Dallas & the Panhandle Plains - Texas - page 349

Unlike many other Metroplex cities (we're looking at you Arlington!), Grapevine has a
Visitor Shuttle ( 817-410-8136; www.grapevinetexasusa.com/shuttle ; day pass individual/family $5/10;
11am-10pm Mon-Sat, to 6pm Sun) that links the airport, Grapevine Mills and the historic down-
town.
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Frisco
POP 132,500
Frisco has arrived! Regularly named America's fastest growing city, its population was a
mere 33,000 as recently as 2000. This means that the city is trying to define itself even as
new multilane roads are plowed through in all directions.
There's much excitement around the construction of the Museum of the American Railroad (
214-428-0101; www.museumoftheamericanrailroad.org ; temporary location 6455 Page St; 10am-5pm Wed-
Sat, 1-5pm Sun) . One of the best collections of historic railroad locomotives and cars in the
country was hosted for years at the state fairgrounds. But Frisco has offered a lot more
space for what's literally a huge collection and beginning in 2013 the museum is moving
north. The new location will open in stages starting with temporary exhibits. The vast per-
manent facility is two blocks south, bordering Cotton Gin Rd.
SOUTHFORK RANCH
Seen by billions of glossy TV soap fans worldwide, Southfork Ranch ( 972-442-7800; www.southfork.com ;
3700 Hogge Rd/FM 2551; adult/child $13.50/9.50; 9am-5pm) is the real-world mansion that posed as the
home of JR Ewing and company on Dallas . Built as a rich family's home in 1970, the ranch was chosen to be the
Ewing Ranch when Dallas hit the airwaves in 1978. From then on it was used for certain exterior shots for the
series until 1989.
The ranch was called back to duty for reunion movies over the years and then for the return of the series in
2012. In the meantime, fans kept coming by to see the mansion and by the 1990s it had been converted into a
conference center hosting corporate events, Tea Party rallies and a memorial for actor Larry Hagman (who played
JR in Dallas ) after his death in 2012.
Southfork is still popular with Dallas fans. While it does have some old props from the show (like the gun that
shot JR), don't expect to see Miss Ellie's kitchen or JR's bedroom, as interior shots of the ranch were filmed on a
Hollywood set. It's 20 miles northwest of Dallas, near Parker.
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