by Tricia White | Managing Editor
Once school is out and the days are longer, there’s lots of time to visit places you’ve never been, or haven’t been in a while. Whether those adventures are close to home or a couple cities away, getting there on DART adds to the experience.
Plano Children’s Theater will stage their production of the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie June 15-18 at the Courtyard Theater in the Downtown Plano Arts District. This high-spirited musical romp takes you back to the height of the Jazz Age in New York City, when “moderns,” including a flapper named Millie Dillmount, were bobbing their hair, raising their hemlines, entering the workforce and rewriting the rules of love. Take the Red Line or Orange Line to Downtown Plano Station, then cut across Haggard Park to the theater, located at 1509 H Ave.
Get the whole family in on the fun at Garland’s Plaza Theatre, located on the historic square. The fully restored 1941 theater hosts stage productions, concerts and – here’s the kicker – free, family-friendly movies. The downtown square is worth exploring, too, with plentiful shops, casual eateries and a brewpub. Take the Blue Line to Downtown Garland Station, then walk down North Fifth Street to the square.
Who doesn’t love animals – and trains, so it’s twice as much fun to take the Red Line to the front entrance of the Dallas Zoo, where more than 8,000 animals await. The zoo gives visitors a journey through many distinct wildlife habitats and offers interactive experiences such as feeding birds, lorikeets and even giraffes.
Downtown Dallas is home to many DARTable museums that are both fun and educational, including the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Museum of Art, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas World Aquarium, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and Dallas Holocaust Museum. All DART Rail lines serve Downtown Dallas.
DART offers reduced fares to children ages 5-14, and children under 5 ride free. The center car of each rail vehicle is low-floor making it easy to roll on with a stroller or wagon.
Editor’s Note: Visit DART.org/DARTable to learn more about these and other destinations. To find special events happening across North Texas, visit DART.org/specialevents.