Best Museums in Dallas

Situated inside the Frisco Discovery Center, the National Videogame Museum (NVM) is a veritable retro gamer's nirvana, dedicated solely to the history of the videogame industry. The brainchild of three longtime gamers, the museum features a mind-blowing collection of videogame consoles, artifacts and games, including the largest working Pong game in the world. And not only can visitors see all the great games from the past, but they can also play them. Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, they're all here as well as an 80's style classic gaming arcade with gaming stations for you to go head-to-head with family and friends. Talk about a blast from the past.

Located in a 100,000-square-foot airplane hangar at Love Field Airport, this Smithsonian affiliate is a must-visit for aviation buffs of all ages. The museum is home to over 35,000 artifacts, showcased in 13 galleries, detailing the history of space and aviation. Expect to find around thirty types of aircraft and space vehicles, including a full-size model of the 1903 Wright Flyer, a replica of Sputnik I and a Chance Vought V-173 Flying Pancake. The Apollo 7 command module (on loan from The National Air & Space Museum) is also here. As a bonus, there's a hands-on children's discovery area featuring a control tower for kids to climb around on.

Formally known as the Crow Collection of Asian Art, this stunning museum in Dallas' Arts District features over 1,000 masterworks, hailing from Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia, many of which have been assembled from the private collection of local real estate mogul Trammel Crow and his wife Margaret. Here, visitors can explore a series of galleries showcasing art objects, paintings, scrolls and large architectural pieces, some of which dates to the 10th century. Highlights include a collection of Chinese jade objects and a suit of Samurai armor from the Edo period. The museum's gift store, The Lotus Shop, is also worth a visit. Best of all, admission to the museum is always free.

Second in size behind Ronald Reagan's Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, this stunning complex on the Southern Methodist University campus encompasses not only a library and museum but also the George W. Bush Policy Institute and the George W. Bush Foundation. However, most visitors will only see the museum, which features 14,000-square-feet of exhibits and interactive displays, including a 22-foot tall ravaged steel beam from the World Trade Center and a full-scale walk-through replica of the Bush Oval Office. Also on view are some of the gifts given to the President and First Lady from foreign Heads of State.

Located on the Southern Methodist University campus, the Meadows Museum was first established in 1965 to house the collection of Spanish art assembled by Dallas oilman and philanthropist Algur H. Meadows. Today, the museum is regarded as having one of the largest and most significant collections of Spanish art outside of Spain, thus earning it the nickname, "the Prado on the Prairie." Among pieces spanning from the 10th to the 21st centuries are works by masters such as Dalí, El Greco, Miró, Picasso, and Velázquez. In addition to the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, the museum also features an assortment of 20th-century sculptures, including Santiago Calatrava's Wave which can be found on display in its outdoor plaza.

This stunning 55,000-square-foot facility, designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano in collaboration with landscape architect Peter Walker, was created to showcase the private sculpture collection of real estate developer Raymond Nasher and his wife Nancy. The collection is regarded as one of the most extraordinary assemblages of modern and contemporary sculptures in the world, with more than 300 significant works of art from masters such as Rodin, Brancusi, Matisse, Picasso, Koons, Calder and Miró. In addition to the treasures to behold inside the center, visitors will find around twenty-five more sculptures scattered around a lush 1.4-acre garden that surrounds the complex.

Designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Thom Mayne, this stunning 180,000-square-foot science museum on the outer edge of the Arts District boasts five floors of interactive exhibits focusing on everything from earth and space to geology, paleontology and engineering. Highlights include a children's museum with a dinosaur dig, an earthquake simulator, and a gallery of gems and minerals featuring a 5-foot geode. A good way to start is to take the external glass escalator up to the top and work your way down while enjoying the panoramic views of downtown Dallas.

The sprawling 370,000-square-foot Dallas Museum of Art, designed by New York architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, offers one of the largest and most impressive art collections in the nation. Its permanent holdings, dating back from the third millennium BC to the present day-- encompasses over 23,000 works of paintings, sculptures, jewelry and artifacts from all over the world. Here, you'll find masterpieces from heavy hitters such as Pollock, Rothko, Monet, Rodin and Picasso to name a few. Beyond the galleries, the museum houses a children's creative zone, a sculpture garden and a cafe featuring a window of Dale Chihuly's glass flowers. And with the exception of certain exhibitions and events, general admission to the museum is always free.

Whether you're a history buff or a conspiracy theorist, you'll find the Sixth Floor Museum an interesting source of information about the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. The museum's exhibits contain over 45,000 items, ranging from artifacts to home movies and video footage, documenting Kennedy's presidency through to his final days. One of the highlights of the tour is the Plexiglas enclosed area where Lee Harvey Oswald is believed to have fired the fateful shot. After visiting the museum, be sure to go down to the grassy knoll to gain more perspective about what transpired that tragic day.

Recently re-opened in a larger location in the West End, the Dallas Holocaust museum not only offers visitors a harrowing glimpse into the Holocaust, but it also addresses other 20th century genocides as well as the American Civil Rights Movement. Among the technologically enhanced exhibits are video testimonies from Holocaust survivors, an original Nazi-era boxcar and numerous items recovered from concentration camps. A centerpiece of the museum is the Dimensions in Testimony Theater (one of only two such theaters in the world), which uses holographic imagery to facilitate real-time interactions with Holocaust survivors. Note that the museum is recommended for ages 12 and over.