Introducing guest blogger Michelle from That Texas Couple
When it comes to family-friendly entertainment, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the place to be!
Boasting world-class museums, adrenaline-pumping amusement parks, and great outdoor activities, Dallas-Fort Worth has something for everyone.
There are so many fun things to do in Dallas-Fort Worth with kids that you could easily stay entertained for months on end! Let me show you my hometown of Dallas-Fort Worth and all it has to offer!
This post is part of our Explore My City series – come and visit cities around the world through the eyes of locals
Six Flags Over Texas
Head to Arlington Texas, one of the easy day trips from Dallas to find Six Flags Over Texas. Six Flags is easily one of the top attractions in this area, welcoming an average of 3 million visitors a year to its park. Once you arrive, you will see why.
Six Flags Over Texas is a 212-acre theme park that is sure to get your adrenaline pumping. Six Flags offers incredible thrill rides like the New Texas Giant and The Shock Wave, along with many family-friendly rides like The Conquistador and The Chaparral Antique Cars.
If you have small kids, they are sure to love all of the rides in the kids area and will delight in a chance to meet Bugs Bunny and all of his friends.
In addition to rides, Six Flags also offers live shows and events, great food, and plenty of fun shops and carnival games.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
If you are visiting Texas during the summer, you will definitely want to escape the Texas heat, and there is no better place to do that than a great water park.
Across the highway from Six Flags Over Texas, you will find Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. Hurricane Harbor is a great place to bring the family to enjoy a day in the water. They have over 20 rides and attractions including a relaxing lazy river, thrilling water slides, a kiddie park, and huge wave pool.
Both of the Six Flags parks are top things to do in Dallas-Fort Worth with kids!
Dallas Arboretum
The Dallas Arboretum is a garden paradise located in the heart of Dallas, Texas. Home to a 66-acre botanical garden, the Arboretum is an excellent place to bring your family.
A highlight of the Arboretum is the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. This garden is specifically geared to children with a focus on introducing them to life and Earth science through hands-on activities.
The highlights here include a caterpillar maze, acorn seats, a potting shed, a sandbox, a tree house and more! The kids will also love the daily puppet show, the OmniGlobe, and the STEM Stops.
In addition to all of the gardens, the Arboretum also hosts numerous special events throughout the year. It is well known for its seasonal festivals and exhibits like Autumn in the Arboretum and the 12 Days of Christmas.
Fort Worth Zoo
Don’t miss a visit to the world-class Fort Worth Zoo while you are in the area.
No Fort Worth bucket list would be complete without a visit to the Fort Worth Zoo. It’s home to more than 7,000 native and exotic animals and several indoor and outdoor exhibits. The Fort Worth Zoo provides an entire day of fun for any family.
Lesley from Bucket List Publications
Kids can learn all about the animals and the conservation efforts by visiting the Outdoor Learning Theatre. Of course, a ride on the zoo’s Yellow Rose Express Train and the Country Carousel will make kids and kids at heart happy as well.
The habitats at the Fort Worth Zoo are incredible, allowing the animals to experience a fabulous living environment that is as close to wild as possible.
One key exhibit is the Museum of Living Art, an award-winning facility that houses numerous reptiles, birds, and amphibians. This exhibit is one of the reasons that the Fort Worth Zoo also makes for an awesome date night in Fort Worth.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Take a tour of a money-making facility during your time in the area. A visit to Fort Worth’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing is not only a unique outing, but it is also one of the free things to do in Dallas-Fort Worth with kids.
The Bureau’s facility includes loads of interactive exhibits and a free 45-minute, self guided tour where you get to view the production floor. This facility is one of the Bureau’s production facilities that produces actual United States paper currency! While you’re visiting, be sure to get the kids a souvenir of shredded paper money.
Fort Worth Stockyards
Families definitely want to experience a taste of the Cowboy Culture while in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the perfect place to do this is in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
The Stockyards are packed with fun, family-friendly activities. There is a real-life cattle drive, called the Fort Worth Herd, that parades down the street twice daily for visitors to enjoy. On weekends, The Herd is followed by The Legends of Texas Gunfight Show and there is a Rodeo you can attend.
Kids will love going through the Cattlepen Maze before visiting the animals at the barnyard petting corral. Satisfy their sweet tooth with a visit to the Candy Barrel, a great shop selling all sorts of nostalgic candies. When you’re feeling hungry, grab some Texas BBQ or TexMex at one of the many restaurants located in the Stockyards.
Fort Worth Water Gardens
The Fort Worth Water Gardens is a unique outdoor oasis in the heart of downtown Fort Worth. The Water Gardens is home to numerous beautiful water features that will mesmerize you.
Families will love the main waterfall where they will find themselves surrounded by water. There are also several fountains, a meditation pond, and some green areas for all to enjoy.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Dallas is proud to be home to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, an exciting interactive museum highlighting math and science. The Perot is a 180,000 square-foot facility that is packed with hands-on activities and displays to immerse kids in the science of the world around them.
Here you can dance with dinosaurs, experience an earthquake, race a professional athlete, and experiment with a variety of interactive games and puzzles. The kids are going to love this place!
Dallas World Aquarium
Calling the Dallas World Aquarium an aquarium is actually an understatement. While you will find fish, sharks, and stingrays here, you will also find so much more! When you first enter the Dallas World Aquarium you are immediately transported into a rainforest. Surrounded by tropical vegetation and the sounds of the jungle, visitors get to explore the many species that call the Dallas Aquarium home.
These animals include manatees, crocodiles, sloths, jaguars, an ocelot, otters, penguins, monkeys, toucans, and all sorts of aquatic species. Do note though, that the Dallas World Aquarium can get a little pricey for families as tickets are not cheap, so be sure to check their website before you commit to this experience.
Frontiers of Flight Museum
The Frontiers of Flight Museum has over 100,00 square feet of exhibit space dedicated to the history of aviation. This museum showcases an incredible collection of models, artifacts, and memorabilia associated with flight.
Kids will love that there are over 20 interactive displays where they can get up close and personal with aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and more! Kids (and kids at heart) can even try their hands at flying at any of the four flight simulators that are on-site at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.
Attend a Sporting Event
Dallas is home to several major sports teams, so if you are a sports lover, then you are in the right place! A few of the professional sports teams here include the Dallas Stars, the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, the Texas Rangers, and FC Dallas Soccer.
With so many sports teams in such a concentrated area, you can easily find a game taking place throughout the year. Grab your family and head to the local sporting facility to watch a game!
Legoland Discovery Center
You will find the Legoland Discovery Center situated between Dallas and Fort Worth in the fun town of Grapevine, Texas. The Legoland Discovery Center is designed for families with kids ages 3-10.
This center allows the children to use their imaginations to explore the world of LEGO at their center. Here they can ride rides and design and build cool LEGO creations and watch a LEGO 4D theatre.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is located about 1.5 hours southwest of Dallas, but is a huge area attraction for families and definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. This drive-thru animal is sure to be remembered for years to come.
Your family will love seeing and feeding their 50-plus species of wildlife that include giraffe, emu, bison, deer, wildebeest, and more. Housing over 1,100 animals on 1,800-acres, Fossil Rim has created an oasis for the animals that they are trying to conserve.
Final Thoughts On Things To Do In Dallas-Fort Worth With Kids
Well, friends, there you have it, our list of things to do in Dallas-Fort Worth with kids. I hope we have shown you that Dallas-Fort Worth is a great place for families to visit. Honestly, we have only scratched the surface. There are truly so many attractions in this area that you can stay busy for months!
About the Blogger
Michelle Snell is a travel writer, history buff, wine lover, and enthusiast of different cultures. Michelle enjoys combining her informative writing style with her husband’s photography to bring places to life on her blog, That Texas Couple. She is happiest sipping wine in Italy or relaxing on a beach with her husband, Marty.
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With thanks to Michelle for her contribution to our guest series. You may also like to read about Phoenix, Arizona or discover the sights in Houston, Texas.
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