Historic Fair Park in Dallas
The Age of Steam museum located in Fair Park is a wonderland for train enthusiasts of all ages. Included in the collection is the Union Pacific “Big Boy” number 4018. These were the largest engines ever built and only around five are still in existence. This collection is one of the finest in the country with a complete pre-WWII passenger train. It includes a Post Office car, baggage car, coaches, Pullman sleeping cars and a dining car. There are also fine examples of diesel and electric locomotives, one of which is a red and silver Santa Fe engine. The museum also includes various pieces of signals and artifacts, which are all available for viewing. To complete the visit, the gift shop is located in a restored 1905 Houston and Texas Central Depot.
The Dallas Museum of Natural History plays a huge role in researching and displaying the current and past history of Texas. There are over 280,000 at the museum, with new displays rotating on a regular basis. Staff members include working archaeologists, paleontologists, naturalists, geologists and anthropologists. This museum displayed the first mounted Texas dinosaur and has the world’s largest exhibit of Texas wildlife habitats. They have skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, mammoth and an Alamosaurus to name a few as well as dinosaur eggs. The museum has a series of regular nature and science lectures.
The Science Place museum contains huge exhibit halls, a planetarium and an IMAX Theater. The museum has a large number of hands-on exhibits that lets children discover the fun in science. Permanent exhibits focus on areas such as electricity, physics, dental health and the role farms play. The planetarium, which is completing a huge renovation, will feature a state-of-the-art 3-watt Digistar 3 digital laser projector. The new shows promise to be a feast for the imagination and education.
The Texas Discovery Gardens is open year-round and features plants and insects of all types. These gardens were the first in Texas to be certified as 100% organic. Every year they host a huge butterfly exhibit that has to be experienced to be believed. Some of the garden areas are a tropical conservatory, a scent garden that was originally built in 1958 and an heirloom garden that contains antique roses.
The Hall of State is a storehouse for the State of Texas. There are over three million historic documents on-site as well as 10,000 garments from all periods of history. The archives also contain over 30,000 historic photographs and 10,000 volumes of books in the library. The hall is available for rental for formal parties and events. It is the home of the Dallas Historical Society.
Fair Park is home to The Women’s Museum: An Institute for the Future, which is affiliated with the Smithsonian. Many programs and exhibits highlight the achievements of women throughout American history. Cathy Bonner, who wanted a place where women’s stories could be collected and used to educate the public, thought of this museum.
Other wonderful places to visit in Fair Park are the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Dallas Aquarium and the African American Museum. There is the Cotton Bowl, which hosts a traditional football game during the State fair. The Fair Park area is also home to the Smirnoff Music Centre, Band Shell and the Music Hall.
