One day 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

      Use the included audio guide and allow time on the seventh floor, which hosts changing exhibitions with a similar view. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Dealey Plaza and the JFK Memorial

      Stay on the pavement; standing on the white X marks painted in Elm Street means stepping into fast traffic. Allow 30–45 minutes.

   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

      Go at sunset; the ball's light displays look best from the ground afterwards. Allow 1 hour.

   5. Late afternoon

      Pioneer Plaza cattle drive

      Combine it with the Pioneer Park Cemetery next door and a walk to Dealey Plaza, about 10 minutes away. Allow 20–30 minutes.

   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.

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 Dallas Museum of Art (Arts District): Start with the European and American galleries upstairs, then walk across Flora Street to the Nasher's garden.
• Swap in Crow Museum of Asian Art (Arts District): Check the ground-floor gallery for temporary exhibitions before heading upstairs to the jade.
• 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.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–8 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Dallas
• 3 days in Dallas

Questions travellers ask