2 days in Dallas

Day by day

1. Day 1: The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and Dealey Plaza and the JFK Memorial

   The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dealey Plaza and the JFK Memorial, Reunion Tower GeO-Deck and Pioneer Plaza cattle drive, then Deep Ellum murals and music in the evening.

   1. Morning

      The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

      Kennedy's life, his assassination on 22 November 1963 and the investigations that followed. The corner window where Lee Harvey Oswald fired is preserved behind glass, looking down on Elm Street.

   2. Late morning

      Dealey Plaza and the JFK Memorial

      A block east, Philip Johnson's open, roofless cenotaph forms the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Smoked brisket

      Barbecue joints in Deep Ellum and across the city; the most famous ones have long queues, so arrive early.

   4. Afternoon

      Reunion Tower GeO-Deck

      The tower topped by a lattice ball of lights, a landmark on the Dallas skyline since 1978, has an indoor and outdoor observation deck about 140 metres up with views over downtown, the Trinity River bridges and on clear days towards Fort Worth.

   5. Late afternoon

      Pioneer Plaza cattle drive

      It is a popular free photo stop.

   6. Evening

      Deep Ellum murals and music

      Walk the murals in the afternoon, eat barbecue early to beat the queues, then stay for a show.

2. Day 2: Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center

   Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, Crow Museum of Asian Art and Klyde Warren Park, then Deep Ellum in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Dallas Museum of Art

      With free general admission, the DMA covers about 5,000 years of art, from ancient Mediterranean and pre-Columbian pieces to European paintings by Monet and Van Gogh and modern American works, plus a strong collection of African art.

   2. Late morning

      Nasher Sculpture Center

      It is one of the calmest spots downtown.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Frozen margarita

      Tex-Mex restaurants across Dallas, including the restaurant that still claims the original recipe.

   4. Afternoon

      Crow Museum of Asian Art

      It makes a quiet half-hour stop between the DMA and the Nasher.

   5. Late afternoon

      Klyde Warren Park

      It has lawns, a children's park with water features, a dog park and a daily line-up of food trucks, plus free activities such as yoga and outdoor games.

   6. Evening

      Deep Ellum

      Live-music venues, dive bars and late-night food along Elm and Main Streets.

Before you go

• The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza: Entry is by timed ticket; book online for weekends and holidays.

If it rains

• Swap in Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Victory Park): Take the glass escalator to the top floor and work down; it avoids the crowds at the ground-floor dinosaur hall.
• Swap in Dallas World Aquarium (West End): Go early on weekends; the narrow rainforest walkway gets congested by late morning.
• Swap in George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum (University Park): Allow time for the native-prairie walk behind the museum, which is pleasant in spring wildflower season.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–14 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. DART light rail has four lines meeting downtown, reaching Deep Ellum, the Dallas Zoo, Fair Park, Mockingbird Station near SMU and DFW Airport.

More or fewer days

• One day in Dallas
• 3 days in Dallas

Questions travellers ask