Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Fair Park
Created for the Texas Independence-themed 1936 Centennial Exposition, the art-deco
buildings of
Fair Park
MAP
(
www.fairpark.org
;
1300 Robert B Cullum Blvd; light rail Fair Park)
today con-
tain several interesting museums. While the grounds themselves are safe, the surrounding
area - particularly to the east and south - can have safety issues. Outside of the State Fair,
on-site parking is plentiful and free. DART light rail also stops right at the main entrance.
Parking costs $10.
In 2012 tragedy struck the park when
Big Tex
, the 52-ft-tall icon of the fair burst into
flames and was destroyed. The loss of his unctuous mug was widely mourned and there is
a campaign to get him rebuilt.
Fair Park is at its busiest during the annual three-week State Fair of Texas (
Click here
)
.
Hall of State
(3939 Grand Ave; 9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 1-5pm Sun)
Fair Park is full of superb 1930s art-deco archi-
tecture, none of it quite as inspired as this tribute to all things Texan. The
Hall of Heroes
pays
homage to such luminaries as Stephen F Austin and Samuel Houston; the
Great Hall of Texas
features huge murals depicting episodes in Texas history from the 16th century on.
As you leave the Hall of State, stop by the reflecting pool outside of the entrance: the
golden Greek-inspired statues will thrill art-deco buffs.
MONUMENT
Texas Discovery Gardens
MAP
GARDENS
( 214-428-7476;
www.texasdiscoverygardens.org
;
3601 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd; butterfly house & garden adult/
child $8/4; outdoor gardens always open, indoor gardens 10am-5pm)
These pretty indoor-outdoor gar-
dens include a tropical conservatory, a fragrance garden and a butterfly garden. Don't
miss the native Texas plants.
Perot Museum of Nature & Science at Fair Park
MAP
( 214-428-5555;
www.perotmuseum.org
; 3535 Grand Ave; admission $1; noon-5pm Fri-Sun)
Largely re-
placed by the huge new Perot Museum of Nature and Science in the Arts District, the old
facility remains open for people nostalgic for its historic dioramas of nature and science.
MUSEUM
African American Museum
MUSEUM
