Things to do with kids in downtown Dallas
Coming in from the northern suburbs, the easiest plan is to stay in one district: the Arts District has the children's park and food trucks at Klyde Warren, the free Dallas Museum of Art and the Perot Museum across the street, and the free M-Line trolley at the park's edge; the West End has the Dallas World Aquarium; Old City Park and the Dallas Zoo are just south, and Fair Park just east.
Toddler version: DART to St. Paul, splash and food trucks at Klyde Warren, a trolley loop, then the sloths at the Dallas World Aquarium. Big-kid version: the dinosaurs and earthquake platform at Perot plus the mummy at the Dallas Museum of Art. To run around, the free historic village and sheep at Old City Park, or the butterfly house at Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park, which becomes the State Fair from late September to mid October.
- 13 places
- 5 free
- 13 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
13 places
Drive times from Downtown Dallas
Klyde Warren Park
5.0Dallas · 5 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Nearby garages and street meters (about $10–15 on weekends); or take DART to St. Paul station and walk 10 minutes
M-Line Trolley (Uptown Dallas)
5.0Dallas · 5 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Garages and street meters around Klyde Warren Park, or take DART to Cityplace station and transfer
Dallas World Aquarium
5.0Dallas · 5 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Paid lots around the West End about $10–15; or DART to West End station and a 5-minute walk
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
4.0Dallas · 5 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Museum garage and nearby lots about $10–15; or DART to West End station and a 10-minute walk
Old City Park (Dallas Heritage Village)
4.0Dallas · 5 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot on the grounds (Gano St entrance)
Dallas Museum of Art
3.0Dallas · 5 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Museum underground garage about $15, street meters nearby are cheap on weekends; Klyde Warren Park is right across the street
Texas Discovery Gardens butterfly house (Fair Park)
5.0Dallas · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Fair Park lots, free or cheap most of the year (except during the State Fair)
Dallas Zoo
5.0Dallas · 10 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Zoo lot about $12/car; or take the DART Red Line to Dallas Zoo station, right at the gate
State Fair of Texas
3.0Dallas · 10 min drive
5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Fair Park parking about $20–30 and very congested; strongly recommend taking the DART Green Line to Fair Park station
Dallas Arboretum & Children's Adventure Garden
5.0Dallas · 15 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: On-site lot about $11–15 (cheaper prepaid online), lines after 10am on peak-season weekends
Autumn at the Arboretum pumpkin village
5.0Dallas · 15 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: On-site lot about $11–15, prepay online; long lines after 10am on October weekends
White Rock Lake loop
4.0Dallas · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Several free lots including Winfrey Point, Bath House, and Big Thicket
Frontiers of Flight Museum
4.0Dallas · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free museum lot
💡 Good to know
- Downtown parking starts at $10–15; one spot covers Klyde Warren, the DMA and Perot, or take DART from Plano.
- Perot and the aquarium have lines on weekend afternoons, so arrive at opening. Game days and marathons close downtown streets; check the calendar.