Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

  The Arboretum is hosting a garden wide display of Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures which runs until November 5, 2012. Along with beautiful floral displays and carefully tended trees visitors are greeted with bursts of color from the large  glass formations sprouting among the flowers and floating in the ponds.

   The gardens are accessible with wide smooth paths. A few sections have steps but there are paths to avoid them.  Texas Town, a small play area for children with little houses and cabins, is not accessible due to grassy paths and steps into the cabins.

  The parking lot is big but it gets very busy especially on the weekends. Small RVs can be backed up to overhang the grassy areas. Large RVs may be allowed to be parked in the bus area. An AHS pass is good for free admission but a fee is still collected for parking. Museum
32.82298, -96.7165

Fair Park

   Fair Park has been the site of the Texas State Fair since 1886 but what makes it really interesting are the Art Deco buildings from the 1936 Texas State Exposition. The Exposition ran for five months and attracted over 6 million visitors. The buildings are still in use, some as year round museums, some for special events like the state fair. The grounds are nicely landscaped and the buildings, sculptures, fountains, and murals have been restored to their 1936 appearances.

The grounds are accessible with good sidewalks and curb cuts. The only traffic is from employee vehicles so it’s possible to roll along the roads.

Parking to visit the grounds or any of the museums is located in lot 6. Follow the signs. The lots are large enough for any RV.  Park
32.77769, -96.76403

Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park

   The gardens are pretty small but admission includes the butterfly house with hundreds of butterflies and flowering plants.

   The main paths in the garden are accessible. Other paths are made with woodchips which makes pushing very difficult. The butterfly house is all accessible. The entrance is on the second floor, accessed by elevator. A gently sloping path circles around to ground level.

  Parking to visit the fair grounds and the garden is located in lot 6. Follow the signs. The lots are large enough for any RV. Garden
32.77578, -96.7606

Dallas Museum of Art

  This is one of the best art museums that we have visited. The collection is very varied with artwork from all areas of the world and all time periods. The pieces on display are of exceptional quality.

  Everything is accessible but there’s a very long ramped hallway (ADA compliant just long!) from the front entrance leading to some of the galleries and the elevators that access galleries on the other floors.

  I recommend visiting on a weekend when traffic is light and parking is readily available. The lot across the street is large enough for RVs – $3.00 a space for the day on weekends. On-the- street metered parking is also available. Museum
32.78741, -96.80077

Old Red Museum of Dallas History & Culture

   Dallas got it's start in 1841 when John Neely Bryan platted a townsite along the Trinity River. The museum, which is housed in the cool 1892 courthouse, has very detailed exhibits about the beginnings of Dallas up to the present day.

  Everything is accessible. The wheelchair ramp and entrance are located on Commerce St.

  Parking for RVs is available four blocks north in the lots on Houston St. The pay stations take cash or credit card but the parking fee for oversized vehicles is an outrageous $25.00 a day. A single space is only $2.50 a day. We could fit in two spaces for a total of $5.00 but we were worried about the possibility of fines so we parked on the street. Plenty of room for RVs and only about $6.00  for four hours. The curb cuts and sidewalks are in good condition Museum
32.77861, -96.8073

Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

  This is the Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald knelt behind stacked boxes of books, his rifle ready, waiting for President Kennedy’s motorcade to pass by. The entire sixth floor is a museum chronicling the events leading to the assassination of Kennedy  and the aftermath including Oswald’s death, the investigations, and conspiracy theories. The museum is very well done. Besides the detailed story boards and video clips, everyone is given an audio device which guides them through the displays.

  Everything is accessible.

  Parking for RVs is available two blocks north in the lots on Houston St. The pay stations take cash or credit card but the parking fee for oversized vehicles is an outrageous $25.00 a day. A single space is only $2.50 a day. We could fit in two spaces for a total of $5.00 but we were worried about the possibility of fines so we parked on the street. Plenty of room for RVs and only about $6.00  for four hours. Museum
32.77968, -96.80842

Sid Richardson Museum

  Sid Richardson made in fortune in Texas oil and began collecting artwork, mostly paintings by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. All but four of the pieces of art were purchased by Mr. Richardson who also funded a foundation so that the museum would always be free to everyone.

  Everything is accessible except for some of the cases containing sketch books and book illustrations – too high to view.

  The parking lot is large enough for small RVs. A pay lot is located across the street and there is also some on-the-street parking available.  Museum
32.75547, -97.33167
 

Kimbell Art Museum

  There are just two galleries in the museum, the permanent collection which includes a lot of lesser known works of European masters, and a traveling exhibition gallery. The first floor lobby area has displays of Asian, African, and Pre-Columbian art. The permanent gallery and lobby displays are always free.

Everything is accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for any RV parked across the spaces.  Museum
32.74922, -97.36486

Modern Art Museum

   Our favorite part of this museum is the sculpture, the “Vortex”, located outside. Don’t miss it especially if you have kids. The sculpture is hollow in the middle with wonderful acoustics – bang on the sides, clap your hands, stomp on the floor, sing, and just make noise.

  Everything is accessible.

  The museum lot is large enough for vans and small RVs. Large RVs can be parked across the street at the Kimbell Art Museum lot.  Museum
32.74897, -97.36404
             
              

Stockyards Museum

  The Fort Worth stockyards, opened in 1890, was one of the largest in the U.S. but by the 1950s business was declining. The area was reborn as an entertainment and shopping venue in the late 1970s.  There’s not much going on during the day. Twice a day a very tame “cattle drive” takes place on Exchange Street. The Stockyards Museum is small with many artifacts but not a lot of information.

  The museum is accessible. The handicapped ramp is a little hard to find. It’s located on the left side of the museum with only one short handicapped parking space nearby. The entrance doors are a bit heavy. The sidewalks and curb cuts are in fairly good condition.

  Parking for RVs (free on weekdays)is available in the parking lot across from Billy Bob’s Texas, a long block north of the museum. Museum
32.78918, -97.3467