Dallas Museum of Art
1717 N. Harwood St.
The Dallas Arts District
214/922-1200
dma.org
Hours: 11am–5pm Tue–Wed and Fri–Sun; 11am–9pm Thu. Open 11am–midnight third Friday monthly excluding December.
Admission: $10 adults and free for ages 11 and younger through January 20 for general admission, and free admission and memberships for all ages starting January 21. Special exhibits: $14 adults and free for ages 11 and younger.
Parking: $10.
If you’ve taken the kids to the Dallas Museum of Art anytime recently, you may have joined Arturo the stuffed parrot in the yoga class for kids on Late Nights or created a painting related to an exhibit on First Tuesdays. On January 21, the Dallas Museum of Art will make its activities even more interactive and the exhibits more accessible to all families when it opens on a rare Monday to debut two changes: free general admission and free entry-level memberships called DMA Friends.
Want to see van Gogh’s Sheaves of Wheat, an ancient mask from the Gulf Coast Olmec culture in Mexico circa 900–500 B.C., or more objects from Ancient America, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Asia and elsewhere in the permanent collections? No problem. Keep your billfold closed, walk right past the visitor’s desk and toward more than 25,000 works of art.
The DMA, founded in 1903 and a pillar in the Dallas Arts District since 1984, is also expanding activities to be available throughout the museum’s open hours, a key convenience factor for families who want to drop in at any time during the day. Access these new programs and earn rewards for perks by taking part in DMA Friends. The membership program, through interactive kiosks, will suggest activities that you and the kids can complete to earn points and redeem for free special exhibit admission, a behind-the-scenes tour with staff or other extras. Tell the kids to think of it as an allowance for chores that feel more like playtime.
Many of the activities can be found in the Center for Creative Connection, or C3, a hub of activity for visitors of all ages. Family spaces that are always open include Arturo's Nest for toddlers and the Young Learners Gallery for ages 5–8.
When the kids have filled their artistic appetites, stick around the Dallas Arts District to explore the new attractions that have opened in recent months. Klyde Warren Park right next door has a children’s park and free activities scheduled throughout the day, and the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science down the highway does charge admission, but access to the outdoor park, lobby and cafe is free.
Take advantage of these two recent additions and now the DMA’s free admission and programming, all sure signs that Dallas is taking steps to draw families from all over North Texas.
