Museums · Dallas · United States
6 best museums in Dallas
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dutch788, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 10–11 hours across 4 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 10–11 hours
- Areas
- Downtown, Arts District and Victory Park
Museums in Dallas
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Museum · Downtown
1.The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Inside the former Texas School Book Depository, this museum traces President John F.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Arts District
2.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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
Gallery · Arts District
3.Nasher Sculpture Center
A Renzo Piano building with a glass-vaulted gallery opening onto a walled sculpture garden, showing modern and contemporary sculpture by Rodin, Matisse, Picasso, Calder, Henry Moore and others.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Couples
- Outdoors
Museum · Arts District
4.Crow Museum of Asian Art
A small, free museum of art from China, Japan, India and South-East Asia, known for its jade collection, Buddhist sculpture and a carved sandstone façade from India.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Victory Park
5.Perot Museum of Nature and Science
A striking cube-shaped building by Thom Mayne with an outdoor escalator in a glass tube, five floors of hands-on halls on dinosaurs, energy, gems, the human body and engineering, and a children's area for the youngest visitors.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · University Park
6.George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
On the Southern Methodist University campus, the museum covers the Bush presidency including the September 11 attacks, with a full-size Oval Office replica and an interactive Decision Points Theater.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza | 1.5–2 hours |
| Arts District | Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center and Crow Museum of Asian Art | 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours + 45 minutes |
| Victory Park | Perot Museum of Nature and Science | 3 hours |
| University Park | George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 2 free, 4 mid-priced. Book ahead for The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. The longest visit is Perot Museum of Nature and Science; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza: Entry is by timed ticket; book online for weekends and holidays.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Downtown and Arts District): The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza → Dallas Museum of Art, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Arts District): Nasher Sculpture Center → Crow Museum of Asian Art, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Victory Park): Perot Museum of Nature and Science, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (University Park): George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- July: highs of 36°C (97°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. Very hot and mostly dry; hotels discount and museums offer welcome air conditioning.
- August: highs of 36°C (97°F), about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds. The hottest stretch of the year, often above 38°C on several days.
- January: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and changeable; occasional ice storms can shut down roads for a day or two.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown and the Arts District — JFK sites, art museums, Klyde Warren Park and converted office towers
More of Dallas
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Dallas?
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. Inside the former Texas School Book Depository, this museum traces President John F.
+Which of these are free in Dallas?
Dallas Museum of Art and Crow Museum of Asian Art.