Riding the DART Train

Dear M.:

What my family used to do was ride the red line to the zoo, then have a later lunch/early dinner either at the West End or at the Mockingbird Station. It's a very short walk at the Mockingbird Station to Cafe Express which is casual and kid friendly.

L. F., mom of a 13-year-old daughter

HI, Its been a while since I took my then toddler, now 5 years old, on the train but we used to do it a lot before we moved to far north and we would take the train to the zoo. but we found that the best train car to ride in is the first (front) train car. the driver is on that car and the people who might beg you for money wont get on that car and bother you.

before we realized this, we would get approached by some riders who would sit behind you and then ask you for money and it was scary because you are trapped on that car and we were scared they would freak out if we said no...

but there are dart cops who ride the trains and the beggers will get off when they see them but its best just to ride in the front car then you wont have to worry about that because they know the driver of the train is there and can call for help if there is a need.

I dont mean to sound scary it was a great way to ride in general but there are slow times of the day when the cars are less crowded that we found that this type of thing would happen.

but the dart train takes you right to the dallas zoo and that was fun!

HTH
A. J

At the Cityplace station (which is fun in itself) you can get off there and walk to the McKinney Ave. trolley stop. Once you exit the train at Cityplace, look for directions to the west side of Central exit (I can't remember the name, it may be McKinney Ave.). You have to take the long, steep escalator to get there (or a cool, glass, sideways elevator). Once you get off the escalator (or elevator), take the elevator that takes you to the street level. The trolley stop is a very short walk west of there. The trolley is free and takes you through uptown (nice area for dining and shopping) and takes you all the way to the arts district near the DMA. You could just stay on the trolley round trip. Although I've never felt in danger, it would be best if you went with another mom or your husband. We've seen some scary looking people at both the Mockingbird station and Cityplace.

I agree that for a two year old, the train is most of the fun. My boys, who are 9 and 13, love to get off at CityPlace and they have loved it for many years. There are indoor escalators that are three stories high and glass elevators that go sideways. My kids can spend hours just riding up and down. Mockingbird Station has a two story escalator that is outdoors. The train goes underground at Mockingbird and so the tunnel is cool. CityPlace is in the tunnel. We also like to ride to the 1st stop in Downtown Dallas, which is Pearl and go into the Plaza of the Americas. They have an ice skating rink (just fun to watch for a toddler,) glass elevators that go up in the atrium, escalators and a sky tunnel that goes across the street. They also have fast food places like McDonald's in the Atrium. You can buy lunch and sit by the skating rink to eat. You can easily make a day of just these three places.

I would go to Mockingbird station to eat and play a little bit. There are so actual play structures, but there are stairs and fountains. two things that fascinate my toddler!

The dallas zoo could be your destination. The other stops might be too much walking even with a stroller for little ones. To a certain extent they are just fascinated by the train (that is until they fall asleep)

You can take the DART to the Dallas World Acquarium, which is wonderful!

Hey.

Don't think anyone mentioned it, but you can take the DART to Mockingbird station where you can see a cry baby matinee at the Angelica. You could take it to Citiplace and then trolley over to Uptown for food, shopping and the bookstore. You can also take the train to White Rock Lake and feed the ducks (blue line). I agree with another Mom, taking the train is exciting in itself. I personally live in the M street neighborhood and drive by Mockingbird station just so my 2 yr old daughter can see all the buses. She thinks it's just cool.

Have fun!

Cafe Express, at Mockingbird Station, is my kids favorite place to eat. There is outdoor seating, which is great when it's nice, and the kids like the fountain. There is also an ice cream shop at Mockingbird Station. Across the street (on the south side of Mockingbird) Whole Earth provision carries a nice toy selection.

M.,
The train itself is the attraction. Determine how long you want to be gone. Take the train South for half your time get off and wait for the train that will take you home. We are in Lakewood so we take the train to Garland and them back. The kids love it. If you have more time you can take the train to downtown switch to the trinity express go towards Fort Worth get off and take the return train home. When you head towards Fort Worth add the excitement of a double decker train and airplanes. You really do not need a destination for you 2-year old. If you want a destination try Mockingbird station. There is food and shopping.

If you show your dart passes at the zoo, they give you a discount.

(I'm remembering the discount being the amount you paid for the DART tickets, but I'm not sure I'm remembering correctly.)

When I was a nanny, the 2 girls I took care of loved taking the train to the zoo! That was the only place we went on the train, so I don't know any other good stops. It was good for me b/c I didn't have to drive downtown or deal with parking.

If you just want a short ride, get on at Parker then get off in downtown Plano and play at Haggard park. You can even fit in a few shops for the moms' enjoyment!

For a longer ride, and a little hike, you can ride to the Arts district and walk a couple of blocks to the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center, or ride to Wesi End and hike a couple of blocks to the Dallas World Aquarium.

There was a feature in the Dallas Morning News today about spending the day riding to points of interest on the DART. I didn't read it specifically, but it talked about going to the zoo of course, and stopping at Mockingbird Station. You can probably read the article on their website. But seriously, I don't think DART had the entertainment of youngsters in mind when they planned their routes or stations. Actually, now that I think about it, the TRE might be a good option too. Or the Tarantula Train that departs from Grapevine into downtown Fort Worth if you want to give your kids a beter "train" experience.

Hi M.. My son (3 yrs) and I often ride the DART rail to the Dallas Zoo. It is perfect since it drops you off literally at the front gate. Another option is the West End. There is tons to do there and he loves looking at all the tall dwtn buildings. Like you, I try to avoid train and bus transfers and those two options allow you to ride one way. Happy Trails!

Take the Dart to The WestEnd and take Sahm to The World Aquarium ...it is fantastic, educational, and kids of all ages love it. You can also get a membership and invite others to go with you.
I am a grandmother of 8 and go several times a year.

C.

You can meet up with the trolley and go around downtown, maybe for lunch or a museum visit or daddy's office. The zoo is an easy one.

You can end up at Children's Medical and they have a neat train exhibit there.

My girls (3 and 5) and I took the DART this summer to meet our Daddy for lunch at Mockingbird Station. It is a great little stop since you can get out right at the station that is also a shopping and dining area. They have a Cafe Express that has great food selections for kids and grown ups. They also have great shopping.

I personally didn't want to go to the zoo with my kiddos as just the train journey alone takes 1 hour. By the time you go, come back, walk to your car and drive home from the Plano Station ( I live close by in Allen) it is WAY too much for the kids.

The Mockingbird Station option is a great fit for the kids. You have to time it right and get the right connections or else it too can be a long trip.

Good luck, my girls loved the train ride.