Things to Do in Dallas and Fort Worth
Two very different cities: one built on business and the arts, one on cattle and cowboys.
See top-rated activities »About Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas and Fort Worth sit about 30 miles apart and share one of the country's largest airports, but they have very different personalities. Dallas is a banking and corporate city with a glassy skyline, a large downtown arts district and a busy restaurant scene. Fort Worth, which calls itself the city where the West begins, grew up as a stop on the cattle trails and still celebrates that history, while also holding some of the finest art museums in the region.
For most visitors, the essential stop in Dallas is Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963. The Sixth Floor Museum occupies the former Texas School Book Depository, from which Lee Harvey Oswald fired, and its exhibits and audio guide walk through the day, the investigations and the aftermath. The corner window area is preserved as it looked that day. The plaza, the grassy knoll and the John F. Kennedy Memorial are a short walk away.
North of downtown, the Dallas Arts District covers about 20 blocks, with the Dallas Museum of Art, which has free general admission, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Museum of Asian Art and performance halls by well-known architects. Klyde Warren Park, built on a deck over a freeway, links it to Uptown and has food trucks most days. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science and Reunion Tower, with its observation deck in a lit-up sphere, are also close to downtown.
In Fort Worth, the Stockyards National Historic District keeps the cowboy era alive with brick-paved Exchange Avenue, western-wear stores, rodeos and Billy Bob's Texas, a huge honky-tonk. Twice a day, drovers walk a herd of Texas longhorns down the street in the Fort Worth Herd cattle drive. The city's Cultural District is the other draw: the Kimbell Art Museum, in a celebrated building by Louis Kahn, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, with its Remington and Russell paintings, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth stand across from one another. Arlington, between the two cities, has AT&T Stadium and the Six Flags Over Texas theme park.
Don’t Miss
The story of President Kennedy's assassination, told from the former Texas School Book Depository.
Western shops, rodeos, saloons and the twice-daily longhorn cattle drive on Exchange Avenue.
A small, celebrated collection from antiquity to Picasso, in Louis Kahn's vaulted building.
American art with a strong collection of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell; free admission.
A large general collection with free general admission, at the heart of the Arts District.
Five floors of hands-on science and dinosaur halls in a striking cube-shaped building.
A giant country music club with live concerts, a dance floor and indoor bull riding.
A park built over a freeway, with food trucks, games and free events.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in Dallas-Fort Worth
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TiqetsTours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked October 28, 2026. See & Do Texas may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
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Get free trip quotes »Dallas-Fort Worth — FAQ
When is the Fort Worth Stockyards cattle drive?
The Fort Worth Herd walks down Exchange Avenue twice a day, late morning and late afternoon, weather permitting. Check the Stockyards site for current times.
How long does the Sixth Floor Museum take?
About an hour and a half with the included audio guide. Buy timed tickets in advance on busy days, and leave time to walk around Dealey Plaza.
Can I see Dallas and Fort Worth in one trip?
Yes. They are about 45 minutes apart by car, and the Trinity Railway Express commuter train links downtown Dallas and Fort Worth. Two or three days covers the highlights of both.
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