Looking for quality family entertainment? Visit a museum and do it the trendy way on the DART train. It’s the perfect time to soak in some culture right before school starts and riding the DART makes for an exciting and unique day out.
In Downtown Dallas, there’s the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Holocaust Museum, Nasher Sculpture Center, the JFK Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, and others. But there also are museums beyond downtown that offer a unique experience.
Here are our top picks for local DARTable museums:
Interurban Railway Museum
Located in the Downtown Plano Arts District, the Interurban Railway Museum commemorates the rail that ran from Denison through Plano to Dallas and destinations beyond from 1908 until 1948. Located next to the picturesque gazebo, fountain and playgrounds at Haggard Park, it’s a must for history buffs, train enthusiasts, and budding conductors.
Interurban Railway Museum | 901 E. 15th St., Plano, TX 75074 | planoconservancy.org
Take the Red or Orange Line to the Downtown Plano Station.
Texas Musicians Museum
This Irving museum is all about Texas music. With invaluable memorabilia on display, Texas Musicians Museum has wide appeal crossing genres to celebrate a variety of Texas music legends and heroes. Fans of musicians such as Buddy Holly, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Beyonce Knowles, and more will have a great time.
Texas Musicians Museum | 222 E. Irving Blvd., Irving, TX 75081 | texasmusiciansmuseum.com
Take the TRE to Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing Station.
African American Museum of Dallas
The only one of its kind in the Southwestern region, this museum—also a DARTable Gem—seeks to understand American history through the lens of the African American experience. Visitors will find a rich display of African American artistic, cultural and historical materials. It has one of the largest African American Folk Art collections in the U.S.
African American Museum of Dallas | 3536 Grand Ave., Dallas, TX 75210 | aamdallas.org
Take the Green line to Fair Park Station.
Garland Landmark Museum
This DARTable Gem is located in the former Santa Fe Train Depot, an historic landmark built in 1901. Exhibits include artifacts from early settlers like newspapers, farm tools, and quilts, as well as a wooden railroad car.
Carland Landmark Museum | 393 N. 6th St., Garland, TX 75040 | garlandhistorical.org
Take the Blue Line to the Downtown Garland Station.
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Aviation buffs can get up close with aircraft at this museum on the corner of Dallas Love Field Airport. The 100,000-square-foot facility is home to over 30 aircraft and space vehicles, including early biplanes, WWII aircraft, the iconic 1939 “Flying Pancake” and the Apollo 7 command module.
Frontiers of Flight Museum | Dallas Love Field Airport, 6911 Lemmon Ave., Dallas, TX 75209 | flightmuseum.com
Take the Green or Orange Line to Inwood/Love Field Station, then Bus Route 529 to Lemmon @ University.
George W. Bush Presidential Center
Home of both the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, visitors can gain access to a wide variety of official records and artifacts from the W’s presidential term, including more than 70 million pages of paper records, four million digital photos and 200 million emails.
George W. Bush Presidential Center | 2943 SMU Blvd., Dallas, TX 75205 | bushcenter.org
Take the Red, Blue or Orange line to Mockingbird Station, then the Museum Express Route 743 to the SMU campus.
Discover more DARTable Gems to visit using DART at DART.org/DARTable.
If you haven’t already, be sure and download the free GoPass℠ app, available in the App Store and the Google Play store. On GoPass, you can buy and store your tickets on your phone, access travel tools and rider alerts, and look up events and offers. Learn more at DART.org/GoPass.