5 Dallas-Area Landmarks You Can Visit with DART

If your travels take you to North Texas, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is your ride to a host of cultural experiences and entertainment. Here, a roundup of destinations to visit with DART.

Art and History Museums

The region’s cultural institutions are a treasure trove for life-learners. There is a fabulous collection of art museums in the Dallas Arts District, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Crow Collection of Asian Art. All are walkable from Pearl/Arts District Station.

If you are more interested in history, other options include The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, both of which are a short walking distance from West End Station. There is also the African American Museum in Fair Park—this prized institution is steps away from the Fair Park Station. Addison’s Cavanaugh Flight Museum, with its displays of historically significant vintage aircraft, is walkable from DART Bus Routes 235 and 239.

Performing Arts Venues

World-class performances deserve world-class venues, and North Texas has them in the Dallas Arts District. The Meyerson Symphony Center is home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The AT&T Performing Arts Center includes several venues including the Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre, Moody Performance Hall, Annette Strauss Square, and Sammons Park. The entire Dallas Arts District is walkable from Pearl/Arts District Station. You can also get closer using the M-Line Trolley.

Selfie-Worthy Spots

You know them when you see them: Those iconic places that give our cities a sense of identity and are totally selfie worthy. One example: The Mustangs of Las Colinas, a realistic, larger-than-life bronze sculpture of horses caught in mid-motion galloping across a stream. It’s walkable from Las Colinas Urban Center Station.

In downtown Dallas, don’t miss Eye (better known as “the Giant Eyeball”), a 30-foot-tall sculpture that is one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks. It’s just a few blocks from Akard Station. And don’t miss The Traveling Man, a three-part sculpture of a stainless-steel, musically inclined robot—the tallest piece of which is right across the street from Deep Ellum Station.

Historical Downtowns

The DART Service Area is full of revitalized downtowns that are full of restaurants, homegrown shops, and colorful boutiques. Shopping and eating are the perfect ways to while away an afternoon or evening in the region. You’ll find old downtowns adjacent to their respective rail stations:
• Downtown Plano Station
• Downtown Garland Station
• Downtown Carrollton Station
• Downtown Rowlett Station
• Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing Station

Live Music Venues

Texas is synonymous with music, and some of the best places to take in some tunes are totally DARTable. Some favorites: The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, walkable from Irving Convention Center Station; House of Blues, walkable from West End Station; and McCall Plaza, which hosts numerous outdoor musical performances just a block from Downtown Plano Station.

McKinney Avenue Trolley

An essential Dallas experience is taking a vintage trolley ride. These historic railcars run through the heart of Uptown Dallas to Klyde Warren Park, the Dallas Arts District, and beyond. You can board at Cityplace/Uptown Station or in downtown Dallas near St. Paul Station.

Community Performance Spaces

There’s something so cozy about a performance space that keeps it local. You’ll find both local and touring acts in a variety of genres—music, spoken word, theater—at several DARTable venues. See what’s on stage this summer at the Granville Arts Center (Downtown Garland Station); the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts (Galatyn Park Station); the Pocket Sandwich Theatre (Downtown Carrollton Station); the WaterTower Theatre (Addison Transit Center); The Firehouse Theatre (Farmers Branch Station); or Ochre House (Deep Ellum Station.)

For more ideas on exploring North Texas, visit DART.org/DARTable.