completion. With the help of 10 Dallas
design firms, Dahl and his team designed
26 major buildings in nine months. Dahl
took great care to create a unique
architectural look by combining classic
Art Deco designs of the period with a
Southwestern flare that interjected
elements of Texas history.
The Hall of State building was designed
to be the architectural centerpiece of the
Exposition. At $1.3 million, it was the
most expensive structure per square foot
ever built in Texas at the time. Unlike past
World Fairs, the Dahl’s buildings were
designed and built to last. They remain a
true treasure to the city of Dallas and its
residents.
Currently, Fair Park draws over seven
million people to ticketed events alone
and generates millions of dollars for the
city of Dallas annually. Superpages.com
Centre hosts over 40 concerts with
nationally known stars each year. There
are nine museums and six performance
halls located at Fair Park, including the
Science Place and The Women’s
Museum. There are over 749,000
square feet of covered space that can be
used for conferences, exhibits, markets,
festivals and sporting events.
Fair Park has a wealth of history, art and
stunning architecture. The following is just
a brief peek at what Fair Park has to offer.
African American Museum
www.aamdallas.org
The African American Museum is the only
institution of its kind in the Southwest
dedicated to the preservation and display
of African-American artistic, cultural and
historical materials. It features one of the
largest collections of folk art in the nation.
The rich history of black art and culture is
stored in the four vaulted galleries,
augmented by a research library.
Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park
www.dallaszoo.com/aquarium
The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park opened
in 1936 as part of the Texas Centennial
celebration. Housed in its original Art
Deco building, the Aquarium is home to
a varied collection of thousands of
aquatic animals, including marine and
freshwater fish, reptiles, amphibians and
invertebrates.
Dallas Historical Society
www.dallashistory.org
The Dallas Historical Society was
organized on March 31, 1922, by
101 prominent citizens who wished to
encourage historical inquiry. In 1938,
the Society assumed the management of
the magnificent Hall of State at the
request of the City of Dallas. The
Historical Society is the oldest historical
organization in Dallas County that is
committed to preserving the area’s
entire history.
Dallas Summer Musicals
www.dallassummermusicals.org
Dallas summer musicals can trace its path
back to 1941, with Opera Under The
Stars in Fair Park’s Band Shell. Since then,
it has earned a long track record of top-notch live performances featuring some
of the best talent in the business.
Performances are held at the Music Hall
at Fair Park. Past musicals have included
Burn the Floor, Stomp, Spamalot along
with Guys and Dolls.
Museum of the American Railroad
www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com
The Museum of the American Railroad
possesses one of the most comprehensive
heavyweight passenger car collections in
the United States, with a complete pre
World War II passenger train including a
Railway Post Office and baggage car,
coaches, lounge cars, Pullman sleeping
cars and a dining car. The museum has
recently added a collection of postwar
lightweight passenger equipment to
complement its prewar passenger train.
Over thirty pieces of historic railroad
equipment including steam, diesel and
electric locomotives, cabooses, historic
structures, signals and assortment of small
artifacts make it one of the finest railroad
museums in the southwest United States.
Museum of Nature & Science
www.natureandscience.org
The Museum of Nature & Science is the
result of a 2006 merging, unlike any in
the nation, of three cultural institutions –
the Dallas Museum of Natural History
(est. 1936), The Science Place (est.
1946) and the Dallas Children’s Museum
(est. 1995). The combination of the
Dallas Museum of Natural History and
the Science Place was completed in
June of 2006. The Children’s Museum
combination was completed the
following October. These combinations
have resulted in an exciting family
destination, which is able to better serve
the community and steward its investment
in the institution.
Texas Discovery Gardens
www.texasdiscoverygardens.org
Located at historic Fair Park in Dallas,
Texas Discovery Gardens is a year-round
urban oasis filled with natural wonders for
visitors of all ages. Ten different themed
areas include a butterfly habitat, native
wildlife pond, scent garden, shade
garden and heirloom garden. At Texas
Discovery Gardens, visitors discover a
wealth of information on ways to restore,
conserve and preserve natural
environments in urban areas.
Women’s Museum:
An Institute for the Future
www.thewomensmuseum.org
Located in Fair Park, this is the nation’s
only comprehensive women’s history
museum. It chronicles the lives of more
than 3,000 American women using state-of-the-art interactive exhibits to explore
their contributions throughout American
history and to examine women’s lives
across time. Exhibits commemorate the
women’s movement and women in the
arts, sports and sciences.
