Your guide to downtown Dallas: Things to do, landmarks, history and more

Downtown Dallas. The heart of Big D.

While the city has sprawled out to cover nearly 400 square miles, downtown Dallas — at less than two square miles — is where Dallas was born. More than 180 years later, it’s still the emblem of the city and has been the site of some of its most significant moments.

Housing Dallas City Hall, the city’s tallest skyscrapers and more, downtown Dallas has made a bit of a comeback in recent years, although work remains and changes loom.

Population: 16,767

Median age: 34.2

Median income: $102,148

Unemployment rate: 4.8%

• One race, white: 53.7%
• One race, Black or African American: 21.5%
• One race, American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.9%
• One race, Asian: 4.7%
• One race, Native Hawaiian: 0.1%
• One race, some other race: 4.1%
• Two or more races: 14.9%
• Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): 18.7%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 49.6%

For ages 25+ (roughly 87% of the population) 

• High school graduate (or equivalent): 10.8%
• Bachelor’s degree: 41.4%
• Graduate or professional degree: 24.7% 

12,842 units; 11,534 occupied (89.8%)

• 1,533 owner occupied
• 10,001 renter occupied

• 359 1-unit detached
• 307 1 united attached
• 12,176 multi-unit

Median home value: $495,900

Median rent: $2,094

Compiled by staff researcher Rachel Friend.

Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Tables S0601, S1501, S1903, S2301, DP04.

John Neely Bryan, the founder of the City of Dallas, settled in the western area of what is now downtown in 1841. The city grid was laid out just three years later in 1844 with several streets (Main, Elm, Commerce and more) retaining their names to this day. The city’s growth exploded once the railroads arrived in the early 1870s. 

The 15-story Praetorian Building, Texas’ first skyscraper, opened downtown in 1909. The city continued growing throughout the 20th century, and  the discovery of oil in the 1930s made a significant impact.

The single biggest event in the history of downtown came on Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated at Dealey Plaza. The assassination changed the nation’s perception of Dallas, even earning it the moniker “the City of Hate.”

The downtown skyline as you see it now largely emerged in the 1970s and 1980s when most of the city’s largest skyscrapers were erected during a building boom. Downtown has been evolving in recent years as many of those buildings convert vacant office space into apartments, hotels and other retail spaces.

Reunion Tower — Opened in 1978 and remains an indelible part of the Dallas skyline.“The complex was then and remains today an embodiment of the city as it wishes to see itself: glamorous, optimistic, rushing headlong into the future and utterly unconcerned with the past.” – Mark Lamster, architecture critic.

Dallas City Hall — Opened in 1978 and was designed by acclaimed architect I.M Pei. The building now has a deferred maintenance bill exceeding $100 million, leading to discussions over whether to demolish it altogether.

The Pegasus — The red-winged horse was originally installed atop the Magnolia Building in 1934 and became a symbol of Dallas. 

Dealey Plaza and the former Texas School Book Depository Building  — The site of the Kennedy assassination, this plaza is named after longtime Dallas Morning News publisher George Bannerman Dealey. The adjacent building that once housed the Texas School Book Depository is now home to the Sixth Floor Museum, an exhibit that deals with the assassination.

Majestic Theater — The Beaux Arts-style performance hall dates back to 1921 and is the final surviving structure of the former ”Theater Row” on Elm Street downtown. 

Bank of America Plaza — At 921 feet, it’s the tallest building in D-FW. Bank of America Plaza opened in 1983 and stands out at night for its signature green lights.

National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe — The cathedral was dedicated in 1902 as the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. It was renamed in 1977 and has long been a key part of Dallas’ Latino Catholic community. It received national shrine status in 2023.

Selections by food writer Sarah Blaskovich.

• Sixth Floor Museum
• Dallas Museum of Art
• Nasher Sculpture Center
• Crow Museum of Asian Art
• Dallas Holocaust and Human Right Museum

The Arts District is home to various performance venues which house concerts and events throughout the year.

• Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerson Symphony Center
• Winspear Opera House
• Wyly Theater
• Moody Performance Hall

• Klyde Warren Park
• Thanks-Giving Square
• Dealey Plaza
• Main Street Garden
• AT&T Discovery District

• The city’s WNBA team, the Dallas Wings, is set to move to downtown in the coming years. They will play at Memorial Auditorium on the southern edge of downtown.