• The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza411 Elm Street, Suite #120, Tel. (214)747-6660 or toll-free: 888-485-4854, fax (214)747-6662, [9]. Open daily from 9am - 6pm. An unfortunate part of Dallas' history is that it is the site of the assassination of President Kennedy. The Texas Book Depository is the site where shots were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald, and the museum is located on the sixth floor of the same building. It is an incredibly moving experience with videos, full-wall descriptions and photographs, along with artifacts from the event. Even with repeat visits, there is always something new and interesting to see. For an alternative viewpoint see the Conspiracy Museum below.

• The Conspiracy Museum This museum presents alternative information regarding the conspiracies around JFK's assassination, Lincoln's assassination, and other presidential assassinations. The museum closed December 30, 2006 [10].

• Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood St, Tel. (214) 922-1200, [11]. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11AM-5PM, Thursday 11AM-9PM, Closed Mondays, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Great works of art from eastern and western cultures, from all ages. Admission $6, free on Thursdays from 5pm to 9pm.

• Meadows Museum of Art

• Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St., Tel. 214-242-5100, [12]. This collection of sculpture provides a fantastic outdoor oasis in the heart of the downtown arts district. The Renzo Piano designed facility pulls in the surrounding light and energy of the district but does not overwhelm. The indoor-outdoor collection of renowned Dallas collector Raymond Nasher is truly astounding. Ask about the combined admission ticket to see the Nasher and the Dallas Museum of Art, located directly across Harwood St.

• Dallas Cowboys [13]. Dallas' famous football team.

• Dallas Mavericks, Dallas' professional basketball team, plays at the American Airlines Center, located at 2500 Victory Ave in Dallas. You can come to the games by your own car, by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (Dart), or by Trinity Railway Express (TRE). The ticket prices vary from $10 up to $240 for a seat very close to the action. In the 2005-06 season the team went to the NBA finals.

• Dallas Stars, Dallas' professional hockey team, also plays at the American Airlines Center.

• Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, [14]. Located along the south banks of White Rock Lake.

• Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park - Hours 9 AM-4:30 PM. See over 6,000 aquatic animals at this aquarium located on the state fairgrounds. Admission $4.

• Dallas World Aquarium, 1801 N. Griffin St., Dallas. Tel.214-720-2224, [15]. More than just an aquarium, this unique zoo tour starts at the canopy level of a rain forest. Visitors wind their way down past many types of animals to find the aquarium at the bottom. Admission $15.95 Adults and $8.95 Children.

• Dallas Zoo, 650 South R.L. Thornton Freeway (I-35E), Phone: (214) 670-8443, [16]. Over 8,000 animals can be seen at this 97-acre zoo in south Dallas.

• State Fair [17]. In September and October, the State Fair is held at Dallas, vying with its Iowa counterpart for the title of the country's largest state fair. It takes place in Fair Park,which is a 277-acre city park that is just two miles east of downtown Dallas, and is held for 24 days every year starting in mid to late September. The fair is open from 10AM until 10PM. You can come to the fair by car and parking is $10 per car; alternatively, the DART transportation system provides a combination of monorail and bus service that is becoming increasingly popular. The ticket prices are $13 for general admission, $9 for kids under 48" tall, children 2 and under, seniors 60 and older are free; Kroger groceries sell advance tickets at a discounted price, including season tickets (worthwhile if you plan to go more than twice), and it's a good idea to check the paper to see if there are admission deals such as a discount when bringing donations of canned goods. At the State Fair, there are many entertainments and events for example, "Looney Tunes Hollywood Screen Test", "Budweiser Oktoberfest," "Backyard Circus", "Milking Parlor", "College Football" — be prepared for huge crowds the day that the University of Texas plays the University of Oklahoma — and "Hot Diggity Dog Shows." Local and state musical acts come to perform throughout the fair, and the arts and crafts building includes numerous attractive and interesting exhibits each year. Not only kids but also adults can enjoy the events. Don't miss the corndogs and the annual winner of the concessionaires' best new food item. The web site provides a daily schedule for the full run of the fair, helpful for choosing a day on which a particular group will be performing or avoiding the crowded days on which local school districts get free tickets for Fair Day.

• Six Flags Over Texas, [18]. Arlington, just to the west is home to the famous amusement park's flagship location. 10 new rides have opened in 2006 alone.

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, [19]. Just across the way from Six Flags' amusement park is the best waterpark in the area. Don't forget the sunblock.

• White Rock Lake. Escape the city bustle for a stroll at this large park in east Dallas.

It must be said that a bona fide "foodie" would be remiss to skip the fabulous restaurants that line McKinney Avenue and environs -- if there's one arena in which Dallas merits its own pretentions to "world-class" status, it's in its varied, creative restaurants, where quasi-celebrity chefs hold forth with true flair. Just to the north of McKinney is the Knox-Henderson area. It is similar but more laid-back. The west side of highway is Knox Street. This is just on the edge of Highland Park, and it features a plethora of home-decorating boutiques as well as eateries and watering holes. Cross the freeway and Knox becomes Henderson -- bastion of hip but laid-back eateries, check out Hibiscus, Cuba Libre, and Fireside Pies.