10 Things to do in DallasX with Kids

Traveling to Dallas with children? Well, don't worry, this city awaits you with multiple options for you to have fun at all times.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

10 min read

10 Things to do in DallasX with Kids

Personas al lado de jirafa |© ari dunski

Dallas is one of the largest cities in Texas and has many tourist and historical destinations. Although it may not look like it at first glance, the city hides many activities that your kids can enjoy. The best part is that most of them are things that you will surely love.

From flying to tasting the best chocolates in the world, Dallas won't have a moment to bore you or your kids. In addition to the museums you can visit, there are also other entertaining adventures like the Escape Room or a visit to Reunion Tower.

1. Flying in a wind tunnel

Two people in a wind tunnel|©NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization Telegram Military Army News
Two people in a wind tunnel|©NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization Telegram Military Army News

Does your child dream of flying like Superman or Wonder Woman? Well, in a wind tunnel they can live that experience. Don't worry! Wind tunnels are enclosed and safe spaces where none of the participants are in serious danger. No previous flying experience is necessary either.

The first thing you will do in this activity is to receive a previous training class and safety measures. Here you and the children will learn the basic movements to take flight in the tunnel and stay in the tunnel for a few minutes. In addition, each participant must wear a special suit that helps them stay in flight.

In addition to the special suit, they must also wear a special helmet and even earplugs. This is necessary, as the air flow can be annoying. Since the participants do not hear anything, they must learn certain signals with which the instructors will communicate with them and you, if necessary.

Tickets for the wind tunnel in Dallas cost an average of 100 €. In addition, you can go from 10 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m., depending on the day. Please note that this is an attraction best suited for children ages 10 and up.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 100 €.
  • Hours: open on weekdays from 10 am to 7 pm. On weekends it is open from 9 am to 10 pm.
  • Location: 8380 S.H 121, Frisco, TX 75034.

Entrance to the wind tunnel in Dallas

2. Visit the Dallas Botanical Garden

Arboretum - Dallas|©Ann Ragsdale
Arboretum - Dallas|©Ann Ragsdale

Taking a tour of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is another option your kids will love. This site features 3,000 varieties of flowers, 66 acres and 11 gardens. You and your children will feel like in a fairy tale when touring this garden.

In its plant collection you will find ferns, tropical species and azaleas. The gardens have different themes. One of them is the Women's Garden, where you will see beautiful sculptures, bridges and parks. You can also walk through the flower walk, the main path of the garden that is full of flowers.

No doubt through a visit to this garden your children will appreciate and learn from nature. To make it more entertaining, you can prepare a fun picnic with them. Throughout the park you will find different specific spaces to sit and eat to your heart's content. Among them are the Val Late Garden or the Jonsson Color Garden.

This experience will help you clear your mind and breathe fresh air. It is also a destination I recommend if you are traveling at Christmas time with your children. At that time the garden has a visit from Santa, beautiful decorations and other Christmas traditions.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 20 €.
  • Hours: open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Location: 8525 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218.

Book a tour of the Dallas Botanical Garden

3. Go to an Escape Room in Dallas

Escape Room|©Culver-Stockton College
Escape Room|©Culver-Stockton College

If you are traveling with children 10 years old or older, you could go together to an Escape Room in Dallas. In this attraction, you must participate in teams to solve the different challenges together, so it could be a fun activity to do as a family. Keep in mind that it is not an activity completely designed for children, so you should explain well what it is about before taking them.

The attraction is located in the Grapevine Mills Mall, just outside Dallas. When you arrive you can choose one of four themes which are Gold Rush, Prison Break, The Heist or the Playground. In each one the final objective will be different and you can feel like you are in a movie like Mission Impossible, do you like the idea?

The challenge in each room is to be able to solve the riddles and get out before the hour is up. Keep in mind that the themes of the rooms may change and perhaps when you travel to Dallas you will encounter new experiences. In any case, this will be one of the most fun things you can do in Dallas, especially if your kids solve the puzzles.

On the other hand, if you want to eat, you'd better do so before entering the rooms. Nearby you'll find restaurants like Mama's Pizza and Torchy's Tacos.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 40 €.
  • Hours: Open from 10 am to 8 pm.
  • Location: 11661 Preston Rd #184, Dallas, Tx 75230.

Buy tickets for Escape Room in Dallas

4. Cidercade in Dallas

Kids playing arcade games|©Scott Scheetz
Kids playing arcade games|©Scott Scheetz

In case your kids like arcade machine games, the best place to take them is Cidercade in Dallas. This is the largest arcade in all of Dallas. Here your kids won't know which game to start with, as it has more than 170 arcades.

Among the games you can play are classics like Ms. Pac-Man. Frontline and Tetris. There are also more fun games like Guitar Hero, Skee-Ball, Sea Wolf, Cuphead, Killer Queen, X-men, among others. The best thing about these games is that you can compete with your children or simply let them play for hours while you play on other machines.

You can also enjoy traditional pinball machines. If these games still don't convince you or your kids, maybe the fighter+shooters, cars and sports games will. In addition to all these games, Cidercade offers a bar where you can buy all kinds of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Note that the family atmosphere of this place goes from 10 am to 8 pm. On its website the company recommends not to go with children after that time, as the atmosphere is more for adults, but in the daytime there is no problem. The entrance fee is around 10 €.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 10 €.
  • Opening hours: from 10 am until midnight. On Fridays and Saturdays this place closes early in the morning.
  • Location: 2777 Irving Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75207.

5. Take a chocolate tour

Chocolate Cake|©Happy Hill Farm / NCTA
Chocolate Cake|©Happy Hill Farm / NCTA

A chocolate tour can be a plan your kids will love. In Dallas you can have the opportunity to tour several sites that have been awarded for creating the best candies and chocolates in the area. The tour usually takes place in an air-conditioned bus, so you and the kids will be comfortable the whole way.

In addition to the bus, a professional guide usually accompanies the group the whole way. This person will tell you the history of each of the establishments you visit. You will also hear about the preparation of the chocolates just before tasting them.

One of the places you will visit is Isabelly's Chocolates & Sweet Treats and Kate Weiser Chocolate, considered one of the best chocolate shops in the world. If you or your kids like brownies, you'll have a great time when you visit Kokopelli Sweets. There you will find up to eight different types of this famous dessert.

If you decide to do this tour I recommend that you and the kids have a good breakfast or lunch. It is also recommended that you measure the portions of sweets so they don't get a tummy ache at the end of the tour. It is better to take some precautions so that everything goes smoothly in this sweet experience.

6. Visiting the Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Perot Museum|©David Russell
Perot Museum|©David Russell

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas is made for kids with lots of questions about the world and the universe. The building has five floors with 11 permanent exhibits through which attendees can learn about the solar system, dinosaurs, sports, engineering and much more.

The museum is divided into different themed rooms, so you can choose a specific theme and start your tour. One of them is the human being room where you can find the Biology Lab. There children can put on a lab coat and solve an anthropological mystery, among other interesting experiments.

Meanwhile, in the Discovering Life room, children can learn about different species of animals, see taxidermy specimens, play interactive games and much more. Each room has entertaining activities for everyone to learn while having fun.

One of the most popular rooms for children is the Pixar movie room. Children and their parents can watch their favorite animated movies in 3D format. For this activity it is necessary to buy separate tickets and consult the scheduled timetable for the day. Also on site there are several figures of their favorite characters where they can take epic pictures.

Details of interest

  • Price: about 30 € for adults and 20 € for children.
  • Hours: from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Location: 2201 N. Field Street, Dallas, TX 75201.

7. Visit the Dallas GeO-Deck Observation Deck at Reunion Tower

View From Reunion Tower GeO-Deck|©kinchloe
View From Reunion Tower GeO-Deck|©kinchloe

Visiting the Dallas GeO-Deck observation deck is not an adults-only experience. Kids can also have fun viewing the city of Dallas from approximately 400 meters above the ground. In addition, children's tickets usually cost an average of 10 €. Adults' tickets cost about $30.

The GeO-Deck is located at Reunion Tower, the most iconic building in Dallas. Upon arrival, you will have a 360° view of the entire city. In addition, you will be able to enjoy the high-definition telescopes to get a better view of the entire landscape. You will also see multimedia screens that will show you fun facts about Dallas.

After enjoying the view, you can go to the revolving restaurant. Here you can eat or drink whatever you want with an amazing view right next to you. I'm sure your kids will love this experience. The best thing is that you can do it during the day or when the night starts. Both times you will have a different but amazing view.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 10 € for children and 30 € for adults.
  • Hours: from 12 noon to 7:30 p.m.
  • Location: 300 Reunion Blvd East, Dallas, TX 75207.

8. Bowling at Pinstack

Bowling Alley|©Pavel Danilyuk
Bowling Alley|©Pavel Danilyuk

If you and your kids like to bowl, climb walls, play laser tag and other similar games, you should check out Pinstack. This place is a fun destination for kids ages 6 and up. You too can have a great time with the activities.

In addition to the games I mentioned, they can also enter the arcade and bumper cars. Note that to enjoy laser tag for the family you must go on Sundays. On the other hand, the climbing wall has lights that are sure to dazzle your kids.

In this place you can also play table soccer with more than one person. All this fun can be accompanied with snacks or food that you buy at the Pinstack bar and restaurant. The hours from Sunday to Thursday start at 10 am and end at 12 pm. On weekends it closes at 2 a.m.

Please note that you must contact the company to make a reservation to visit. This can have an average cost of 40 € and up.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 40 €.
  • Opening hours: during the week Pinstack is open from 10 am to midnight. On weekends it closes at 2 am.
  • Location: 6205 Dallas Parkway, Plano, TX 75024.

9. Visit the Dallas Zoo

Birds at Dallas Zoo|©Gary Webb
Birds at Dallas Zoo|©Gary Webb

Seeing animals and learning about them is another favorite activity for many kids. That's why I suggest you take them to the Dallas Zoo, considered one of the top 20 zoos in the United States. Tickets to this magical place have an average cost of 15 €.

Keep in mind that going to the zoo is a day plan, since its doors open at nine in the morning and closes at four in the afternoon. During this time you can enjoy the whole park and the experiences it offers. One of them is the Keeper Talks, where both you and your children can ask questions and listen to everything the zookeepers have to say.

We know that children always want to try to touch the animals, so in this zoo they can do it! After buying special foods, they can get up close and personal with the zoo' s friendly giraffes and feed them. It's quite an experience to see these elegant animals face to face.

You can also enter the bird habitat, interact with them and feed them. This experience has an average cost of 2 €. In case you want a more exciting experience, you can go to the Wild Encounters presentation, where professionals show impressive wild animals such as reptiles, porcupines, among others.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 15 €.
  • Hours: from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Location: 650 S. R. L. Thornton Freeway. Dallas, TX 75203

10. Visit the Dallas Fire Museum

Dallas Firefighter's Museum|©Matthew Reames
Dallas Firefighter's Museum|©Matthew Reames

If your kids are fans of firefighters, it's a great idea to take them to the Dallas Firefighter's Museum. Here you and your kids can see authentic firefighting equipment. The exhibits show how these apparatus have evolved over time.

Among the most curious things you'll see are a steam engine nicknamed "Old Tiger" from 1884 and engines used in the 1920s. Also included with your ticket is access to the distinctive uniform. These outfits are sized to fit children, so they can wear them and feel like real firefighters.

Tours of the museum are usually guided by a professional. This person will explain everything you need to know. He or she will tell you a little about the worldwide history of firefighters and the history of that particular department. Kids can ask all the questions they want and take iconic pictures with the equipment.

Please note that this museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Tickets cost an average of 5 €. You can buy them at the ticket office or through the museum's website.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 5 €.
  • Hours: open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Location: 3801 Parry Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75226.