20 Free things to do in Dallas

The Dallas Museum of Art is one of the best museums in Dallas, not just because of its beautiful art exhibits and collections but also because it is one of the few free art museums in Dallas!

This Dallas art exhibit has permanent collections for visitors to see, as well as rotating exhibits that appeal to art lovers and families alike.

The Dallas Museum of Art also offers family art events throughout the year for everyone to enjoy. We love to recommend the Dallas Museum of Art to visitors as one of the best free things to do in Dallas, Texas.

This free art museum also happens to be a part of the city’s vibrant Arts District, which is one of the best things to do in Dallas, overall.

The AT&T Discovery District is a vibrant public art space that offers visitors a variety of different food and entertainment options.

Discovery District Dallas is best known for its digital media walls and interactive art, which are often showcasing seasonal digital installations and wonderful shows to look at.

Aside from the digital art exhibits, the AT&T Discovery District also offers occasional free community events, like game day celebrations or other community-fueled events.

We went to an eclipse viewing event earlier this year and loved being surrounded by other kind, welcoming people in our community at the Discovery District.

All in all, the AT&T Discovery District is one of the top places to catch free events in Dallas and one of the best places to visit in Dallas for free, overall.

The McKinney Avenue Trolley offers free transportation to anyone trying to get around Dallas, as well as Dallas streetcar tours to anyone wanting to explore the rich culture and history around the city.

The historic streetcars give each vintage ride a sort of nostalgic feel to them, which pairs great with the historical tours you get around the city in the free Dallas trolley.

The free trolley rides that the McKinney Avenue Trolley provides definitely makes this historic transportation option one of our favorite free activities in Dallas.

Looking for free Dallas art museums? The Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas is one of our favorite hidden gems in the city, and the best part is that this museum experience is free to anyone who visits.

The museum has a diverse art collection filled with Asian cultural artifacts, cultural exhibits, and extraordinary Asian art pieces for guests to see.

The cultural enrichment this museum provides guests with makes this free cultural museum one of the best places to visit in Dallas for free.

The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is, arguably, one of the best public libraries and one of the best free libraries in Dallas.

The reading spaces within the public library offer guests with a peaceful atmosphere that is perfect for reading and working in.

The library also has a special Dallas history collection, historical archives, and public exhibitions that are free and open for the public to enjoy.

Of course, the library also has standard book collections and comfortable public reading rooms where visitors can sit down and indulge in a new book.

Going to the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is one of our favorite free indoor activities in Dallas, and it is one of the cheap things to do in Dallas!

Fair Park is notoriously famous for hosting the State Fair of Texas every year, but Fair Park also has regularly scheduled free events in Dallas throughout the year.

The beautiful historic buildings and vibrant, historic parks around the park also make Fair Park a must-visit Dallas history site.

Other Fair Park attractions include free festivals in the park’s extensive outdoor spaces, art exhibits, and the Children’s Aquarium inside the park grounds.

All of the public events and attractions at the Fair Park that we have attended have been a blast, making Fair Park one of our favorite places to visit in Dallas for free.

In the downtown area? Head over to Founder’s Plaza to see why locals consider it one of Downtown Dallas’s best free things to do.

This famous, scenic landmark offers visitors free viewing points and free overlook spots to the outstanding Dallas skyline views and views of historic landmarks, like the Reunion Tower.

The plaza also offers visitors historic Dallas views of DFW airport, where kids and adults can sit back and watch planes fly in front of the beautiful Downtown Dallas views.

We love going to Founder’s Plaza at night to watch the Dallas skyline light up, so we recommend this place as one of the best free things to do in Dallas at night!

Dealey Plaza is one of the most popular Dallas landmarks and one of the most iconic JFK Historic landmarks in the United States.

The American history site is home to the JFK memorial site and other plaques and pieces of JFK history that pay homage to the legacy JFK left behind.

This outdoor, free landmark also offers guests the chance to have a Dealey Plaza Tour, highlighting the critical role that Dallas History has on the more excellent United States history.

The historical significance that Dealey Plaza has on Dallas and our country overall makes this historic landmark one of the top things to do in Dallas for free.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas opens its doors to the public, offering guests free educational exhibits, interactive learning opportunities, and an overall informative experience.

The Economy in Action Exhibit, in particular, highlights the economic history of the United States through educational videos, artifacts, and interactive learning activities, making this free Dallas museum worth every penny!

As far as interactive economy exhibits go, the Economy in Action Exhibit showcases Dallas’s economic history very engaging and entertainingly, making this exhibit a worthwhile place to visit in Dallas for free.

Are you looking for free music events in Dallas? The Fine Arts Chamber Players offer a yearly free concert series where Dallas musicians, local artists, and fine arts enthusiasts come together to provide guests with free performances.

The chamber music concerts and free music events provide guests with enchanting Dallas classical music that entertains multitudes of children and adults alike.

The romance and intimacy the Fine Arts Chamber Players’ classical music provides make watching one of their concerts one of the best free things for couples to do in Dallas.

The Dallas Symphony Community Concert Series is popular for providing families with free performances, free symphonies, and free Dallas community concerts from top-notch musicians. These free community events are offered across several Dallas locations, making this Dallas music series as accessible as possible. The symphony events also allow people to experience beautiful symphonic music produced by the Dallas Symphony, which would only be possible with the free symphonies provided by the community concert series. This community series’s reach makes this activity one of the best free things for families to do in Dallas!

The Kitchen Dog Theater’s commitment to providing free plays in Dallas makes going to a free theater performance here one of the best free things to do in Dallas at night!

This Dallas theater nurtures emerging playwrights, letting their creativity run wild and allowing guests to indulge in free community theater performances that make the Dallas theater scene wonderful.

The Kitchen Dog Theater events are often low-cost or completely free, making the theater’s free plays in Dallas a very accessible and entertaining option.

We have had the opportunity to watch a few of their plays, and they are pretty remarkable; they are one of our favorite and most spontaneous free stuff in Dallas!

Need a good laugh but don’t necessarily have the funds to go to an expensive, premium improv comedy club?

Luckily, the Dallas Comedy Club offers free comedy shows on select nights, providing family-friendly comedy to those who need it (and those who didn’t even know they needed a laugh).

Their improv shows guarantee free laughs, and their family comedy nights are always a hit.

We had the privilege of attending one of the free improv events in Dallas, and we had one of the happiest nights ever at the comedy club that night, one of our most recommended free things to do in Dallas for adults!

Out of all of the fantastic Dallas street art to see, the public murals in Dallas are some of the most amazing, grand works of art, most of which are perfect Instagram art spots, too!

The Dallas murals are perfect for self-guided art walks along the colorful neighborhoods and public art displays throughout Dallas’ vibrant Art District.

We always find the free public art and murals a fun way to escape from home quickly and a good spot to catch good, quirky, and artsy pictures.

Mural spotting is easily one of our favorite free activities in Dallas.

The Ann & Gabriel Museum stands out among other free art exhibits because of its unique Japanese collection, which is available to the public.

This Dallas Samurai museum has tons of historical Japanese artifacts, Samurai artifacts, and a wonderful Samurai collection, featuring some of the world’s most impressive Samurai outfits on display.

Aside from cool Samurai memorabilia, the free museum has an extensive Asian history exhibit, offering guests a chance to learn more about Japanese history and culture.

This hidden gem stands out as one of Dallas’s best free indoor activities.

Of course, exploring nature is always free.

The Cedar Ridge Preserve, however, makes exploring nature an exciting and beautiful outdoor adventure, as its hiking trails and nature preserves allow guests to indulge in bird-watching, free hiking, and strolling around the beautiful Dallas nature trails.

Aside from the free hiking in Dallas that the Cedar Ridge Preserve lends itself to, the Cedar Ridge trails are perfect for taking a simple walkthrough, especially as you pass by the vibrant scenery around the preserve.

If it’s not clear enough by now, strolling through the Cedar Ridge trails is one of my favorite things to do in Dallas for free, and it is easily one of the best free things to do in Dallas for families, too!

The Bath House Cultural Center is a free art center near White Rock Lake.

It offers guests various cultural exhibits, public art exhibits, occasional art events, and Dallas cultural events that keep the community engaged and entertained.

Additionally, Bath House offers free public performances by community members and free classes on various topics from which anyone can learn.

The cultural center’s diverse entertainment options make it one of the best places to visit in Dallas for free.

Thanks-Giving Square is a peaceful, reflective space that offers guests free spiritual sites intended to be suitable for all religions.

The park also offers free chapel visits and access to roam to see the beautiful Dallas architecture displayed throughout the space.

Not only is Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas a modern-day urban retreat, but it is also the perfect Dallas reflection spot, especially given its convenient location in the heart of Downtown Dallas.

The park’s serene atmosphere and amazing surrounding architecture make going to this park one of the best free things to do in Downtown Dallas.

The Latino Cultural Center is well-known for its cultural celebrations and free cultural events that it hosts throughout the year.

The center’s free Latino art exhibits, Latin Heritage activities, and free Latin art to see around the center make this Latino Art exhibit a place worth visiting.

As far as Latin Art in Dallas goes, the free Latin art available at the Latino Cultural Center makes this and the other Dallas cultural events held at the Latino Cultural Center worth experiencing with family.

At the Trinity River Audubon Center, exploration of the Trinity Trails in Dallas and nature connection activities like wildlife observation and hiking along the nature trails are encouraged.

The free nature walks available at the Trinity River Audubon Center help guests pick up a thing or two from fellow Dallas bird watchers, and the free nature centers help guests learn a little more about human ecology.

Either way, the Trinity River Audubon Center remains a beautiful nature preserve, making this center one of the best free things for families to do in Dallas.