How to Make the Most of Dallas' Art District for Your Event
If you want to plan an event that dazzles guests from start to finish and keeps them raving long after they’ve left, it’s time to get to know the Dallas Arts District.
Home to the Dallas Museum of Art, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, AT&T Performing Arts Center, and so much more, this walkable enclave within the city is what meeting planners’ dreams are made of.
While the Dallas Arts District is the largest of its kind in the nation, it’s incredibly manageable for groups. You can walk from end to end in just ten minutes, and you’ll encounter some of the most inspiring, prolific institutions in the world along the way. Amazing spaces like the IM Pei-designed Meyerson Symphony Center and Humphreys Theater, the only theater in the world designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, are works of art in themselves. Toss in an innovative urban park, distinctive hotels, and nearly two dozen restaurants, and you have everything you need to throw memorable events ranging from intimate affairs to show-stopping spectaculars.
Think we’re biased? We don’t blame you! But you don’t have to take our word for it – the Dallas Arts District draws more than 2.8 million visitors each year, and USA Today named the area the #1 arts district in the country. Keep reading to find out why.
Epic Venues
Imagine inviting your guests to a private cocktail party under the Chihuly installation at the Dallas Museum of Art or having them dine amongst the dinosaurs at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. One-of-a-kind backdrops like these in the Dallas Arts District set the scene for events that will captivate your attendees. Of course, these venues also house traditional meeting facilities, like theaters, boardrooms, and ballrooms that accommodate anywhere from 25 to 1,500 people.
To capture your attendees’ attention from the moment they walk in the door, book an event at epic performance spaces like Myerson Symphony Hall, Moody Performance Hall, or Winspear Opera House at AT&T Performance Center, which are all available for meetings when they’re not being utilized by the world’s top talent.
Unforgettable Performances
You don’t need to spend extra budget on A-List musicians or handle complicated production logistics when you host an event in the Arts District; the area already provides the entertainment you and your guests want to see. The multi-venue AT&T Performing Arts Center puts on shows spanning genres from ballet to Broadway, comedy to opera. Jaw-droppingly beautiful Institutions like Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas Theater Center, and Moody Performance Hall stage must-see performances all year long, and Klyde Warren Park offers family-friendly, interactive shows. The schedules for all of these stages are posted several months in advance, and venues are more than happy to arrange group ticket blocks.
HALL Arts Hotel
HALL Arts Hotel is so much more than a place for your guests to lay their heads at night. In addition to 11,000 square feet of event space, the 183-room property showcases a museum-quality art collection. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the Experience Curator takes guests on a privately curated tour of the works of art currently on display, ending with a tasting of HALL Wines vintages in Ellie’s restaurant.
Through the Pedal Program, HALL Arts Hotel guests can hop onto one of the complimentary bikes and follow the pre-mapped Tour de Arts, a one-mile route that visits the many nearby museums, galleries, and parks.
JW Marriott Dallas Arts District
Staying at JW Marriott Dallas Arts District puts your guests within steps of all of the area’s cultural attractions. The hotel’s destination food and beverage outlets, like Vincent’s Skybar lounge adjacent to the heated rooftop pool, ranch-to-table Montage restaurant, and 800 North lobby bar each present a unique option for meals and receptions. Along with 267 guestrooms and suites, the hotel includes 20,000 square feet of flexible event space. Between meetings, attendees can tour the property’s wide array of paintings, sculptures, and design elements befitting its stylish address.
Private Tours
Want to make every guest feel like a VIP? You can easily arrange for a private tour of any one of these incredible institutions. The passionate experts at the Dallas Arts District are available to curate and lead tours tailored to your group’s interests, whether that means understanding history through creativity at the Crow Museum of Asian Art or focusing on a handful of masterpieces among more than 300 works at the Nasher Sculpture Center.
Klyde Warren Park
The centerpiece of the Arts District is Klyde Warren Park, a 5.2-acre green space above an eight-lane recessed freeway. This urban park unites two areas that were once separated by a massive roadway, creating a walkable oasis that has transformed the entire area into a thriving hotspot. With a playground, a fountain, a reading area, and more cool features that appeal to all types of visitors, the park is a prime setting for recreation, education, community events, and private functions.
Self-Guided Exploration
When your guests stay in the Dallas Arts District, a world of culture waits to be discovered right outside of their hotel door. All of the museums and galleries throughout the neighborhood are open to the public, and some, like the Dallas Museum of Art and the Crowe Museum, are totally free. The Nasher Sculpture Center’s app includes interactive maps and information about each piece of art, and food trucks along the perimeter of Klyde Warren Park are on hand for when hunger strikes.
In addition to Hilton’s HALL Arts Hotel and JW Marriott Dallas Arts District, both of which sit in the heart of the District, hotel brands including Fairmont, Sheraton, Marriott, and Ritz-Carlton all operate fantastic properties within a few blocks. If you have guests staying elsewhere, they can ride the DART Rail to the Pearl/Arts District station, which is just a few steps from all of the action.
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