Things to Do Alone in Dallas (Arts District, Rail Day)

Dallas works best alone if you treat it as a handful of destinations joined by a train, not one walkable centre. The Arts District is a good first stop for a half day, the Farmers Market is an easy lunch, Oak Cliff has a cinema, and a commuter train can take you to Fort Worth for a day out.

Last checked 2026-11-01.

The Arts District: one museum, one garden

Nasher Sculpture Center. At 2001 Flora Street, home to a modern and contemporary sculpture collection with a garden. Open Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday and on Thanksgiving Day. Adults pay $10, DART riders $8. The museum is free on the first Saturday of every month (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) (Nasher). A sculpture garden suits one person well because looking is the whole activity and you set your own pace.

Dallas Museum of Art. Visit Dallas says general admission has been free since 2013 and that tickets should be reserved in advance. Special exhibitions can cost extra. Reserve a ticket and check current hours at dma.org before you go (Visit Dallas). If you have not been in a museum alone, how to visit a museum alone is a short primer.

Klyde Warren Park. A park built over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway, linking the Arts District with the rest of downtown. The park's site lists free programming, fitness classes, food trucks and Movies in the Park (Klyde Warren Park). Check its calendar for the day you visit. It is a handy lunch spot between the museums.

History, in your own time

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. At 411 Elm Street. Tickets are timed entry, which means you can arrive alone and be slotted into the next time. Open Wednesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:15 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Online adult tickets are $24 (The Sixth Floor Museum). Food and drink are not allowed in the galleries.

Eating: the food hall and market

Dallas Farmers Market. At 920 S. Harwood Street downtown. The Market is a 26,000-square-foot food hall with four anchor restaurants, specialty vendors and seating inside and out, open daily 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The open-air Shed, where Texas farmers sell direct, is open Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Dallas Farmers Market). Eating in a food hall is a gentle way to practise eating alone in public, because everyone orders at a counter and sits anywhere.

Walking and gardens

Katy Trail. A 3.5-mile trail through Uptown, maintained by Friends of the Katy Trail (Katy Trail). Walk a section and turn back when you like.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. At 8525 Garland Road, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult daytime admission is $21.95 Monday to Thursday and $25.95 Friday to Sunday; parking is $15 per vehicle. Holiday at the Arboretum runs 11 November to 3 January: daytime admission is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and an evening ticket is separate. The garden is closed during the day on Thanksgiving (Dallas Arboretum). A weekday visit is the cheaper one.

Oak Cliff: an evening at the movies

The Texas Theatre. At 231 W. Jefferson Boulevard in Oak Cliff, with a bar and lounge. It shows films and live events; check the calendar for what is on the day you go (The Texas Theatre). A film is the simplest ticket for one.

A rail day to Fort Worth

The Trinity Railway Express, run by Trinity Metro and DART, connects Dallas and Fort Worth. Trains operate Monday to Saturday, with no scheduled Sunday service except during the State Fair of Texas (TRE). The TRE site lists the Fort Worth Stockyards among destinations it can reach. At the Stockyards, a twice-daily cattle drive runs at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Fort Worth Stockyards). Plan the day around the 11:30 drive, and check the TRE timetable for your return.

Getting around in Dallas

DART requires proof of payment on buses and trains. You can use the GoPass app or a GoPass Tap card, and ticket vending machines sell Day and 3-Hour Passes (DART). Dallas is spread out, so ride a train to the district you picked and stay there for the day.

First solo outings

Easy: The first Saturday of the month at the Nasher, when entry is free. Walk the garden and leave when you like.
Medium: Lunch at The Market food hall at the Farmers Market, then a walk through the Arts District.
Bold: A Tuesday evening at The Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, or a train to Fort Worth for the 11:30 cattle drive.

If you are heading further across the state, see Austin, or for a different southern city, New Orleans. For more on the cinema habit, read going to the cinema alone, and for first trips in general see first solo trip tips. The full list is at things to do alone in cities, and things to do alone in a new city covers the first week.

Solo Era for iPhone

Walk a public sculpture trail.

Solo Era has a movement mission at level 2: "Walk a public sculpture trail." The Nasher garden is one place to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

FAQ

Is the Dallas Museum of Art free?

Visit Dallas says general admission has been free since 2013 and that tickets must be reserved in advance. Special exhibitions may cost extra. Check dma.org for hours.

When is the Nasher free?

On the first Saturday of every month, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Other days adults pay $10, or $8 with a DART rider ticket.

Can I reach Fort Worth without a car?

The Trinity Railway Express links Dallas and Fort Worth Monday to Saturday, with no scheduled Sunday service except during the State Fair of Texas.

Are there evening things to do alone in Dallas?

The Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff lists film screenings and live events on its calendar, and the Arboretum runs Holiday at Night from 11 November, sold as a separate ticket.

Is the Sixth Floor Museum timed entry?

Yes. All tickets are timed entry, and last entry is at 4:15 p.m. on the days it is open, Wednesday to Sunday.

Details change. Check the venue before you go.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)