Nestled in the Arts District, this expansive museum offers a rich treasure trove of global art—from ancient relics to contemporary displays—plus free iced water to cool off on your wanderings.
"An art museum in Dallas that provides a cultural and artistic experience." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Location of an exhibition highlighting Cartier's fusion of Islamic and modern design."
"The DMA will be open on eclipse day, as will it’s cafe for a bite and a drink. Visitors will have access to it’s permanent collection for free from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., while special exhibits will be ticketed as usual. Its parking garage will also be open on a first come, first served basis. Pop across the street to Klyde Warren Park to watch the eclipse or sit on its outdoor patio with the food and drink of your choice, and tour the museum before or after." - Courtney E. Smith
"Dallas boasts one of the largest urban arts districts in America, encompassing a mind-boggling 118 acres of museums, galleries, and theaters. Highlights include the AT&T Performing Arts Center, a four-venue complex centered on Sir Norman Foster’s striking drum-shaped Winspear Opera House, as well as I.M. Pei’s lavish Meyerson Symphony Center. But the headline act of them all is the Dallas Museum of Art, one of the largest institutions of its kind in the country, housing nearly 25,000 objects from the third century through present-day, across 159,000 square feet. The museum’s permanent collection (free to enter for all, every day) is particularly strong in African sculpture, decorative arts, and contemporary works, including paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol." - Priya Krishna, Jonathan Thompson
"Zoom out. What’s this place all about? The Dallas Museum of Art is one of the country's largest art museums, housing more than 24,000 pieces. The collections here are vast, spanning continents, mediums, and centuries. Break it down for us: What will we find in that collection? African, American, Mediterranean, Asian, contemporary and European—it's all here. The DMA is particularly strong in European art from the 19th- and 20th-centuries and in decorative arts and design. One can't-miss: The Reves Collection, a series of works that are displayed in a recreation of the couple's home in France, Villa La Pausa (originally built by Coco Chanel). What kinds of temporary exhibitions do they bring in? Exhibitions range from site-specific contemporary installations to curations from the museum's collection, with recent highlights including a blockbuster show on Cartier and Islamic art, done in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre. Who will you find here? As the city's largest museum, the DMA draws a diverse crowd, ranging from school groups to tourists. Any guided tours worth trying? Gallery talks and docent-led tours are informative and enlightening, but tech-savvy visitors will get much more out of the experience by engaging with the hours of museum commentary available through the DMA's smartphone app. Is the café worth a stop, or should we just plan on going elsewhere? The museum is home to a casual café, but its sister restaurant, Socca, is the real standout, with al fresco dining and a menu that revolves around, well, socca, a savory crepe made from chickpeas." - Laura Ratliff
