ATTRACTIONS

Places to go and things to do when you just wanna have fun.

Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden. Any time is the right time of year to picnic, toss the Frisbee, or simply stroll the grounds of this garden overlooking White Rock Lake. Look for special seasonal events including the “Dallas Blooms” festival each spring. 8525 Garland Road. 327-8263.

Dallas Aquarium. The Dallas Aquarium, located on the grounds of Fair Park- was built in 1936 for the Texas Centennial Celebration. It houses one of the largest inland aquariums in the U.S. and features more than 340 aquatic animals, many of which are native to Texas. 1462 1st Ave., Fair Park. 670-8451.

The Dallas World Aquarium. A small but intriguing collection of exotic fish in an old warehouse m Dallas’ West End. Have lunch while you’re there. The restaurant’s great. 1801 N. Griffin. 720-1801.

Dallas Nature Center. If you love to commune with nature, you don’t have to go too far to do it. The Dallas Nature Center has650 acres of preserved wilderness and seven miles of hiking trails. 7171 Mountain Creek Parkway. 296-1955.

Dallas Zoo. Take a walk on the wild side. “The Wilds of Africa” exhibits gorillas, birds, okapi, and hundreds of other species of animals in their natural habitats. 621 E. Clarendon. 670-6825.

Fair Park. Fair Park is a 277-acre National Historic Landmark with the country’s largest collection of Art Deco architecture in one place. Open year round, the park is home to these museums: Age of Steam Railroad Museum, Dallas Aquarium, Dallas Horticulture Center, Dallas Museum of Natural History. The Hall of State Building, Museum of African-American Life and Culture, and The Science Place I & II. Fair Part is also the locale of the Cotton Bowl Stadium, the State Fair of Texas, Music Hall at Fair Park, Starplex Amphitheater, and more than 100 special events and cultural festivals. For more information on current activities call 670-8400.

Farmers Market. Local vendors sell fresh fruits, veg-etables,and flowers from shedsand outdoor stands-Some of the highest quality and the best prices in town. 1010 S. Pearl. 939-2808. Open daily 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. The Botanic Garden features orchids, southern magnolia, narcissus, tulip trees, and flowering dogwood, to name just a few. Visit the Japanese Garden and feed the imperial Carp. 3220 N. Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth, 817-871-7686.

Fort Worth Water Gardens. Designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee in the heart of downtown Fort Worth. The water is activated daily. 817-871 -8700.

Fort Worth Zoological Park. The Fort Worth Zoo is home to one of the largest aquariums in the Southwest, in addition to all the lions and tigers and bears (oh my! ) your heart desires. The zoo also houses an elephant breed-ingfaciliry, an extensive collect ion of more than 600 rep-tiles and amphibians in the Heptarium, an 11-acre exhibit complete with native Texas animals, and the African forest. 2727 Zoological Park Drive. Fort Worth. 817-870-7000.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. You don’t have to travel to Africa to explore the wilds or go on safari. Just head 75 miles southwest of Dallas to Fossil Rim. This park encompasses 3,000 acres of land and more than 1.100 endangered and exotic animals such as the white rhino and the cheetah. Drive through or pack a picnic and enjoy the wildlife walk. Off Highway 67 in Glen Rose. 817-897-2960.

LB. Houston Nature Area. Discover birds, beaver tracks, fossils, and honey locusts, and be prepared to rough it. 1030 Tom Braniff Drive off Hwy. 114- 670-6322.

Malibu Grand Prix. This half-mile of pure racing plea-sun.-, miniature golf courses, bumper boats, and batting cages spells one fun afternoon. The cars at [his track punch up to 70 mph for all you aspiring race car drivers. 11150 Malibu Drive, Stemmons at Walnut Hill. 247-5318.

Old City Park. Old City Park takes visitors back to the early days in North Texas, In this remarkable outdoor village museum, visitors experience the life, culture, tra-ditions, and structures that were a part of North Central Texas history from i s pioneer beginnings through the turn of the century. Don’t miss the special programs on holidays. 1717Gand. 421-5141.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not/Palace of Wax. A double attraction facility, the Palace of Wax features a new collection of wax figures representing Hollywood stars, heroes, and villains. Cot. Bill’s Wonderful Wild West Waxworks, and many others. Ripley’s boasts oddities, curiosities, and illusions gathered from around the world by Robert Ripley. 601 E. Safari Pkwy., Grand Prairie. 263-2391.

Six Flags Over Texas. Six Flags otters rides, games, and concerts for all. The Texas Giant, the world’s tallest wooden roller coaster, is sure to give you goose bumps, the Music Mill Concert Pavilion hosts top-name performers, and Looney Toons Land keeps the little ones entertained. Check out the newest adventure-the Right Stuff, a Mach 1 adventure that creates a realistic sensation of bursting through the sound barrier in a jet fighter. 1-30 at Hwy. 360, Arlington. 817-640-8900.

Southfork Ranch. Come see where one of Texas’ most powerful (television) families, the Ewings, lived during their run on prime time in the hit series Dallas. Tour the house, take the tram tour of the grounds, and top it off with a sandwich at Miss Elite’s Deli. 3700 Hogge. Parker. 214-442-7800.

The Studios at Las Colinas. This tour is a treat for aspiring actors and directors as well as the general movie-loving public. See the studios that produced movies like Leap of Faith. JFK, and Robocop. N. O’Connor at Royal Lane, Irving. 869-FILM.

Thanksgiving Square. Located at Pacific, Ervay, and Bryan in the middle of downtown. Thanksgiving Square is the perfect place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Enjoy a picnic outside or a quiet moment in the chapel.

Virtual World Entertainment. Fly Star Wars-like jets, tight robots on a desert plane-Virtual World offers cockpit-based virtual reality entertainment in the world’s first digital theme park.Your Sepa will never seem the same after you’ve played those games. In the UA Plaza at 9330 Central Expwy. at Park Lane. 265-9664.

West End Historic District Four floors of shops with every type of food, drink, and fun gift imaginable-and a throng of tourists, as well. The West End also houses Planet Hollywood, a 10-scteen movie theater, and 8 nightclubs in Dallas Alley. Monger at Lamar. 748-4801.

Wet n’ Wild. Forget the neighbor’s pool-do they have a Kamikaze slide??? Wet n’ Wild is speed slides, flume rides, wave pools, and river-raft floats. 1800 East Lamar, Arlington. 817-265-3356.

White Rock Lake and Greenbelt Park. Pack up the family and a picnic and go spend a day at the park. For fitness fans, there is a 9.8 mile bike and jogging trail. Park: 8300 Garland Road. 670-8281.