Dallas, TX

In 1841, John Neely Bryan laid claim to the Dallas area and built a single log cabin. He envisioned a commerce center that capitalized on the expanse of land and its river. With the arrival of the railroad in the mid-1870s, Dallas became a thriving business town and market center. An influx of French, German, Swiss and English immigrants, highly skilled and cultured, gave Dallas a cosmopolitan air unmatched anywhere on the frontier at the time. Dallas continued to emerge as a major economic force due to a strong entrepreneurial, can-do spirit. Neiman Marcus was founded in 1907, followed by the Federal Reserve Bank in 1914, Southern Methodist University in 1915 and Dallas Love Field Airport in 1927. "Dad" Joiner struck oil nearby on the East Texas Oil Field in 1930 and the Texas Centennial Exposition was held in 1936. With DFW International Airport's opening in 1973, Bryan's dream of a major inland port was unquestionably accomplished.

Dallas is a dynamic destination that tops the Texas charts for both business and leisure travel. It is the No. 1 visitor destination in Texas, the Southwest's largest banking center, a leader in wholesale business, home to numerous "million-dollar" companies and one of the top convention cities in the United States. Offering state-of-the-art convention services, world-class accommodations, some of the world's most sought after art, 79 international cuisines, and fabulous shopping.

Highland Park Village was the first shopping mall in America and literally paved the way for other retailers and wholesalers to make Dallas their home. NorthPark Center, Valley View Center and the Galleria soon followed and made Dallas a shopping mecca. Whether you are shopping for couture or casual, diamonds or denim, there's no place like it.

Dallasites pursue art and culture with almost as much enthusiasm as shopping. Collector and philanthropist, Raymond Nasher, and his late wife Patsy, gifted Dallas with the 70-million dollar Nasher Sculpture Center, located in the Dallas Arts District. The new Latino Cultural Center is buzzing with multicultural activities and artistic endeavors. On any given day or night, you can choose from a wide variety of events. Stroll the museums in the downtown Dallas Arts District or nearby Fair Park. Hear the symphony at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, an acoustical and architectural wonder designed by I.M. Pei. Public art and sculpture are incorporated in the Dallas landscape and provide a pleasing backdrop as you tour the city.

International cuisine and world-class accommodations are blended together in the very fabric of Dallas. With more restaurants per capita than New York City, Dallas boasts four of the Mobile 4-Star & AAA 4-Diamond award winners: Abacus, the Restaurant at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, the French Room at the Adolphus Hotel, and Nana Grill at the Wyndham Anatole. These superb offerings together with more than 7,000 restaurants throughout the city will surely please any palate.

Experience live theater, comedy to drama, and outstanding opera. The Dallas Summer Musicals are held June through October at the Music Hall in Fair Park with the last production running the length of the State Fair of Texas. Held in late Sept. - mid October, the State Fair draws more then 3 million visitors annually to the 277-acre campus of Fair Park. It is the largest exposition in North America and features prize livestock and horse competitions, Big Tex, Fletcher's famous corny dogs, big name entertainers, the annual Texas-OU Football Game, the Grambling-Prairie View Football Game and a huge midway with the "Texas Star" Ferris wheel, the tallest in the northern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world.

Professional sports are played throughout the year with seven teams making their home in the Dallas area: Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Dallas Desperados Arena Football League, Dallas Sidekicks, (indoor soccer), Dallas Burn, (outdoor soccer), and Texas Rangers baseball team. Or, perhaps your interest has a western twist. Enjoy Mesquite Championship Rodeo April through October, PBR rodeo at the annual Texas Stampede, or bet on the ponies at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie.

Dallas and the surrounding cities provide excellent educational opportunities with Baylor Univ. College of Dentistry, the Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, Dallas Baptist College, Dallas Theological Seminary, Paul Quinn College, Southern Methodist University, the Univ. of Dallas, the Univ. of Texas at Dallas and seven Dallas County Community Colleges.

Getting around is a breeze on the Light Rail System of Dallas Area Rapid Transit System. DART provides fast, convenient service to work, shopping and entertainment areas in Dallas, Garland, Plano and Richardson. Plus, the TRE (Trinity River Express) commuter line links DART customers to DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth.

When business or pleasure brings you to "Big D," we guarantee a visit filled with Southern hospitality, modern sophistication, and endless entertainment opportunities.

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