Dallas Highlights & Arboretum - Botanical Gardens Combo Tour

Dealey Plaza is park surrounding the original birthplace of the City of Dallas. It is also the site of the JFK tragedy. Tour the Plaza and learn fascinating details of that fateful day. Stop for a photo of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which commemorates the site of President Kennedy’s assassination. Visit the Kennedy Memorial, a tribute to President John F. Kennedy.

Known for its rich history, the West End Historic District is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Learn about the Dallas Holocaust Museum, the Old Red Courthouse, Founders Plaza and the Dallas World Aquarium.

Stop by the Omni Dallas Hotel to see the Magnolia Pegasus, a restored Dallas icon, now mounted on an oil derrick, flying high and illuminated at night.

Explore the spectacular Pioneer Plaza, a downtown park, which features a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of a cattle drive, with Texas Longhorn Steers being driven by skilled cowboys astride horses! Cross the stepping stones up to the top for the best views!

Enjoy a drive down Main Street and see "The Eyeball" an the eye-popping piece of public art!

Located in the heart of Dallas, "Klyde Warren Park", serves as a "town square" and gathering place for locals and visitors. See the fountains, food trucks and locals enjoying fitness classes, kids on the playground and live music on the Pavillion.

Bridging the Trinity River, enjoy a drive across the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge to thriving west Dallas. Designed by the internationally renowned Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, the cable stay suspension bridge is a defining landmark on the Dallas skyline.

Learn about the spectacular Perot Museum of Nature and Science. With 11 permanent exhibit halls, the Perot provides unforgettable experience for guests of all ages.

Located within Victory Park, the American Airlines Center is home to the professional sports teams the NBA Dallas Mavericks and the NHL Dallas Stars. Victory Park is the entertainment epicenter of Dallas, boasting streets lined with restaurants, sidewalk cafes, sports bars and entertainment venues that surround the American Airlines Center.

Nestled like a jewel in downtown, the Dallas Arts District is the largest arts district in the US. Learn about the Art Museums and Performing Arts venues. Stop for photos at the Hall Texas Sculpture Walk, a tranquil oasis in the heart of the Dallas Arts District. Learn about the nationally acclaimed Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. See the historic Belo Mansion and hear about the Mansion's ties to the infamous gangsters from Dallas, Bonnie & Clyde!

Drive along scenic Turtle Creek to the exclusive neighborhood of Highland Park, passing stunning mansions and the much loved Teddy Bear sculptures. Learn about the neighborhoods ties to Beverly Hills!

Visit the campus of Southern Methodist University, home of the George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum. Learn about the Center, which promotes a greater understanding of the American presidency.

Enjoy a visit to the AT&T Discover District. Take a selfie with Golden Boy (iconic, century-old statue), or relax by the fountains on the lawn. See the massive 104 ft tall Media Wall bringing digital art to life in staggering detail. Venture inside The Globe, an iconic nod to AT&T’s proud history.

See the vibrant Knox Street neighborhood, which has unique shopping and exciting dining scene and is located along the scenic Katy Trail green belt. Learn about the interesting history of the neighborhood from your Guide.

Stop for photos of Reunion Tower, located in the heart of downtown Dallas. Learn about its attraction "the Geo-Deck at Reunion Tower", which offers visitors the only indoor/outdoor observation deck in the city with unique views of Dallas from 470 feet in the air! It has been a staple of the Dallas skyline since 1978.

Guests enjoy a privately led tour throughout the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, one of the top botanical gardens in America. With over 66 acres of finely manicured grounds, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden provides breathtaking views for residents and tourists year-round.

The Lyda Bunker Hunt Paseo de Flores.

Commonly referred to as simply The Paseo, this meandering pathway serves as the central walkway of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and is the main artery of the garden for guests.

Guests can access nearly every garden from the Paseo, including walking all the way to the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden to the north or taking a tram ride, and can find the DeGolyer and Camp houses, and all of our dining options off this main walkway.

The path begins after the Bella Via near the Tram Stop and concludes near Fogelson Fountain, which was donated by the late Greer Garson in memory of her husband, Buddy. Along The Paseo, visitors can stop for photo opportunities and fun at the Magnolia Glade, the Crape Myrtle Allee, the Toad Corners Fountain, the Shadow Garden and the Pecan Grove.

The Trial Gardens.

The Trial Gardens at the Dallas Arboretum were created for the purpose of expanding our research efforts and providing information to the public. The focus of the trial program is to grow and evaluate many different plants in the drastic climate of the Metroplex and North Central Texas. Information generated from the trials is provided to commercial plant producers, retailers and home gardeners. Between 3,000 and 5,000 plants are trialed yearly from over 150 plant breeding companies. These gardens represent the cutting edge of horticultural research into heat-tolerant plants.

Lay Family Garden.

The Lay Family Garden (formally known as the Lay Ornamental Garden) is a 2.2-acre garden filled with hundreds of perennials and woody plants set against two amazing water features, the Lay Grotto, which boasts a waterfall and koi pond, and on the other side, another set of cascading water elements under a lush trellis.

An Abundance of Flora and Koi Fish. Especially nice when it’s hot, the garden is enjoyable all year due to the abundance of flora and fauna one can find. Beyond weddings on the main lawn, families like to take photos here, or stop to admire and play with the koi fish.
One of the most popular features is the native limestone walls with waterfalls cascading from them. Complementing the waterwalls is a new grotto with a 12-foot waterfall directly across from them. The water gardens are also of great interest and include a large lagoon for aquatic plants, a stream with three weirs and a Koi pond.

A Woman’s Garden.

Guests’ favorite aspects of this garden are the various sculptures, the vista across the infinity pool and the flower water in the fountains and features. This is a wonderful place for selfies and posed photos, because of the beautiful view of White Rock Lake behind the infinity pool. Children also love the flowing water.

Crape Myrtle Allee.

Sweeping crape myrtle trees enclose a stone walkway to create this magnificent garden. This natural tunnel leads visitors to the popular toad fountain feature, “Toad Corner.”

Stunning All Year. Crape Myrtle Allee garden is stunning from late spring through winter, transitioning from lush green leaves to full blooms to a starkly beautiful holiday scene in the winter.

In the fall, winter and spring, we welcome various vendors to set up tables and sell their wares.

The Allee features a new lane of crape myrtle trees, which replaced the original trees planted by the DeGolyers. Paved with Pennsylvania bluestone, the Allee runs from the Paseo to Toad Corners. The Crape Myrtle Allee is a popular destination for family photo shoots and engagement photos.

Jonsson Color Garden.

The Jonsson Color Garden features large, sweeping beds of seasonal flowers and plants and is home to more than 2,000 varieties of azaleas, which bloom lavishly in the spring along with daffodils and tulips. Summer brings a vibrant display of bananas and tapioca plants, while autumn ushers in brightly colored chrysanthemums. The Waterwise display, donated by Region IV of the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, provides a location for home gardeners to learn how to install and manage a low-water landscape. The Palmer Fern Dell serves as a shady respite within the Color Garden, boasting a collection of ferns, camellias, azaleas and many other shade loving perennials and shrubs.

Spring through summer offer the best views of this garden, as we transition from pansies to tulips to summer flowers, surrounding lush, inviting green grass and set against a backdrop of cherry blossoms and crape myrtles.

Rose Garden.

This classically designed pocket rose garden contains over 200 Hybrid Tea Roses of 16 different varieties, making for a stunning backdrop when the roses are in bloom, coupled with an enchanting opportunity to stop and literally “smell” the roses.

Beautiful Blooming Rose Season
Peak rose season is in October, depending on the weather, and when this garden is in full bloom it is overwhelmingly beautiful. It stays green most of the year, and is also popular throughout the summer because of the shade if offers.

Nancy Rutchik Red Maple Rill.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of this two-acre garden is a fabulous collection of over 80 varieties of signature Japanese Maples planted along the stream.

A Walk through the Garden. Walking, taking great selfies, enjoying the view. This garden is best experience with a slow walk to take in all the colors and the sounds of the stream. This charming area also includes a series of paved walkways and a stone bridge connecting the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage to the Magnolia Allee. An especially large weeping Japanese maple, nearly 100 years old, anchors the center of the garden.