The DFW Metroplex is full of amazing, well-known art collections and museums, however there are hidden sprinkles of history throughout this city that you may have not known about. Check out our list of ten historical artifacts and sites that are a lot closer than you think!
Updated October 2024
ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S HANDWRITTEN NOTE
A handwritten syllogism from 1854 by Abraham Lincoln, wherein he honed his arguments against slavery, is new to the Freedom Matters exhibit at George W. Bush Presidential Center! Only 111 of these private notes, also known as fragments, remain in existence, offering an informal glimpse into Lincoln’s mind.
SMU | Directions
APOLLO 7 MODULE
Take a trip to the Frontiers of Flight Museum and take a look inside the original Apollo 7 Module and command center from the first crewed Apollo Space mission in 1968.
Love Field | Directions
BONNIE and CLYDE’S GRAVESITES
The famous early 20th-century duo are both buried in Dallas cemeteries, where visitors often leave cigarettes, bullets, and flowers. Bonnie Parker’s grave can be found at Crown Hill Memorial Park, and Clyde Barrow’s is at Western Heights Cemetery.
Northwest Dallas (Crown Hill Memorial Park) | Directions
West Dallas (Western Heights Cemetery) | Directions
FREEDMAN’S CEMETERY
Established as a burial ground for Dallas’ early African-American population in 1861 and one of the largest Freedman Cemeteries in the country.
Uptown | Directions
HISTORICAL TROLLEY CARS
See seven vintage trolley cars from all over the world, as old as 1909, that still run through Dallas today! Hop on the M-Line Trolley for free to take a ride around Uptown and Downtown.
Uptown | Directions
LARGEST GROUPING OF ART DECO EXHIBITIONS
Explore the nation’s largest collection of 1930s art deco-style buildings at Fair Park!
Fair Park | Directions
LEE HARVEY OSWALD’S ARREST SITE
Visit the Texas Theatre, where police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald as a murder suspect of Officer J.D. Tippit and later President John F. Kennedy.
Oak Cliff | Directions
ORIGINAL COPY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Head to the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library to see one of 26 known copies of The Declaration of Independence – and the only known copy west of the Mississippi.
Downtown | Directions
SHAKESPEARE’S MANUSCRIPT
See one of only 200 copies of Shakespeare’s first folio, “Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies”. Find it on the 7th floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library!
Downtown | Directions
Photo courtesy of Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum
WWII-ERA BOXCAR
Check out this restored World War II-era boxcar, that Hitler’s forces seized for military use after invading Belgium. This is just one of many historic artifacts you can see at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum!
Downtown | Directions
