There is more to Dallas than just big business, fine dining and fashionable shopping. The city’s museums cover areas of interest ranging from art, history and nature to science, technology and religion. Its zoo, parks, lakes, gardens and trails offer a direct contrast to the steel, glass and concrete that make up such a large part of the city. Dallas is committed to preserving its precious natural characteristics. Whether you are a sports spectator or an active participant, you can enjoy everything from football, hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer and rugby to golf, tennis, cycling, running, skating and horseback riding. Live theater, music, dance and comedy performances take place nightly in both large and small venues.

The Dallas Museum of Art’s permanent collections span from ancient to contemporary periods and include works from Europe, Africa and Asia. The galleries boast an impressive array of modern art, too. Traveling exhibits frequently complement the permanent collections and have previously featured works by Picasso, O’Keefe and Degas. The Meadows Museum, located on the campus of Southern Methodist University, has one of the world’s finest collections of Spanish art outside of Madrid. The Biblical Arts Center features an enormous mural depicting 200 biblical characters, an impressive light and sound show, early Christian-era architecture and art galleries.

Dallas has several venues that will fascinate animal enthusiasts, including the Dallas Zoo, with its more than 2,000 animals from various locales around the world, and the Dallas World Aquarium & Zoological Gardens, which is located in the West End. Privately owned by Daryl Richardson, a man who wanted simply to share his love of watching marine life, this aquarium features a 20,000-gallon tunnel tank, where you can view marine life from far and wide. Several huge tanks and 80,000 gallons of salt water house sharks, jellyfish and stingrays, while hundreds of reef fish occupy coral reef ecosystems. Two unique exhibits to look for at the aquarium are the Australian Great Barrier Reef display and the tropical rainforest, a huge, glass-enclosed monstrosity.

If you’re interested in experiencing a little Texas history, visit the Old Red Courthouse, built in Romanesque Revival style out of Pecos red sandstone and Texas red granite around 1890. It’s now the historic seat for the Dallas County government and one of Dallas’ oldest remaining buildings. Dealey Plaza was named after the founder of the Dallas Morning News, George Dealey, but it’s better known as the location where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Dallas also boasts one of the finest turn-of-the-century neighborhoods in the Southwest, the Swiss Avenue Historic District. Located two miles northeast of Downtown Dallas, this 22-block area is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The site, with its 200 carefully restored and preserved homes, was originally named by a Swiss immigrant and demonstrates both English Tudor and Mediterranean architectural styles

The Dallas area has several facilities designed especially for the young at heart—regardless of age—which have something to offer families whether they live in the city or are just visiting. The Science Place is a fascinating, hands-on display of feats of science that delights children young and old. Kids will utilize their senses of touch, sight, smell and hearing at the museum’s hundreds of hands-on exhibits. In Arlington, you can visit the Legends of the Game Baseball Museum, whose Children’s Learning Center hosts interactive exhibits that teach how baseball relates to other aspects of life. There is even a special learning and play place for children younger than five, called the Dugout. Several theaters just for children can also be found throughout the Metroplex. Casa Manana in Fort Worth, the Creative Arts Theatre and School in Arlington and the Dallas Puppet Theater in Valley View Mall. In addition, The Dallas Children’s Theater offer plays especially for youngsters year round.

Nature lovers are never far away from nature itself in Dallas. White Rock Lake, located in East Dallas, is a park-like haven offering fishing, sailing, picnicking and playgrounds. Both runners and bikers enjoy the picturesque nine-plus-mile trail that winds around the lake. Nature enthusiasts love to explore the Dallas Nature Center’s 640-acre wilderness and prairie preserve, with its more than seven miles of hiking trails. The visitor center provides details about its extensive nature programs. Old City Park in Downtown is a fullscale replica of a late 19th/early 20th-century Victorian-style village situated on 13 beautifully landscaped acres. The Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden showcases breathtaking horticultural designs with blooming gardens, massive trees and lush lawns that overlook White Rock Lake.

Theater is alive and well in Dallas’ diverse arts world. The Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas is a restored 1920s-era theater that offers concerts, plays and comedy acts year round. Theatre Three and the Dallas Theater Center are excellent venues for the many genres of plays that entertain theater lovers regularly. The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center is renowned for both its architectural beauty and its outstanding acoustics, which complement the talents of orchestras, symphonies and other performers who utilize the center’s Eugene McDermott Concert Hall. Lest we forget, Dallas’ many entertainment districts offer live music of every imaginable type. Numerous clubs offer nightly performances with something for everyone, from country and rock-n-roll to blues, jazz and grunge.

The city also offers professional rodeos, horse racing and car racing for those seeking a more rugged type of entertainment. Golf courses and tennis courts are also scattered throughout the town, and true to the city’s roots, you can still find places to horseback ride in Dallas.

Finally, since Dallas is home to six professional sports teams—the Dallas Cowboys football team, Texas Rangers baseball team, Dallas Mavericks basketball team, the Dallas Stars hockey team, Dallas Burn outdoor soccer team and the Dallas Sidekicks indoor soccer team—there is always a sporting event here to enjoy.