US Travel Guide - Dallas

Dallas Entertainment

Dallas has more pastimes than just big business, fine dining and fashionable shopping. Dallas has museums that cover areas of interest ranging from art, history and nature to science, technology and religion. Its zoo, parks, lakes, gardens and trails are a direct contrast to the steel, glass and concrete that makes up such a large part of the city. Dallas is committed to preserving its precious natural characteristics. Whether you are a sports spectator or an active participant you can enjoy everything from football, hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer and rugby to golf, tennis, cycling, running, skating and horse back riding. Live performances in theater, music, dance, comedy or the symphony happen nightly, in venues large and small, somewhere in Dallas.

The Dallas Museum of Arts permanent collections span from ancient to contemporary periods and include works from Europe, Africa and Asia. Their galleries boast an impressive array of modern art. Traveling exhibits frequently complement the permanent collections and have previously featured Picasso, Georgia O'Keefe and Degas.
The Meadows Museum, located on the campus of Southern Methodist University, has one of the worlds finest collections of Spanish art outside of Madrid. The Biblical Arts Center features an enormous mural depicting 200 Biblical characters, an impressive light and sound show, Christian-era architecture and art galleries. The Science Place is a fascinating, hands-on display of feats of science that delights children young and old.

You are never far away from nature in Dallas. White Rock Lake, located in East Dallas, is a park-like haven offering fishing, sailing, picnicking and playgrounds. Both runners and bikers enjoy the picturesque 9-plus mile trail that winds around the lake. Nature enthusiasts love to explore the Dallas Nature Centers 640-acre wilderness and prairie preserve with over 7 miles of hiking trails. The visitor center provides details for their extensive nature programs. Old City Park, in Downtown, is a full scale replica of a late 19th and early 20th century Victorian-style village on 13 beautifully landscaped acres. The Dallas Arboretum showcases breathtaking horticultural designs with blooming gardens, massive trees and lush lawns that overlook White Rock Lake.

The theater is alive and well in Dallas' diverse arts world. The Majestic Theater, in downtown Dallas, is a restored 1920s-era theater that offers concerts, plays and comedy acts year round. Theatre Three, the Dallas Theater Center and the Kalita Humphreys Theater are significant venues for the myriad genre of plays that entertain theater lovers regularly. The Morton Meyerson Symphony Center is renown for both its architectural beauty and the outstanding acoustics which complement the talents of the orchestras, symphonies, and other performers that utilize the Eugene McDermott Concert Hall. Lest we forget, Dallas' numerous entertainment districts offer every imaginable type of live music - country, rock and roll, blues, jazz, grunge - from which you may choose.

The city also offers professional rodeos, horse racing, and car racing for those with a less conventional bent. Golf courses and tennis courts are scattered throughout the city. True to its roots, you can still find a place to horseback ride in Dallas.

F. Kuczaj