Fun/unique date ideas in Dallas?
August 11, 2013 12:40 PM   Subscribe

My girlfriend and I have been apart for the summer and we haven't been able to spend much time talking to each other because of various work-related reasons. Fortunately, I'm going to visit her in Dallas soon, so I'm looking for fun, interesting date ideas.

My girlfriend is going to take me to some of her favorite restaurants, but I would like to surprise her with a unique or quirky restaurant or eating experience. I'd also really like to explore and discover the city with her--she lives in one of the suburbs so she definitely hasn't been able to see everything that Dallas can offer. I'm not so much looking for tourist attractions as I am for new experiences, so I'm open to any sort of activities (particularly if they're conducive to couples, which would be a definite plus!).

One thing that I'd definitely like to do with her is visit a museum. Which ones are your favorites and what exhibits (current or upcoming) do you find the most interesting? So far she and I have talked about going to the Perot museum, but I would definitely love to go to more than one with her.

Thanks in advance!
posted by jdgreen to Society & Culture (9 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Dallas aquarium is really fun. So is the Museum of Modern Art; its permanent collection is kind of meh, but it often has wonderful special exhibitions.
posted by sevensnowflakes at 1:14 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]


My in-laws are in Dallas and my husband and I get up there pretty regularly. We hear good things about the Perot museum, but we also hear it's really crowded.

We like the Trammel Crow Museum of Asian Art a lot. It's right around the corner from the Dallas Museum of Art (which has a good exhibit from the British Museum--the art is great but the curation left me a bit meh) and on top of the Nasher Sculpture Center. However, my favorite museum in the metroplex is actually the Kimbell in Fort Worth., which currently has an interesting looking exhibit on pre-Columbian art. It's also right next to the Amon Carter, which has American art, and the Fort Worth modern art museum, which is also very good, and has a fantastic restaurant.

And thanks for asking this question because I'd almost forgotten about the Wari exhibit at the Kimbell.
posted by immlass at 1:53 PM on August 11, 2013


Is she from Dallas (or the suburbs)? If so, there's a reasonable chance she's been to the DMA and so forth. I grew up in Plano and IMO the best museums in DFW are the Modern and the Kimbell in Fort Worth. If you'd rather not drive that far, the Nasher and the DMA and maybe a visit to the new Klyde Warren park would be a fun day. I went to the Perot Museum right after it opened and it was fun, but be prepared for hordes of small children.

As for other date ideas, I had a good time at the Deep Ellum Brewing Co. last summer, if you're into beer. Bishop Arts/North Oak Cliff is a nice area to explore, as is Lower Greenville.
posted by MadamM at 3:19 PM on August 11, 2013


Go to Bishop Arts District and eat pies at The Emporium!
posted by missriss89 at 4:49 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]


OH! OH! OH! Is the Golden Bear golf course still around? That place had the best mini golf course ever. OK, to be fair, it was one of the ten best - as in, one of the ten best in the entire nation. It really was (and hopefully still is) that good! When I lived in Dallas, my then-girlfriend and I went there all the time. SO much FUN!
posted by 2oh1 at 12:02 AM on August 12, 2013


Definitely not for everyone and not particularly romantic, but I found the Sixth Floor Museum (dedicated to the JFK assassination) fascinating.

Agree with the earlier suggestions for the museum district in Fort Worth for fine art.

What suburb does she live in? The Metroplex is so huge that a particular location may be five minutes or two hours away, depending on where you are.
posted by TedW at 5:46 AM on August 12, 2013


Response by poster: She lives in Plano. She said she's about half an hour from Dallas proper so I don't think that should put anything too far out of reach.
posted by jdgreen at 7:28 AM on August 12, 2013


Love the aquarium as someone else mentioned. We haven't made it to Perot Museum, but hear good things.

There's a fried pie place inside Baker's Ribs in Deep Ellum - tons of meat or dessert pies that are deep fried and delicious. We visit there sometimes when we're just in the mood for something different and unique and very southern.
posted by getawaysticks at 7:31 PM on August 12, 2013


Oooh, you know what else is a great Dallas-area date? It's a mini-road trip - Fort Worth is about 40 minutes away - but once you're there, the Modern and the Kimbell (both art museums) are literally right across the street from one another. Seeing both makes for an awfully lovely day, especially since one is modern art and one is classic/ancient.
posted by sevensnowflakes at 6:34 AM on August 13, 2013


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