If your family loves a great Museum, there are tons of different types of Museums in Dallas TX, for all interests and passions, (and free museums too!) around the Dallas area and throughout Collin County.
We have explored many of these ourselves and love the variety they offer. Many of them have great interactive exhibits and bonus points for those who have free admission for Babies and Toddlers and membership options.
There’s no better time than now to plan a visit to some of these!
The Best Museums in Dallas TX to visit with Free Admission
We love free and cheap things to do, and museums are no exception. When admission is free, you can combine your day out with other fun things to do.
While the Dallas Holocaust Museum and Human Rights Museum, African American Museum, the President George W. Bush Presidential Center, and Sixth Floor Museum do have general admission fees, many of our Contemporary Art Museums, including the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth are free.
Most Kid-Friendly Dallas Museums in Dallas TX
The Perot Museum of Science and History
Their Permanent collections and special exhibitions at Perot Museum brings science and nature to life in the heart of Dallas. Located in Downtown Dallas, it’s also a great place to consider getting a membership as you may visit multiple times, have a different experience every time and you’ll save money on your general admission.
Starting outside, you can have fun in the outdoor sculpture garden with stone frogs and water features. Inside, you can learn about Space Flight, go back in time to the Dinosaur exhibits, and see and touch various artifacts to help kids imagine that important time in history or enjoy interactive exhibits to bring Science to life.
It’s well-known as one of the best museums in Dallas TX
Go visit the Heritage Farmstead Museum in Plano
Get to learn all about Plano’s history at the Heritage Farmstead Museum from the very early days with the original Wilson and Haggard families, explore the inside of original farmhouses and learn about farming in Plano and Dallas, while mingling with the donkey, goats, and chickens.
Tons of fun at the National Video Game Museum in Frisco
Although technically, this is a museum, both big kids and little kids alike will love playing Pac-man and Donkey Kong to their hearts’ content on the full-size arcade games and machines while interacting with the fun living rooms which were built to life-size showing videogames and TV sets from the 1980s and 1990’s era.
Along with video testimonies about video games from past generations, they’ll also see consoles and remote controls from back in the day and maybe even an original cellphone that our generation of adults used.
Take flight at the Frontiers of Flight Museum
If your family loves aviation, head to the Dallas Love Field Airport, and next door you’ll find the Frontiers of Flight Museum with a Boeing 737-300 “Spirit of Kitty Hawk” on display outside of the main Flight Museum building.
The museum features many of their planes inside and interior models are historical artifacts, so many are behind ropes or in glass cases. The permanent exhibit that we love the most is the interior of a Dallas Southwest Boeing aircraft where kids can sit in the cockpit. Most visitors head straight to this part of the Museum.
Dallas Museum of Art
There are so many reasons to love this awe-inspiring art Dallas museum! It’s fully funded so they offer free admission, but ask that you pre-reserve a ticket before you arrive.
It combines a modern art museum with a permanent collection of European Art, Spanish Art, Asian Art, paintings, and Permanent exhibits in addition to temporary exhibitions.
Located directly in the Arts District and West End of Dallas with easy access to and from The Pearl Street/Arts District and St. Paul DART stations, it’s very easy to get to. You can combine your visit with the Nasher Sculpture Center with its own sculpture garden outside.
But one of the best-hidden gems that makes it so kid friendly are its family programs, classes, and workshops, including Art Babies, which Plano Mom, Gwendolyn tried with her kids (all under the age of 6). Arts Babies is for babies and toddlers under the age of 2 and their caregivers.
The class offers songs and story time among the paintings in the galleries, playtime, and a chance to mingle with other parents. They also have Toddler Art, Arturo’s Art, and me, and Family workshops for elementary-age kids and their caregivers.
Tickets for these classes and workshops are $5 with adults (for free) and go on sale 3 months in advance. Be quick to reserve yours.
You can park in the Museum’s underground parking garage – free for DMA members or $20 per car for non-museum members.
Museum staff meet you at the door and will lead the group to a gallery. Each class has a theme & staff will guide the group through songs and stories related to the art you’re encountering. Afterward, they set up a fun interactive area for kiddos to play and explore!
You can bring strollers, but no food or drinks. Classes are 1 hour.
While you’re in Downtown Dallas, there are more Museums in Dallas TX, so be sure to stop by the grassy knoll at the Sixth Floor Museum or stop by the food trucks at Klyde Warren Park, which is right next to the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Dallas Museum of Art.
How to save money on your Dallas Museum Visits
If you are looking to visit multiple times in a year, we recommend you consider purchasing a Membership to some of these Museums in Dallas TX.
The most popular is the Perot Museum membership which has a number of perks, including discounts for camps and ways to enjoy the pop-up temporary exhibits before other guests.
You can also save money while you’re learning about the tragic day in Dallas history and the Lee Harvey Oswald theories with a membership at the Sixth Floor Museum.
The best deal for free Museum admission in Dallas
If you purchase your Pogo Pass today, you can head straight to the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame and the National Videogame Museum for free (some with multiple visits)
Save on the Annual GetOut Pass
This is one steal of a deal for families!
Each pass includes free admission to kids’ activities at over 51 destinations around Dallas/Fort Worth for only $59.95 per person.
Give the gift of experiences all over DFW! Use code PLANOMOMS or just use our link below to buy.
This post may contain Affiliate Links. Our Full Disclosure is available.
Which are the best Museums in Fort Worth?
And if there weren’t enough museums in Dallas TX and you’re heading to Fort Worth on a day trip from Dallas, we recommend you plan to visit one or two museums while you’re there.
Go see various works of art at The Kimbell Art Museum and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, which are top picks for our family. Kimbell Art Museum is free.
Here are 51+ of the Best Museums around Dallas
The A.W. Perry Homestead Museum offers a glimpse of life as it was in north central Texas at the turn of the 20th Century. A.W. and Sarah (Huffman) Perry were pioneer homesteaders of Peters Colony who came to Carrollton in the year 1844 from Carrollton, Illinois.
The African American Museum is the only one of its kind in the Southwestern Region devoted to the preservation and display of African American artistic, cultural and historical materials. It has one of the largest African American Folk Art collections in the US.
The CR Smith Museum preserves the history of American Airlines and explains what it takes to run the airline, as told through the perspective of the team members who work there.
Dallas Contemporary is a non-collecting art museum presenting new and challenging ideas from regional, national and international artists. The institution is committed to engaging the public through exhibitions, lectures, educational programs and events.
The mission of the Dallas Firefighter’s Museum is to provide the City of Dallas a well-attended historical and educational asset. The Museum will teach fire safety, honor fallen heroes of the Department and preserve firefighting heritage.
Dallas Heritage Village is home to the largest and finest collection of 19th century pioneer and Victorian homes and commercial buildings in Texas.
The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is dedicated to teaching the history of the Holocaust and advancing human rights to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference.
A space of wonder and discovery where art comes alive! Free general admission.
We love toys, antiques, and cars. Most of the items in the museum are connected with automobiles in some way or another, although other kinds of toys and antiques are frequently being added to the collection.
Historic home of the nation’s oldest major soft drink – Dr Pepper! Nonprofit organization telling the story of Dr Pepper and the soft drink industry.
Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site showcases the home where the 34th U.S. President Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower was born in 1890. Antique furnishings fill the modest frame house, illustrating the working class life of the Eisenhowers.
The Historical Park is a museum nestled on 27 acres that trace more than 175 years of proud Farmers Branch history along with the history of Peters Colony, Texas, and the United States.
The mission of the Frisco Heritage Museum is to collect, preserve, study, interpret, exhibit, and stimulate appreciation for and knowledge of the history and culture of Frisco, Texas and the North Texas region to all the people of the region and to the visitors attracted to the area.
Experience the stories of aviation and space flight from the Wright Flyer to the one-of-a-kind Flying Pancake, the Apollo 7 spacecraft, and 32 other memorable aircraft and space vehicles.
The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum serves as a resource for the study of the life and career of the President, while also promoting a better understanding of the Presidency, American history, and important issues of public policy.
The Heard’s mission of bringing nature and people together to discover, enjoy, experience, restore, and preserve our priceless environment is carried out through education which emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation.
An educational destination with customized experiences. It features a state-of-the-art planetarium as well as an exhibit hall filled with interactive displays, touchscreens, lifelike animatronic creatures, and a multimedia Ice Age Theater.
The International Museum of Cultures provides a venue of opportunities to enhance the public’s understanding, involvement and appreciation of contemporary world cultures through programs, seminars and exhibits.
Located in downtown Plano, the Interurban Railway Museum is housed in a building that served as a primary stop on the Texas Electric Railway.
Contemporary art gallery representing national and international artists
Who said it was impossible to meet your favorite celebrity? With over 200 life-like wax figures, you’ll be able to strike a pose with your favorite superstar. Actors? Check! Musicians? Check! Heroes? Check!
Rich history and heritage, as well as current and future developments of the institution of the American Railroad through artistic, cultural, and educational programming. Features TrainTopia, a 2,500 sq. ft. model train exhibit, life-sized trains outdoors, special events and more!
NASA’s Johnson Space Center has served as a hub of human spaceflight activity for more than half a century. It is home to the nation’s astronaut corps, the International Space Station mission operations, the Orion Program, and a host of future space developments.
Honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience, and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire.
The US National Videogame Museum is a museum about the history of video games and the video game industry, located in Frisco.
The Oak Cliff Cultural Center (OC3) is committed to enriching and empowering the Dallas community through arts and culture programming that is equitable, diverse and encourages communication that supports and promotes local artists while nurturing knowledge and growth within the community.
Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery is a fine art gallery dedicated to photo-based art. The gallery opened its original Uptown location in 1995.
With 11 permanent exhibit halls in the heart of Dallas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science provides an unforgettable experience for guests of all ages.
River Legacy Living Science Center is a an entertaining place for all ages located in River Legacy Park! Also featuring the Discovery Room with two large aquariums, all new engaging exhibits and more.
Ruth Paine’s house is where alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald spent the night before shots rang out at Dallas’ Dealey Plaza
Sci-Tech Discovery Center is a hands-on children’s STEM museum. It hosts field trips, homeschool classes, workshops, birthday parties, camps and just a fun family day out!
Treasures of art adorn many areas of the Scottish Rite Library and Museum. Included is a rare Dickens mug, an original signed piece of ceramic ware depicting many of the characters of the Charles Dickens novels.
Exhibiting outstanding and groundbreaking contemporary art in a variety of media by established and emerging artists.
The Alamo Mission in San Antonio, commonly called The Alamo and originally known as the Misión San Antonio de Valero, is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries in what is now San Antonio, Texas.
One of the most complete and largest collection of Samurai items in the world and is the only museum outside of Japan that focuses on Samurai armor.
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy, and interprets the Dealey Plaza National Historical Landmark District and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza.
Since 1954, Valley House Gallery has offered fine art to collectors and museums. In addition to championing contemporary artists, Valley House deals in 19th and 20th century and Early Texas art.
