It’s no secret: Dallas can be an expensive city. But even with inflation and cost of living constantly rising, you can still have fun and spend quality time with your loved ones.
My husband Austin and I are trying to stick to a strict budget this year for entertainment, but we still want to prioritize dates together! Here are 25 of our favorite Dallas date ideas under $25 for two people.
1. Klyde Warren Park & Food Trucks
Stroll around Klyde Warren Park and enjoy views of the beautiful Nancy Best fountain. You can pack a picnic lunch to make it a free date, or enjoy affordable bites from local food trucks. For example, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs sells their world famous fried creations for only $7 each! You can also frequently catch local festivals or free movie screenings on the lawn if you’re looking for something extra to do on your date.
Cost: Free (+Cost of Optional Food)
Location: 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy, Dallas
More Details: https://klydewarrenpark.org/
2. The Dallas Museum of Art
Admission to the Dallas Museum of Art is always free, and it has a huge and impressive collection of both classic and modern artwork from all corners of the world. It’s also within walking distance of Klyde Warren Park, so you could combine two date ideas into a longer date!
Cost: Free
Location: 1717 N Harwood St, Dallas
More Details: https://www.dma.org/
3. The Nasher Sculpture Center
Right around the corner from the DMA and Klyde Warren Park is the Nasher Sculpture Center. It’s a beautiful and impressive museum with both indoor and outdoor sculptures for you and your date to explore.
Cost: $10 Per Person
Location: 2001 Flora St, Dallas
More Details: https://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/
4. Discount Days at The Dallas Zoo
Cooler days mean hot deals on admission to your Dallas Zoo. For their Penguin Days promotion during January and February, tickets to the zoo cost only $10 per person. It’s a great deal for visiting 406 species of animals and award-winning exhibits!
Cost: $10 Per Person for Penguin Days Jan – Feb
Location: 650 S R.L. Thornton Fwy, Dallas
More Details: https://www.dallaszoo.com/
5. Discount Days at The Dallas Arboretum
Normally, one adult ticket to The Dallas Arboretum costs $22 when they are showcasing their famous tulip, pumpkin, and Christmas Village displays. While all of those are worth the price and I highly recommend them, you can also enjoy the peaceful ambiance and beautiful trails at the Arboretum for a discount too! During their off seasons in January, February, July, and August, the admission price drops to $3-5 per person. This would be an excellent date to combine with coffee or dinner this winter to stay within your budget goals and still enjoy something interesting.
Cost: $5 Per Person Jan 6 – Feb 23, Jul 1 – 31 | $3 Per Person Aug 1 – 31
Location: 8525 Garland Rd, Dallas
More Details: https://www.dallasarboretum.org/
6. The Dallas Farmers Market
One of my favorite places to visit year-round is the Dallas Farmers Market. Beyond simple fruit and veggie stalls, the market hosts live music guests, artisans, and vendors. There’s also a food hall with restaurants and shops to explore, and Ruibal’s Plants, one of the largest and most famous plant shops in Dallas, is right next door.
The Dallas Farmers Market frequently hosts pop up events or seasonal produce markets too! I especially love to visit during the fall when you can enjoy huge piles of pumpkins in all different shapes, sizes and colors, or during Christmas when you can find row after row of beautiful evergreen trees.
Cost: Free (+Cost of Optional Food or Produce)
Location: 920 S Harwood St, Dallas
More Details: https://dallasfarmersmarket.org/
7. Bishop Arts District
Another one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon exploring is Bishop Arts District. There are dozens of quirky local businesses where you can window shop for interesting handmade goods.
For example, a few of my personal favorite stores are: Mosaic Makers (selling clothes, accessories, and decor 100% handmade by local women entrepreneurs), AJ Vagabonds (selling travel-focused, outdoorsy books and knickknacks), We Are 1976 (selling a variety of different handmade art pieces sourced from local creators), Dolly Python (selling high quality vintage clothes), White Rock Soap Gallery (selling handmade soaps, bath bombs, and candles), Oasis Plant Shop (selling plants, of course), Spinster Records (selling new and used vinyl records), and Talking Out of Turn (selling cute and girly stationery and office supplies).
You can also find lots of really unique themed bars and restaurants in this area, but dinner for two will realistically cost more than $25. As a budget-friendly alternative, I suggest grabbing dessert for two instead! Try ice cream at MELT, pie at Emporium Pies, boozy popsicles at Picole Pops, or fancy donuts at The Salty Donut.
Cost: Free (+Cost of Optional Food or Shopping)
Location: 419 N Bishop Ave, Dallas
More Details: https://www.bishopartsdistrict.com/
8. Deep Ellum Mural Scavenger Hunt
You might be familiar with the nightlife in Deep Ellum, but it can be lots of fun (and a lot less expensive) to explore during the day instead! There are dozens of murals painted on local businesses in this area, and I love to track them down for interesting photos. If your significant other likes photography or has been bugging you about taking some nice couple pictures together, this DIY scavenger hunt is a great idea. Grab an inexpensive phone tripod and a list of mural addresses and you’re all set!
Here are the locations for a few of my favorite murals within walking distance: Butterfly Wall (2713 Commerce Street), I Love You Wall (2912 Elm Street), Janus Face (2711 Elm St), Dinosaur Robot TV (2605 Elm Street), Watercolor Elephants (3601 Main Street), Pink Rainbow (3033 Main Street).
Afterward, you could grab a drink at Trinity Cider for $6-7 per person or snack on a mini charcuterie tray at Amor Y Queso, a pastry from Le Bon Temps Beignets, or the parmesan truffle fries from Stirr to still keep your budget well below $25.
Cost: Free (+Cost of Optional Food)
Location: 2022 Elm Street, Dallas
More Details: https://www.deepellumtexas.com/
9. Bowlounge
Bowlounge is a vintage bowling alley and bar that dates all the way back to the 1940s. It only costs $9.25 per person for a bowling match, and there’s a nice outdoor lawn where you could spend some extra quality time chatting or playing cornhole for free after your game. You can also optionally purchase food or drinks at the bar according to your budget.
Cost: $9.25 Per Person +$4 Shoe Rental
Location: 167 Turtle Creek Blvd #103, Dallas | 1025 N. Stemmons Suite # 600M, Dallas | 941 W Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth
More Details: https://bowlounge.com/
10. Cidercade, Free Play, or NickleRama
There are lots of fun arcades and “barcades” in Dallas that are perfect for a unique and inexpensive date night. Free Play in Richardson and (my personal favorite) Cidercade in Oak Cliff both cost $12 per person for one night of unlimited gameplay. Plus, you can order drinks from their in-house bars to sip while you play! The locally-brewed Bishop Ciders are one of my favorite things about the Cidercade experience.
Arguably the most budget-friendly daytime arcade option in Dallas is NickleRama: where all of the game machines run on nickels! It costs $4.95 admission to enter the arcade, and then you can buy a cup full of nickels in $5 increments depending on how long you want to play.
Cost: $12 Cidercade Admission +Cost of Drinks | $11.99 Free Play Admission +Cost of Drinks | $4.95 NickelRama Admission +Minimum $5 Cup of Nickels
Location: Cidercade 2777 Irving Blvd #200, Dallas | Free Play 1730 East Belt Line Road, Richardson | NickelRama 1238 Belt Line Rd #300, Garland
More Details: https://www.cidercade.com/ | https://freeplayrichardson.com/ | https://nickelrama.com/
11. Half Price Books Flagship
If you love books, let me introduce you to PARADISE! The Half Price Books Flagship location here in Dallas is an enormous warehouse filled with hundreds of affordable used books. I can easily spend hours treasure hunting in there with Austin for an afternoon, and it is one of our most frequent date activities. They also have a huge selection of used board games, video games, records, and CDs to peruse even if books aren’t your thing.
The book prices generally range from about $5-$15, so you could treat your significant other to a couple of books or play a game where you each pick something out for each other as a surprise!
Cost: Free to Visit +Cost of Books Purchased
Location: 5803 E NW Hwy, Dallas
More Details: https://www.hpb.com/
12. Wild Detectives or Interabang Books Author Presentations
If you’re interested in emerging local authors, you can meet them in person during presentations and book talks at two famous Dallas independent bookstores: Wild Detectives and Interabang Books. Wild Detectives doubles as a coffee shop/bar in addition to its status as a bookstore, and it is well known for its warm evening atmosphere with poetry readings and author presentations. Interabang Books has multiple book clubs and book talks with visiting authors almost every week, so there are a plethora of opportunities to chat with your favorite writer and have a book signed.
Cost: Free
Location: Wild Detectives 314 W Eighth St, Dallas | Interabang Books 5600 W Lovers Ln #142, Dallas
More Details: https://thewilddetectives.com/event-directory/ | https://www.interabangbooks.com/events/calendar
13. Strike + Reel $5 Movie Tuesdays
Strike + Reel is a movie theater, bowling, and arcade complex in Garland that offers $5 movie tickets all day on Tuesdays! If you’re willing to stay out a little bit later on a work night, you can enjoy the full movie theater experience for an unbeatable price. I recommend bringing a big purse to stash a box of your favorite candy to save a little bit more money! If you have a little extra room in your budget to splurge, you could also load some money onto a game card and enjoy some bowling or arcade games on a less crowded week day.
Cost: $5 Per Person
Location: 902 N President George Bush Hwy, Garland
More Details: https://www.strikeandreel.com/offers
14. Coyote Drive-In
Another unique and budget-friendly movie date experience is the Coyote Drive-In theater in Fort Worth. You can enjoy the latest flicks from the privacy of your own car, and feel like you time traveled back to the 1950s! Ticket prices are typically only $8 per person, and they sometimes even go as low as $5 per person during weekday specials.
Cost: $5-8 Per Person
Location: 223 NE 4th St, Fort Worth
More Details: https://coyotedrive-in.com/fortworth/
15. Texas Discovery Gardens
The Texas Discovery Gardens has one of the coolest experiences in Dallas: a butterfly house! The entire grounds are beautiful with lots of lovely plants and fountains, but the star of the show is the temperature-controlled indoor butterfly garden where hundreds of colorful insects flutter through the air and land on nearby flowers (or sometimes even on people)! Admission only costs $10. We love to visit in the fall when we’re already in the area for the State Fair of Texas.
Cost: $10 Per Person
Location: 3601 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Dallas
More Details: https://txdg.org/
16. Galleria Dallas Ice Skating
The Galleria Dallas is a fun place to shop and explore for free, but you can also add an inexpensive activity to your itinerary there: ice skating! The giant ice skating rink is located right at the center of the mall and only costs $12 per person. I love to visit at Christmas time when you can skate around the 95-foot tall Christmas tree spanning all four levels of the mall! But the rink is open year-round, and it’s a great summer solution when it gets too hot to plan dates outdoors.
Cost: $12 Per Person +$5 Skate Rental
Location: 13350 Dallas Pkwy, Dallas
More Details: https://galleriaiceskatingcenter.com/
17. NorthPark Window Shopping
Austin and I go to NorthPark Mall all the time, but we rarely do any actual shopping there! NorthPark has intriguing public artwork and sculptures, the Italian marketplace “Eataly,” and plenty of interesting places to do some window shopping. We always take a peek at the Lego store to see what elaborate brick creations are on display and enjoy the live turtles and ducks hanging out at their indoor pond.
As a bonus, during Christmas time you can enjoy extra features like the enormous 12 Days of Christmas clock, an elaborate handmade gingerbread village, and a toy trains exhibit that only costs $10 per person to visit and benefits the Ronald McDonald House charity.
If you want to grab a small snack in the mall, I recommend a freshly baked cannoli from Eataly, gelato from Pacuigo, coffee from La La Land Cafe, or decadent and artistic chocolate creations from Kate Weiser.
Cost: Free (+Cost of Optional Food)
Location: 8687 N Central Expy, Dallas
More Details: https://northparkcenter.com/
18. Legacy West & Legacy Food Hall
The Legacy West shopping center in Plano has an upscale vibe just like NorthPark, but it also offers lots of free spots to enjoy and my favorite food hall in the Dallas area for a wide variety of snacks to try!
I like to visit during Christmas time or Valentine’s season because there’s an annual free photo pop up where you can take fun pictures surrounded by props like giant glittery gumdrops, Santa’s sleigh, a pink disco wall, or a faux rose garden.
Legacy Food Hall is a must visit in Dallas and has so many delicious options with cuisines from all over the world. Truthfully, it’s pretty easy to spend more than $25 on food there. But if you order strategically, you could try snacks and desserts from several different restaurants and stay within your budget. I recommend Press Waffle Co for fancy Belgian waffles covered in fun toppings, Whisk & Eggs for French crepes, The Italian Job for giant 9-inch pizza slices to maximize your budget.
Cost: Cost of Food
Location: 5905 Legacy Drive, Plano
More Details: https://www.legacywest.com/ | https://legacyfoodhall.com/
19. The Giant Eyeball
This is less of an activity and more of a novelty, but I still think it’s worth a spot on this list! Dallas is home to an enormous giant eyeball sculpture located downtown across from The Joule hotel. The eyeball is 30 feet tall and strikingly realistic. It makes for a great photo op with your significant other. You can’t always access the lawn leading up to the eyeball because of issues with vandalism in the past, but you can always see it from outside a small wrought iron fence. Sometimes, The Joule even decorates the lawn and throws quirky eyeball parties in the spring!
In order to make the trip to the giant eyeball more of a date, you could grab an inexpensive snack or lunch from one of the local businesses within walking distance. I recommend Starship Bagel since it has a direct view of the sculpture and has super affordable bagels and sandwiches starting at $5.
Cost: Free (+Cost of Optional Food)
Location: 1601 Main St, Dallas
More Details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_(sculpture) | https://www.starshipbagel.com/
20. Game Theory
Game Theory is a Fort Worth restaurant and bar where guests can pay a small fee to access the “board game library” for as long as they want to and play games while enjoying drinks and snacks. It only costs $2.50 per person to use their collection of games, and their menu has tons of affordable options to keep your total cost under $25, especially during Happy Hour!
Cost: $2.50 Per Person (+Cost of Optional Food)
Location: 804 S. Main Street, Suite 110, Fort Worth
More Details: https://gametheorytx.com/
21. Fort Worth Stockyard Cattle Drive & Maze
The Fort Worth Stockyards “Cowtown” dates all the way back to 1866, when early Texan settlers first drove cattle through the area. It is one of the most famous places in the Dallas area, and it’s the perfect spot to experience some country flair in an otherwise urban cityscape. You can explore saloons and Western wear shops, enjoy the daily cattle drives at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. behind the livestock exchange, and try to solve the Cowtown Cattlepen Maze for only $8 per person.
Cost: Free (+Optional Cattlepen Maze $8 Per Person)
Location: 131 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth
More Details: https://www.fortworthstockyards.org/
22. Texas Tulips
This seasonal date idea is only available from late February to mid April, but it’s a fantastic way to spend a romantic afternoon! Texas Tulips is a farm located one hour outside of the city where you can frolic through flowers for $5 per person and pick your own tulips for $2.50 per stem. This is a spring tradition we never miss because it’s so much fun to stand among row after row of bright, beautiful tulips and select your favorite colors for a spring bouquet. It’s also a great place to take pictures.
Cost: $5 Per Person Admission +$2.50 Per Stem Tulips
Location: 10656 FM2931, Pilot Point
More Details: https://texas-tulips.com/
23. Ennis Bluebonnet Trails
This is another seasonal option that every Texan should experience! The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails located one hour away from the city are free to explore and absolutely breathtaking. You can drive along the country trails and spot bluebonnets throughout the month of April, and on the third weekend you can also enjoy the annual Bluebonnet Festival in Downtown Ennis for only $5 per person. The festival offers live music, artisans selling bluebonnet merch, and food vendors.
Cost: Free Trails +$5 Per Person for Festival
Location: 201 NW Main, Ennis, TX
More Details: https://www.bluebonnettrail.org/
24. Berry Picking or Pumpkin Picking at Blase Farm
Go blueberry picking in the summer or pumpkin picking in the fall at Blase Family Farm! Located only 30 mins form the city, Blase Farm is such a unique and affordable date idea.
Blueberry Season typically runs through the month of June and varies annually based on their crops. You sign up for a time slot online for free, arrive to pick your blueberries in the container of your choice, then pay $7 per pound for whatever you pick. The blueberries are so much more fresh, juicy, and delicious than the ones from the grocery store too!
Pumpkin Patch Season begins at the end of September and runs through Halloween. Admission in the Fall costs $10 per person and includes feed for the farm animals, free hayrides, and a free hotdog on the weekend or a free mini pumpkin on a weekday.
You can also purchase lots of amazing homemade concessions on site, including $3 blueberry popsicles in the Summer and $3 pumpkin popsicles in the Fall.
Cost: Free Admission +$7 Per Pound Blueberries in Summer | $10 Admission in Fall
Location: 1232 E Fork Rd, Rockwall
More Details: https://blasefamilyfarm.com/
25. Vitruvian Lights
Dallas has so many amazing Christmas displays that are totally worth the price of admission in my opinion. But if you still want to experience some twinkling Christmas light magic without spending any money, Vitruvian Park is the perfect place to do it!
This hidden gem in Addison is a lovely walkable park with hundreds of trees covered in colorful Christmas lights on every inch of their branches. It is completely free to visit, and you could bring along some hot cocoa or a picnic to sit anywhere within the sprawling park and take in the beautiful sight of a rainbow of Christmas lights reflecting against the water in the pond. We go every single year and love it!
Cost: Free
Location: 3875 Ponte Ave, Addison
More Details: https://www.udr.com/vitruvian-park
BONUS: 4 More Date Ideas Under $32
These fun Dallas date ideas didn’t quite make the cut for my super low price criteria, but they are so unique and relatively inexpensive that I still wanted to include them on the list!
1. Another Round
This indoor mini golf course and bar is so much fun! It costs $14 per person to play 9 holes or $24 to play 18 holes, and there are lots of handy drink stands at each section of the course so that you can sip a drink while you play.
Cost: $14 Per Person
Location: 660 Fort Worth Ave Suite 100, Dallas
More Details: https://www.anotherrounddallas.com/
2. Electric Shuffle
Electric Shuffle is another cleverly named bar and activity combo where you can double date with a couple of friends and share a giant shuffleboard for the evening! It costs $15 per person for 90 minutes playing on one of their high tech boards, and you can order drinks and snacks to enjoy while you hang out.
Cost: $15 Per Person
Location: 2615 Elm St, Dallas
More Details: https://electricshuffleusa.com/dallas/
3. Pocket Sandwich Theatre
Do you love live theater and/or slapstick comedy? Have you ever dreamed of pelting an unsuspecting actor with popcorn? If the answer is yes, The Pocket Sandwich Theatre is definitely your next date spot. This Dallas staple dates all the way back to 19 and it has since survived a closure during the pandemic and a location change. Weekend tickets are $20-30 per person, but if you catch a Thursday show they’re only $15 per person.
Cost: $15 Per Person
Location: 1104 Elm St, Carrollton
More Details: https://www.pocketsandwich.com/
4. Whiskers and Soda
Have you ever heard of the famous “cat cafes” in other countries like London and Tokyo? Now Dallas has one of our very own! At Whiskers and Soda you can pay $16 per person to play with and cuddle adoptable cats and kittens.
Enjoy a cup of coffee or a cold glass of soda while you interact with the cats in a one-hour time slot. Whiskers and Soda partners with the rescue organization A Voice For All Paws to offer foster cats the opportunity to receive love and enrichment while they wait for their forever homes.
Cost: $16 Per Hour Per Person (Membership options also available.)
Location: 10320 Garland Rd, Dallas
More Details: https://whiskersandsoda.com/
I hope you enjoy trying a few of these Dallas date ideas under $25!
Having fun and growing your connection with your partner doesn’t have to take a backseat to meeting your financial goals this year. With a little bit of creativity and exploration, you can still go on so many dates this year! I hope this list helps some other Dallas couples save money and stay in love.
Looking for even more ideas for fun things to do in Dallas? Check out my Instagram page, here!
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