Frugal Things To Do In Dallas, TX

Written on July 22, 2008 – 9:32 am | by PT |

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This post is a part of the Money Life Network “Frugal Things To Do In… ” writing project. Visit the “Frugal Things To Do In…” main page to see what other cities we’re writing about.

Dallas, Texas

Do you live here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (or the DFW Metroplex as we call it)? Or, are you visiting this area sometime soon? If so, and you strive to live frugal like me, you’re probably on the lookout for some frugal things to do. I’ve put together a listing of some of the more interesting things to do here in the DFW Metroplex. Most are free or $10 and under a person.

Getting Around

Just a quick note to say that if you’re visiting Dallas, know that you’ll need a car while you’re here. Everything is just too spread out and public transportation wouldn’t have a chance at covering it all. There are a few train lines if you’re dead set on using public transport. The TRE runs between Fort Worth to Dallas (DFW Airport is a stop), and then there is the DART which runs from downtown Dallas up Interstate 75 to the suburb of Plano. Prices are very reasonable (under $10) and the rides themselves are fun and somewhat scenic.

Major Attractions

Fort Worth Stock Yards (Free). Watch an actual cattle drive run through the streets.
The historic Dealey Plaza (Free). The highly recommended Sixth Floor Museum is also there which includes a view from Oswald’s supposed shooting location ($13.50 Adults).

Sports and Recreation

The Ball Park in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers ($6 Adults / $3 Kids). Yes, baseball is still affordable here. Take that, Yankee fans!
Dr. Pepper Stadium, home of the Frisco Rough Riders minor league baseball team ($7). Beautiful park.
Six Flags Over Texas While very fun, it’s not very frugal (tickets start at $29 a person). Still, if you make a whole day of it and bring your own food it can we reasonable.
Lone Star Park Horse Racing ($3 Adult)
DORBA Mountain Bike Trails (Free, with your own bike). There are some great trails in this area. My favorite is the Lake Grapevine Trail.

Parks and Scenery

There aren’t many scenic views in Dallas. There are, however, plenty of lakes and parks (all free). Here are some of my favorites. But first, stop by the Reunion Tower Observation Deck ($2 Adults / $1 Kids) to get a good look at downtown Dallas.

White Rock Lake. Close to the city.
The City of Grapevine (yes, there are wineries there) and Grapevine Lake. Close to a major shopping mall and Bass Pro Shops.
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. Has actual hills and scenic views. Nice park.
River Legacy Park. An old favorite of mine tucked away in the mid cities.

Museums and Things

Kimball Art Museum (Free). Beautiful building in Fort Worth.
Amon Carter Museum (Free). Also in Fort Worth.
Two aquariums to choose from:
- Dallas Aquarium ($4 Adults / $3 Kids)
- The Dallas World Aquarium (more expensive, look for a coupon)
Fort Worth Zoo ($10.50 / $8 Kids). Best of the two zoo’s in the area.
Dallas Museum of Art ($10 Adults / Kids Free)
Fort Worth Botanical Gardens (Free)
Dallas Museum of Natural History ($8.75 Adults / $5.50 Kids)

Random

Visit Southfork Ranch (Free to drive up and see. Tour $9.50 Adults / $7 Kids). This is where the 80’s TV show Dallas was filmed.
See Big Tex (Free). The tallest paper-maché cowboy in captivity.
McKinney Ave. Trolley (Free)
The biggest Honky Tonk in the world, Billy Bob’s ($1-$4 during non-concert times).
Mrs. Baird’s Bakery Tour (Free)

Restaurants

There are so many restaurants here in town that you could literally eat at a different place every day and never run out of choices. Some good resources for you to discover good food at a fair price are: DallasFood.org, CitySearch Cheap Eats, and GuideLive. Some of my favorites: Sol’s Taco Lounge (TexMex), Texadelphia (cheese steaks), and The Lakewood Landing (burgers). Please add you’re own frugal eats in the comments below.

Final Comments

Wow. I like my town. There’s so much to do here and most of it is pretty reasonable as long as you have a fuel-efficient car to get you there. There’s so much more that I left off. I’ll try and update this page as new things come to mind and as you add your comments.

For more information on the DFW area, check out my favorite guide, GuideLive, and their Top 100 list.

Remember to visit the “Frugal Things To Do In…” main page to see what other cities are covered and to add your own post.

14 Responses to “Frugal Things To Do In Dallas, TX”
By Kacie on Jul 22, 2008 | Reply

Looks like a great place to visit! I’ve never been to Texas, but if I ever go, I’d definitely want to hit up DFW
By FFB on Jul 22, 2008 | Reply

DFW looks like fun. I’d love to visit that part of the country!
By hank on Jul 22, 2008 | Reply

It’s amazing what you can find when you really dig in to see what’s out there! A good list if I ever make the trek down south!
By Ryan @ Smarter Wealth on Jul 23, 2008 | Reply

Great…except I live in Australia
By Jeremy on Jul 28, 2008 | Reply

Thanks for the list! I’ll have to try some of your suggestions next time I’m in Dallas (I live in Austin, so it’s not far).

As for frugal DFW eats, Celebration is very good and reasonable — http://www.celebrationrestaurant.com.

If you need somewhere to burn off that big meal afterwards, you can go for a jog on the Katy Trail — http://www.katytraildallas.org/

And if you like Asian art, the Crow Collection in downtown Dallas is free —
http://www.crowcollection.org

-Jeremy
By Irirshredroses9309 on Jun 6, 2009 | Reply

Well I thought I would add to the list as well as give a few personal opinions. While this might not impress those who do not live here, Dog parks are becoming extremely popular (not to mention it’s free) and they are being built all over the place. One is located near white rock lake and has bike and walking trails. It has a wonderful atmosphere and is a beautiful place just to get away and to stay outdoors.
Now while these next places are not frugal they belong next to six flags on the list, Hurricane harbor (located across the highway from Six Flags in Arlington), Hawaiian Falls in Garland, and H20 water park. If you are here during the summer months, these water parks are the best way to cool off and have a blast with family and friends. Be forewarned that Hurricane Harbor is the most expensive water park here in the DFW area but it has the most rides and types of pools. If you make the trip to Fort Worth, stop downtown to see the Water Gardens. It is a free water “sculpture” garden in the middle of the downtown area. There are a couple of fountains but the main attraction is the massive “walk in” fountain and a one foot wading pool. Its a fun and free way to stay cool!! One last thing I can think of is the historic railroad in downtown grapevine. They run tours all through the year and one even goes directly to the Fort Worth Stockyards for a day of fun. Keep an eye on the Grapevine website because they do a couple of festivals a year and holiday things for the kids including real Thomas the Tank engine train rides and rides in to a Christmas town to see Santa.
NOTE: If you want to go see one of the Dallas aquarium’s keep in mind that the two are VERY different. The Dallas aquarium is only 4 dollars because it is just a large room with tanks. It has mostly local fish and an old tortoise. If you are in fair park it is worth seeing but if you want to see other kinds of fish and even some animals the Dallas World Aquarium is the place you want to go. It jumps in price to 17 dollars for an adult but it very impressive with its many tanks and animals. Try not to go on a holiday weekend (like mother’s day weekend) or you will be EXTREMELY crowded.
By Irirshredroses9309 on Jun 6, 2009 | Reply

On a different note I would like to say thank you to the person who put this website together. I have lived here a long time and know most every thing there is to do, free or not, but this website has actually given a couple of new things I have never found any where else! So thanks again!!