyKids, Tickles for Toddlers, Baby Bounce, Preschool Palooza, as well as special events like Russian folk music performers. Contact them at 214-671-1381 for more information about specific dates and times.
8. Come to the Nasher Sculpture Center on the first Saturday of every month for Target First Saturdays. Kids will enjoy storytimes, yoga, craft projects, special performances, and even a scavenger hunt. Nasher is located at 2001 Flora Street. They are open 11:00 “ 5:00 Tuesday through Sunday. They are closed on Monday. You can reach them at 214-242-5100 for more information.
9. Kids love the free Lego Monthly Mini Model Build at the Lego Store at NorthPark Center. On the first Tuesday of every month at 5:00 pm, the Lego Store provides children with a small prepackaged kit of Legos to build a special project for the month that they can take home and keep. It is intended for children age 6 “ 14. The Lego Store is located in NorthPark Center at 8687 N. Central Expressway, 214-750-6422.
10. It’s showtime! Showtime Saturdays at the Galleria is great fun for children and adults. Enjoy watching magicians, musicians, comedians and other performers every Saturday at 11:30 am. The show is located on the third floor of the Dallas Galleria near the Play Place (another fun thing for kids to do!). The address is 13350 Dallas Parkway, 972-702-7100.What do you like to do with your family in Dallas?
1. Take a ride on the McKinney Avenue Trolley. The trolleys are air-conditioned and heated and run up and down McKinney avenue 365 days a year. There are lots of stops along the way so you might consider going at lunch time and finding a restaurant along the route. Kids love any excuse to get on and off the trolley! The McKinney Avenue Trolley’s hours are Monday “ Thursday: 7 am “ 10 pm, Friday: 7 am “ midnight, Saturday: 10 am “ midnight, Sunday and holidays: 10 am “ 10 pm. Check out the routes and schedules.
2. Watch the trains at the Children’s Medical Center train display. Update: This exhibit is no longer open to the public. You are required to have a medical appointment in the building. Housed in the lobby of the hospital, this display is the largest permanent model train display in the country. Eight trains run through an elaborate landscape which includes the Dallas skyline. Children will be amazed at the intricate details of the display from the miniature life-like people and animals to the working lights and sounds. While the display is free, you may have to pay a fee to park in some of the hospital’s visitor lots. The hospital is located at 1935 Motor St., between Stemmons Freeway and Harry Hines Boulevard. You can call 214-640-2000 for more information.
3. Visit the Dallas Farmers Market. Dallas is home of one of the largest public farmer’s markets in the country and offers fresh meats, produce, floral, and specialty food products. It’s open seven days a week from 8 am “ 6 pm. Kids will enjoy the colors of the produce, tasting samples, and talking to the vendors about unusual items for sale. They are located at 1010 S. Pearl Expressway at the corner of Harwood and Marilla Streets, in the southeast corner of Downtown Dallas. For more information, please call 214-939-2808
4. Be thankful at Thanksgiving Square. A hidden jewel in the heart of Dallas, Thanksgiving Square offers many wonderful exhibits including the unique Chapel of Thanksgiving, the Wall of Presidents, the Wall of Praise and the Bell Tower, the new Court of the Nations and the Ring of Thanks sculpture. Visitors may conduct a self-guided tour of the Chapel and the grounds of Thanks-Giving Square free of charge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please call 214-969-1977
5. You can almost hear the cowboys say Round up! at Pioneer Plaza where bronze statues of longhorn cattle and cowboys depict a scene from a cattle drive of long ago. Kids are always amazed at the size of the statues and how lifelike they are. Pioneer Plaza is located at the intersection of Griffin and Young.
6. Get creative at Lakeshore Learning. Every Saturday from 11:00 am “ 3:00 pm, kids make fun craft projects such as a snowman magnet, weather forecast dial, or a Chinese New Year drum. Lakeshore Learning is located at 13846 N. Dallas Parkway near the Galleria. Contact them at 972-934-8866 for more information or check out their website for the schedule of future activities.
7. Storytime and fun at Bookmarks at North Park Center, 8687 North Central Expressway, Suite 1514. Kids will love the activities and story times that include Bilingual Books and Boogie, KraftyKids, Tickles for Toddlers, Baby Bounce, Preschool Palooza, as well as special events like Russian folk music performers. Contact them at 214-671-1381 for more information about specific dates and times.
8. Come to the Nasher Sculpture Center on the first Saturday of every month for Target First Saturdays. Kids will enjoy storytimes, yoga, craft projects, special performances, and even a scavenger hunt. Nasher is located at 2001 Flora Street. They are open 11:00 “ 5:00 Tuesday through Sunday. They are closed on Monday. You can reach them at 214-242-5100 for more information.
9. Kids love the free Lego Monthly Mini Model Build at the Lego Store at NorthPark Center. On the first Tuesday of every month at 5:00 pm, the Lego Store provides children with a small prepackaged kit of Legos to build a special project for the month that they can take home and keep. It is intended for children age 6 “ 14. The Lego Store is located in NorthPark Center at 8687 N. Central Expressway, 214-750-6422.
10. It’s showtime! Showtime Saturdays at the Galleria is great fun for children and adults. Enjoy watching magicians, musicians, comedians and other performers every Saturday at 11:30 am. The show is located on the third floor of the Dallas Galleria near the Play Place (another fun thing for kids to do!). The address is 13350 Dallas Parkway, 972-702-7100.
What do you like to do with your family in Dallas?
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