International Bowling Museum & Hall Of Fame: Delve into 5,000 years of bowling history at this 18,000-square-foot, kid-friendly paean to all things pin and lane. You can find information on the inventors of the game, from the ancient Egyptians to an enterprising German immigrant; meet the earliest advocates of bowling, including Britain’s King Henry VIII; and gasp while reliving the feats of the sport’s greatest players. Interactive games and touch-screen kiosks abound.
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed on Sundays and Mondays. At the International Bowling Campus, 621 Six Flags Drive (south of Interstate 30 at State Highway 360), Arlington. $9.50 for adults, $7.50 for ages 4-18 and 65 and older, free for children 3 and younger. 817-385-8215. www.bowlingmuseum.com.
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington: The Texas Rangers’ regular season doesn’t begin till April 1, but you can get your baseball mojo working with tours of behind-the-scenes areas of Rangers Ballpark, including the Rangers’ clubhouse, batting cages, press box, City of Arlington Suite, dugouts and more.
Regular hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tours leaving every hour on the hour; last tour leaves at 4. Tours also will be available this Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. At 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington. Tours start at the First Base Box Office on the south side of Rangers the ballpark. Parking is available in the Academy Sports + Outdoors B Lot at the corner of Stadium Drive and Randol Mill Road. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 62 and older and students with valid student ID, $5 for children and youth 4-18, free for children under 4. 817-273-5059.
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium, Ripley’s Enchanted Mirror Maze, Louis Tussaud’s House Of Wax And Ripley’s Impossible Laserace: Whether you’ve got a pining to see some shrunken heads, a giant shark with blood-dripping teeth à la Jaws or Johnny Depp in wax, you’ll find it inside the onion-domed 10,000-square-foot complex on Interstate 30 (you can’t miss it; there are also giant silver dinosaurs out front). You can also participate in interactive exhibits, such as stepping into the “Texas Twister,” or try to work your way through a maze without breaking a laser ray (channel your inner Jason Bourne).
Special Super Bowl hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily are in effect Friday through Monday. Regular hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ticket office always closes one hour before the attractions close. 601 Palace Parkway (just north of Interstate 30 at the Belt Line Road exit), Grand Prairie. Tickets cost $16.99 for adults, $8.99 for ages 4-12, free for ages 3 and younger for single attractions; combo tickets for various attractions cost $21.99-$27.99 for adults, $12.99-$17.99 for ages 4-12, free for ages 3 and younger. See website for $2-off coupons for combo tickets. 972-263-2391.
Joy Tipping
Downtown Dallas highlightsDallas Arts District: Highlights of this serene, easily walkable area include the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, Meyerson Symphony Center, Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre, Sammons Park, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and One Arts Plaza. At about 68 acres, it’s the country’s largest urban arts district. Ninety-minute outdoor walking tours include peeks at the outsides of four buildings designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects within a span of several blocks, as well as significant buildings erected as far back as the late 1880s, just 40 years after Dallas’ founding.
Public tours are offered the first and third Saturdays of each month. The Super Bowl weekend tour is this Saturday Feb. 5 at 10 a.m., beginning at the ceremonial entrance to the Dallas Museum of Art (Flora and Harwood streets). Tours cost $10 for adults; discounts for students and seniors. 214-744-6642. www.thedallasartsdistrict.org.
Deep Ellum: Tucked at the eastern end of downtown Dallas is the city’s historic music district (the name comes from Elm Street), where you’ll find vintage architecture, vibrant music and dining options, and cozy and eclectic retail shopping. The public art — festive murals, original tile mosaics, fanciful ironwork — comes at you from every direction, starting with the district’s “greeters,” the Traveling Man series of shiny silver statues at the western gateway to Deep Ellum, near the Deep Ellum DART station on Good-Latimer Expressway between Elm Street and Gaston Avenue.
Deep Ellum is between downtown and Fair Park, along Commerce, Main and Elm streets and side streets. For general information, check out the Deep Ellum Facebook page at facebook.com/deepellum. You can also find get info from the Deep Ellum Foundation, 214-747-3337 or www.deepellumfoundation.org, or Life in Deep Ellum, 214-651-0633 or www.lifeindeepellum.com.
Neiman Marcus: The stunning Neiman Marcus’ flagship store is a Texas Historic Landmark originally built in 1914; architect George Dahl designed a 1927 Renaissance Revival addition to the original building. You’ll find a carefully selected, artfully arrayed treasure chest of luxury goods here, all wrapped in an atmosphere of timeless elegance and good manners.
Super Bowl weekend extended hours: Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1618 Main St., Dallas. 214-741-6911. www.neimanmarcus.com.
Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive: Looking for the perfect Texas photo op? Roam among the herd of bronze longhorns at Pioneer Plaza in downtown Dallas. The exhibit shows three multicultural cowboys on horseback and 49 more-than-life-size cattle (they’re actually 40 percent bigger than life size) — created by artist Robert Summers of Glen Rose — caught in midrun, midbuck and midgraze as they make their way across hills rich with native landscaping and miniature streams and past cliffs and a waterfall.
At the southeast corner of Young and South Griffin streets, adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center and next to historic Pioneer Cemetery. Free. www.texastrees.org (under “About Us”).
Fort Worth highlightsThe Fort Worth Herd and Other Stockyards Fun: In Fort Worth you’ll find the world’s only twice-daily municipal cattle drive. This photo op extraordinaire was established by the city of Fort Worth in 1999 to help celebrate its 150th anniversary. The herd is driven by cowhands wearing 19th-century-style clothing. This Saturday and Sunday, there’ll also be gunfight re-enactment shows inside Stockyards Station right after the drives.
The Fort Worth Herd’s drive is daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the Fort Worth Stockyards (a good place to watch is in front of the Stockyards Visitor Center at 130 E. Exchange Ave.). Note: Drives may be canceled in inclement weather, and occasional schedule changes may occur. 817-336-4373. www.fortworth.com.
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo: You want a pure Texas feeling that doesn’t include touchdowns or field goals? You’ll find it here, as the show celebrates its 115th anniversary year. The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo is at 2 and 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday. In addition to the arena action, you’ll find livestock shows, daily live music, food, a carnival midway, four acres of shopping and more.
Grounds open daily at 8 a.m. daily varies, and stay open until the last events close. Runs through Saturday at Will Rogers Memorial Center and grounds, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. General admission: $10 for adults; $5 for ages 6 to 16, free for children 5 and younger. (Includes access to all livestock events, educational programs, commercial exhibits, carnival and midway area, and museums; World’s Original Indoor Rodeo tickets cost $22 on Friday evening and for both performances Saturday, $16 for the matinee today.) 817-877-2400. www.fwssr.com.
Ann Pinson and Joy Tipping
Historical highlightsDallas Heritage Village At Old City Park: This living-history museum shows what life was like in North Texas from 1840 through 1910. The museum includes 38 historic structures and showcases a Civil War-era farm, Victorian homes, a school, a church and more.
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays noon to 4 p.m. 1515 S. Harwood, Dallas. General admission is $7 for adults, $5 for ages 65 and older, $4 for ages 4 to 12, free for children 3 and younger. 214-421-5141. www.dallasheritagevillage.org.
Log Cabin Village: Log homes, authentic artifacts, a blacksmith shop, a smokehouse, a one-room schoolhouse, an herb garden and more populate this living-history museum offering glimpses of the lives of settlers in 19th-century Texas.
Open Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (gates close at 3:30 p.m.), Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. (gates close at 4:30 p.m.). 2100 Log Cabin Village Lane (near University Drive and Colonial Parkway), Fort Worth. $4.50 for ages 18 and older, $4 for ages 4-17 and ages 65 and older, free for children 3 and under. 817-392-5881. www.logcabinvillage.org.
Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture: Want to get up to speed on the history of the Dallas area? Your best bet is probably Old Red, in the former “Old Red” Dallas County Courthouse, which was built in 1892. The museum includes exhibits and displays of historical artifacts and a kid-friendly learning center.
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 100 S. Houston St., Dallas. General admission is $8, $6 for ages 65 and older and students with ID, $5 for ages 3 to 16, free for children under 3; early bird admission on Sundays before noon is $5. 214-745-1100. www.oldred.org.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza: The “Sixth Floor” moniker resulted from the discovery of the sniper’s nest and rifle on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The former warehouse now houses the museum, which opened in 1989 to provide visitors a better understanding of that fateful day in November 1963. Programming includes exhibits related to the Kennedy assassination and life and legacy of JFK.
Regular hours are Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays noon to 6 p.m. The museum will have extended hours Friday through Monday for Super Bowl fans, opening daily at 9 a.m. each day. 411 Elm St., Dallas. Admission is $13.50 for adults, $12.50 for ages 65 and older and ages 6 to 18, free for children 5 and younger. 214-747-6660. www.jfk.org.
Bindu Varghese
Gardens and nature centersDallas Arboretum: Take a look at seasonal flowers and foliage, ornamental shrubs, trees and more in this 66-acre spread of gardens in the vicinity of White Rock Lake. Notable features include the 1.8-acre Woman’s Garden, whose central feature is a reflecting pool overlooking the lake, and the newly renovated Restaurant DeGolyer by Wendy Krispin Caterer, formerly called DeGolyer Garden Cafe and Tea Room, which offers daily lunch service and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 8525 Garland Road, Dallas. $12 for ages 13-64, $10 for ages 75 and older, $8 for ages 3-12, free for kids under 3. Parking is $7. 214-515-6500. www.dallasarboretum.org.
Fort Worth Botanic Garden: This Fort Worth retreat is made up of several gardens, including the tropical Conservatory and the famous 7-acre Japanese Garden, billed as a world of enchantment.
See the website for hours and additional information. 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth. General admission is free. Admission will be charged for entry to the Conservatory and the Japanese Garden. www.fwbg.org. 817-871-7686.
Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary: This McKinney museum was founded in 1967 as a way for generations of visitors to experience nature and further the museum’s mission of education, conservation and preservation. Attractions at the Heard include the “Bugs!” exhibit, featuring more than 25 species from the creepy-crawly realm. Expect to see ants, scorpions, cockroaches, stick insects and more.
Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area: This 2,000-acre wildlife preserve is dedicated to restoring the Blackland Prairie ecosystem of the tracts it protects. This weekend, the preserve is organizing a nature walk along its Cicada Trail focusing on winter wildlife.
The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area’s Winter hours (through March 1) are Fridays through Sundays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 201 E. Jones St., Lewisville. Admission is $5, free for kids 5 and under. 972-219-3930. www.ias.unt.edu/llela.
Nature walk: Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. $2. Reservations are recommended.
Free River Legacy Living Science Center: This 12,000-square-foot nature center, which offers year-round programming, is nestled within River Legacy Parks, a 1,300-acre oasis boasting hike and bike trails, views of the Trinity River and more. On view at the center is the “Audubon Art Exhibit,” featuring reproduction paintings by Scott Gentling of original watercolors by the renowned John James Audubon. Area artist Billy Hassell will discuss the works at an art talk this weekend.
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington. Free admission, donations are welcome. 817-860-6752. www.riverlegacy.org.
Billy Hassell art talk: Saturday at 2 p.m. Free. Reservations are recommended.
Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park: This longtime institution is a certified organic botanical garden. Attractions include the Butterfly House, a permanent exhibit featuring hundreds of winged beauties, and “Earth, Petal, Wing,” an exhibition featuring works by two artists, Cynthia Padilla and Julio Suarez, who celebrate nature through paintings, drawings and prints reflecting their observations of organic objects. The show includes information on the featured artworks in English and Spanish.
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Fair Park, Dallas. Garden admission (includes admission to exhibits) is $8, $6 for ages 60 and older, $4 for kids 3 to 11, free for kids 2 and under. 214-428-7476. www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.
“Earth, Petal, Wing”: The exhibit is on view through April 24.
Trinity River Audubon Center: This portal to the 6,000-acre Great Trinity Forest, which is home to a variety of plant and animal species, features trails, displays (including one showcasing photos of the Trinity River) and more.
Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is open on the third Thursday of each month from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission Thursdays. 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way, Dallas. $6 for ages 13-59, $4 for ages 60 and older, $3 for ages 3-12, free for ages 2 and under. 214-398-8722. www.trinityriveraudubon.org.
Bindu Varghese
Walking and ridingDallas Area Rapid Transit Light Rail: Our strongest advice for the whole Super Bowl weekend in downtown Dallas can be boiled down to one word: DART. Parking, especially downtown, is likely to be outrageously expensive. DART’s light-rail system can whisk you all around downtown, with stops in or near the Arts District, Deep Ellum, American Airlines Center and Neiman Marcus; to the Dallas Zoo south of downtown; and also into other parts of the city if you want to explore farther afield. Caveat: DART does not go into Arlington, so it cannot take you to the Super Bowl game at Cowboys Stadium.
Maps and schedules are available on every train and at every station (including a full selection at the DART Store at the Akard Station downtown), as well as online at www.dart.org. Single-ride fares (valid for 90 minutes of train travel) cost 85 cents to $5; day passes (good for unlimited rides on the day of purchase through 3 a.m. the following day) cost $2-$10. 214-979-1111.
M-Line Trolleys: The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority, a.k.a. the M-Line, traverses the Uptown retail and residential district just north of downtown 365 days a year with four vintage trolley cars (including the grande dame, “Rosie,” which, at 101 years old, is the oldest trolley car in regular service in North America). Stops include the West Village and Shops at the Crescent shopping centers, several hotels and restaurants, the Uptown Visitors Center, the West End and the Dallas Arts District. There’s also a stop next to the Cityplace DART station, if you want to use the trolley as a jump-off into other parts of the city.
The trolleys run Mondays through Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays 7 a.m. to midnight, Saturdays 10 a.m. to midnight and Sundays and holidays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Free (fare boxes are provided for voluntary contributions). 214-855-0006. www.mata.org.
Public Artwalk Dallas: The Business Council for the Arts’ Public ArtWalk Dallas, is a 30-stop, 3.3-mile self-paced walking tour of art and architecture that focuses on pieces that are photographable, touchable and sometimes even climbable. Maps are available at the Nasher Sculpture Center (where the council recommends starting the walk), the Dallas Museum of Art and other locations. Stops include Thanks-Giving Square; the Henry Moore bronzes at City Hall; and SpectraScape, a mixed-media work of art glass, LEDs and digital video that’s part of Main Street Garden.
Maps are available in downtown Dallas at the Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St.; the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St.; and the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Tourist Information Center inside the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture, 100 S. Houston St. Maps and other information are also available at www.publicartwalkdallas.org. Free. 972-991-8300.
Segway Tours: Don’t want to walk? Ride in style with Dallas Segway Tours, which offers three separate tours twice daily (ranging from one to two-and-a-half hours each) with up to nine riders on each tour. The diminutive people-movers provide an offbeat, relaxing way to see a few square miles of the city — too far to walk easily, but a breeze on the Segways. Each tour includes training in maneuvering the two-wheeled Segways. The company’s current outings include the “Dealey Plaza Then and Now Tour,” as well as tours focusing on the Katy Trail nature area and American Airlines Center-AT&T Plaza.
Tours are daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; reservations are required. Tours meet at the West End Welcome Center, 1701 N. Market St., Dallas. Riders must be 14 or older and weigh between 100 and 260 pounds. $50-$65. Prices include orientation, helmets, water, a tour guide and use of the Segway; tax and gratuities not included. 1-800-880-2336 or 972-821-9054. www.dallassegwaytours.com.
Joy Tipping and Ashleigh Heaton
Zoos and AquariumsChildren’s Aquarium at Fair Park: This newly renovated center, part of the Dallas Zoo’s family of facilities, showcases the “greatest hits” of the big seas — fish, sharks, rays, piranhas, turtles and other species. Following an $8 million renovation, its child-friendly design offers interactive exhibits such as a coastal touch pool where you can bond with the cownose rays.
Hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1462 First Ave., between the Texas Star Ferris wheel and the Band Shell in Fair Park, Dallas. $8 for ages 12 and older, $6 for ages 3-11 and 65 and older, free for children 2 and under. 469-554-7340. www.childrensaquariumatfairpark.com.
Dallas World Aquarium: This is probably one of Dallas’ best-kept secrets among locals, but you wouldn’t know that from the lines you’re likely to encounter — somehow the rest of the country has figured it out, and visitors flock there. The aquarium spotlights animals from five different continents. There are also many nonmarine animal exhibits (a favorite: the sloths, who gaze lazily at you from the treetop perches, yawning and acting like they really wish someone would shut off the lights). There’re three restaurants and snack areas (for humans) and daily feedings (where you can watch the animals munch and slurp).
Friday and Saturday, the aquarium will open at 9 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. to accommodate the Super Bowl crowds. Regular hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1801 N. Griffin St., Dallas. $20.95 for adults, $12.95 for children 3-12, $16.95 for seniors 60 and older, free for children 2 and younger. 214-720-2224. www.dwazoo.com.
The Dallas Zoo: Say hi to the cold-loving penguins, take in the popular new Giants of the Savanna exhibit and stroll through the zoo’s 106 acres of developed land. Some of our favorite attractions include sections devoted to the Australian outback, “Snout Route” with long- and interesting-nosed critters, Crocodile Isle, Kopje Aviary, a meerkat village, the Kimberly-Clark Chimpanzee Forest and the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo.
Hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special Penguin Days admission, daily through Feb. 28, is $5 for ages 3 and older, free for children 2 and younger. $7 per vehicle for parking. 650 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway, three miles south of downtown Dallas. 469-554-7500. www.dallaszoo.com.
Fort Worth Zoo: The Fort Worth Zoo — founded in 1909 with one lion, two bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock and a few rabbits — now houses nearly 7,000 native and exotic animals. Among the dozen permanent exhibits are areas devoted to penguins, primates, raptors, cheetahs, flamingos, meerkats, the African Savannah and parrots. There’s also a “Texas Wild!” area and a Museum of Living Art, a $19 million herpetarium featuring thousands of living reptiles and amphibians as well as lifelike, hand-painted murals on exhibit walls.
Hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth. $12 for ages 13 and older, $9 for children ages 3-12 and seniors 65 and older, free for children 2 and younger. 817-759-7555v. www.fortworthzoo.org.817-759-7500.
Joy Tipping and Ashleigh Heaton
No comments:
Post a Comment