The world got to know Dallas during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and has been captivated by the city’s storied history ever since. Dallas is a major commercial, financial, and education center, and its influence is felt across the state. The Bankhead Highway winds its way through the heart of downtown, past the historic 1892 courthouse (now housing the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture), and into Dealey Plaza and the site of the Texas School Book Depository, places that forever remind us of the death of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Continue east on Commerce Street and you’ll find yourself in Deep Ellum, a former Freedmen’s community with a powerful heritage relating to music and the arts, which are now celebrated in the area’s live music venues, cafes, and lively murals.
Dallas is packed full of history, entertainment, recreation and interesting sites, so hop in your car, get on the road and let it lead you, like it has so many others, to Big D!
Fair Park
1200 S. Second Ave.
In 1886, Fair Park opened as fairground and city park. Fifty years later, a great building project for the Texas Centennial Exposition transformed the site into the Art Deco masterpiece that it is today, and earned it the designation of National Historic Landmark. Home to museums, performance facilities, gardens, North America’s largest ferris wheel, and a shiny new Big Tex, there’s something here for everyone.
More Locations in Dallas
Greyhound Bus Station
205 S. Lamar St.
With all the dealerships, tourist courts, and auto repair shops found along the Bankhead, it’s easy to forget that not everyone was traveling by car. As more people traveled by bus in the 1930s and 1940s, Greyhound opened many new stations across the country. Built in the company’s signature Moderne Style, this downtown Dallas station opened ca. 1940 during the bus boom.
Statler Hilton
1914 Commerce St. (private property)
Opened in 1956 as part of the Statler Hilton chain of hotels catering to traveling businessmen and tourists, the uber-modern hotel boasted a number of firsts, such as groundbreaking new construction techniques, the introduction of elevator music, and a TV in every room. No wonder that it was once touted as the first modern American hotel. For those less interested in its architecture, the hotel also hosted Elvis and Ike and Tina Turner, and it is said to be where Tina left her husband for good.
Houston Street Viaduct, IH-30 and the Trinity River
The 1911 Houston Street Viaduct crosses the Trinity River from downtown Dallas into Oak Cliff on the old Bankhead Highway route. More than just a bridge, the truss and arched bridge was the first permanent crossing of the flood prone Trinity River, and the first all-weather road linking two communities. After years of floods and ruined bridges, the opening of the new permanent bridge was celebrated with a grand parade led with a U.S. Army battalion and 21 gun salute. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lake Cliff Park
1200 N. Zang Boulevard
Prior to becoming a city park in 1914, Lake Cliff Park, built in 1888, was home to a casino, skating rink, and amusement park and was known as “the Southwest’s Greatest Playground.” Famed pioneer city planner George Kessler created a master plan in 1919 and renowned landscape architects Hare and Hare designed the pergola and rose gardens in the 1930s for what is now a beautiful oasis in the heart of Oak Cliff and a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Be sure not to miss the stone court, picnic areas, walkway and bridge, fountain, and the retaining wall, all features constructed by WPA workers in the 1930s and 1940s. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Magnolia Gas Station
1700 W. 10th St.
This 1930s Magnolia gas station in Oak Cliff is one of only a few of its kind remaining along the old Bankhead Highway. The large Tudor Revival Style station almost resembles a house, except for its large from drive-through canopy. You won’t be able to miss it.