Serving as the city’s central business district, Downtown Dallas lies on the right bank of the Trinity River. It’s home to the ball-shaped observation deck of Reunion Tower and the Spanish Baroque-style Majestic Theatre, as well as Dealey Plaza where John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963.
Things to do in Downtown
Showcasing objects from the 3rd millennium BC to the modern day is the Dallas Museum of Art, which occupies a 1970s building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. It boasts an impressive collection of American paintings by artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper and Childe Hassam, as well as decorative arts that include 16th-century Spanish textiles and 17th-century Chinese porcelain.
For elevated views across Dallas, ride the elevator that leads up the Reunion Tower to its 170-metre-high observation deck. The tower was completed in 1978 on a design by Welton Becket & Associates and is topped by an open-air sphere. At the GeO-Deck, you can learn about some of the most famous landmarks in Dallas through the interactive exhibits or take advantage of the telescopes.
Overlooking Dealey Plaza is the Sixth Floor Museum, which explores the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy, as well as that of Lee Harvey Oswald. Learn about the events that unfolded on that fateful day in 1963 and read the newspaper reports that followed, together with some of the conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination. In addition to historic photographs, artefacts and films, the museum includes a recreated sniper’s nest.
Getting around Downtown
Downtown Dallas is around 30 minutes’ drive from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Long-distance trains connect to Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station while both trams and buses travel throughout the Downtown area.