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Dallas (pronounced /ˈdæləs/), with an estimated population nearing 1.3 million, is the third largest city in Texas behind Houston and San Antonio, respectively. It is the main city and economic center of the 12-county Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area that, according to the March 2009 U.S. Census Bureau release, had a population of 6,300,006 as of July 2008, making it the fourth largest and number one fastest-growing (by population) metropolitan area in the nation last year. It is also the center of the largest metro area in Texas.
Dallas is rated as a beta world city by the Loughborough University Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network.
Founded in 1841 and formally incorporated as a city in February, 1856, the city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, computer technology, energy, and transportation. Located in North Texas and a major city in the American South & Southwest, Dallas is the core of the largest inland metropolitan area in the United States that lacks any navigable link to the sea. The city's prominence despite this comes from its historical importance as a center for the oil and cotton industries, its position along numerous railroad lines, a strong industrial and financial sector, and its status as a major inland port (due largely to the presence of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, one of the largest and busiest in the world).
Before Texas was claimed in the 18th century as a part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain by the Spanish Empire, the Dallas area was inhabited by the Caddo Native Americans. Later, France also claimed the area, but in 1819 the Adams-Onís Treaty made the Red River the northern boundary of New Spain, officially placing Dallas well within Spanish territory. The area remained under Spanish rule until 1821, when Mexico declared independence from Spain and the area became part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. In 1836, the Republic of Texas broke off from Mexico to become an independent nation. In 1839, four years into the Republic's existence, Warren Angus Ferris surveyed the area around present-day Dallas. Two years later, John Neely Bryan established a permanent settlement that later became the city of Dallas. The Republic of Texas was then annexed by the United States in 1845 and Dallas County was established the following year. It is uncertain whether the city was named after George Mifflin Dallas, the U.S. Vice President under James Knox Polk.
The City of Dallas maintains and operates 406 parks on 21,000 acres (85 km2) of parkland. Its flagship park is the 260-acre (1.05 km2) Fair Park, which hosted the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936. The city is also home to Texas's first and largest zoo, the 95 acres (0.38 km2) Dallas Zoo, which opened at its current location in 1888.
The city's parks contain 17 separate lakes, including White Rock and Bachman lakes, spanning a total of 4,400 acres (17.81 km2). In addition, Dallas is traversed by 61.6 miles (99.1 km) of biking and jogging trails, including the Katy Trail, and is home to 47 community and neighborhood recreation centers, 276 sports fields, 60 swimming pools, 232 playgrounds, 173 basketball courts, 112 volleyball courts, 126 play slabs, 258 neighborhood tennis courts, 258 picnic areas, six 18-hole golf courses, two driving ranges, and 477 athletic fields.
As part of the ongoing Trinity River Project, the Great Trinity Forest, at 6,000 acres, is the largest urban hardwood forest in the United States and is part of the largest urban park in the United States. The Trinity River Audubon Center is a new addition to the park. Opened in 2008, serves as a gateway to many trails and other nature viewing activities in the area. The Trinity River Audubon Center is the first LEED-certified building constructed by the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Department.
Dallas also hosts three of the 21 preserves of the extensive (3,200 acres) Dallas County Preserve System. Both the Joppa Preserve, the McCommas Bluff Preserve the Cedar Ridge Preserver are all within the Dallas city limits. The Cedar Ridge Preserve was formerly known as the Dallas Nature Center, but management was turned over to Audubon Dallas group, which now manages the 633 acre natural habitat park on behalf of the City of Dallas and Dallas County. the preserve sits at an elevation of 755 feet above sea level, and contains a variety of outdoor activities, imcluding 10 miles of hiking trails and picnic areas.
Just southwest of Dallas is Cedar Hill State Park, maintained by the Texas Parks and Wildlife state agency. An 1,826-acre urban nature preserve, the park is located on the 7,500-acre Joe Pool Reservoir, and offers activities such as mountain biking, birding, camping and fishing; swimming is allowed at the swimming beach only.
To the west of Dallas in Arlington is Six Flags Over Texas, the original franchise in the Six Flags theme park chain. Hurricane Harbor, a large water park owned by Six Flags, is also in Arlington.
The Texas Centennial Exposition was a World's Fair held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas (USA) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836. More than 50 buildings, designed by George Dahl, were constructed for the Exposition, which ran from June 6, 1936 to November 29, 1936. The exposition attracted over 10 million visitors, and cost around $25 million. Gene Autry's film The Big Show (film) was filmed on location and shows many of the buildings and events of the event.
The Cavalcade of Texas, a historical pageant covering four centuries of Texas history, was one of the most popular attractions at the Exposition. The Hall of Negro Life was another popular attraction and is believed to be the first recognition of African culture at a World's Fair.
The Centennial Exposition required a massive publicity effort, but the promotion department was stymied by a lack of photographs. Never before had the state been photographed for advertising purposes. The Centennial Exposition hired Polly Smith to travel the state and tell the story of Texas through photos.
Dallas Zoo is a zoo located 3 miles (5 km) south of downtown Dallas in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas (USA). The zoo was originally founded in 1888 and now covers 95 acres (0.38 km2), making it the largest zoological park in Texas. The Dallas Zoo is home to 406 species and 1,800 animals (6,800 counting invertebrates). There are another 375 species of marine and freshwater animals in The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park, which it also manages. The facility is immediately adjacent to the Dallas Zoo Station on DART's Red Line.
The zoo is divided into two major regions: ZooNorth and the Wilds of Africa.
ZooNorth is home to most of the traditional zoo animals, including giraffes, tigers, and elephants. Within recent years, the Dallas Zoo has added several new exhibits to ZooNorth including the Otter Outpost, Galápagos tortoises, and Bug U! (a collection of Texas invertebrates). Wings of Wonder, home to birds of prey and vultures, has been remodeled and expanded. The kangaroo and wallaby exhibit also was redesigned. The ExxonMobil Endangered Tiger Habitat is a large habitat that resembles a forest that is in the process of regrowth after logging. Opposite the tiger exhibit, Primate Place features frisky monkeys with species from Africa and South America.
The popular Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo in ZooNorth features a new interactive playscape where children can hide in a giant bird’s nest, crawl over a spider’s web, slide down a tree trunk and more. During hot summers, kids cool off in the running creek. Be sure to visit Travis & Zach’s Birds Landing with more than 20 species of friendly birds to feed. The children’s zoo also is home to the Nature Exchange (a unique swap shop for natural items), the JC Penney Discovery House, the UnderZone, a petting zoo, and pony rides.
Other exhibits include the Pierre A. Fontaine Bird & Reptile Building (Dallas is one of the few zoos in the country to exhibit tuatara and the only American zoo to disp
lay Perentie monitors).
Older exhibits like the Large Mammal Building (which features African elephants and giraffes) and Cat Row are scheduled to be remodeled with the planned addition of an African savanna. The Hill, one of the original parts of the zoo, is home to black rhinoceroses, cheetahs, and many hoofed mammals.
On the other side of the zoo, the Wilds of Africa features a penguins, mandrills, and the Nature Trail. The Nature Trail, winding through a wooded section of the zoo, takes guests through a forest aviary and past gorillas, chimpanzees, and crocodiles. Also on this trail are two species for which the zoo is famous for breeding: okapi and saddle-billed storks. Most of the Wilds can be seen only through the Monorail Safari, which crosses several African biomes - Forest, Mountain, Woodland, River, Desert, and Bush. Animals seen along the monorail include zebras, ibexes, and a wide variety of African antelope and birds. 2008 brings the traveling exhibit "Stingray Bay, presented by Citi", where visitors can touch and feel the stingrays.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the name a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags amusement park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.
In Prince George's County, Maryland; Gurnee, Illinois; Agawam, Massachusetts; and Eureka, Missouri; the water parks are part of a larger theme park which has other rides such as roller coasters and a wider selection of stores and restaurants.
The first Hurricane Harbor, located in Arlington, Texas (coincidentally the birthplace of the first Six Flags itself), was originally a part of the Wet 'n Wild chain of water parks, but was purchased by Six Flags in 1993. It was later renamed Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. Construction of Hurricane Harbors across America took place in the mid-1990s and has since become a trademark of the Six Flags franchise. Six Flags St. Louis was first to construct its own intra-park water attractions section; soon other Six Flags locations added their own Hurricane Harbor sections.
Dallas Fair Park is a 277-acre (1.12 km2) recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas (USA). The complex is registered as a National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America. Many of the buildings on the complex were constructed for the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936 which drew over six million visitors. Most of the buildings built for the exposition still survive and Fair Park is recognized as a significant example of Art Deco architecture.
History
The site was established as an eighty acre fairground on the outskirts of East Dallas for the Dallas State Fair in 1886. In 1904 after a fire and financial loss by the fair association, voters approved the "Reardon Plan," which strove to keep the site out of the hands of real-estate developers. It became Dallas' second public park and became known as "Fair Park."
A milestone year in the history of Fair Park was 1936, when the Texas Centennial Exposition was held on the site. In preparation for the six-month long event, the appearance of the park was dramatically altered by architect George Dahl and consulting architect Paul Cret. The park was transformed from an early twentieth century fairground into the Art Deco showcase it is today. While many of the exposition's buildings were meant to be temporary, several have survived and are now restored. Over the years the park was expanded to its current 277 acres.
Fair Park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and in 1988 administration of the park was transferred to the Dallas Parks Department. Today, the cultural facilities and annual events attract 7+ million visitors each year.
Hall of State
Built in 1936 at the astronomical price of $1.2 million USD, the Hall of State, formerly the State of Texas Building, was the most expensive per unit area of any structure built in Texas and the centerpiece of the Texas Centennial Exposition. It is considered the best example of Art Deco architecture in Texas. The Hall of State is the turminus of the Esplanade of State. It currently houses the Dallas Historical Society.
Beyond its monumental entrance and limestone exterior is its use of art to express the history, culture and geography of Texas. A team of international, national and regional artists – including several winners of the prestigious Prix de Rome – assembled to augment the Art Deco architecture. That collaborative effort produced some of the most splendid, and awe-inspiring interior spaces in the United States.
Parry Avenue Entrance
This symbolic entrance to Fair Park is the largest of the four original Texas Centennial Exposition entry gates. The striking 85-foot-high pylon greeted the hordes of pedestrians who accessed the 1936 event from the streetcar terminus on Parry Avenue. The base of the pylon displays a sculptural frieze by Texas Artist Buck Winn. The entrance was restored in 2009 and is adjacent to DART's Green Line Fair Park Station.
Esplanade
Developed along the existing layout of the State Fair grounds, the esplanade was the principal axis of the Texas Centennial Exposition. Monumental facades and projecting porticos were added onto existing State Fair exhibition halls on each side of a 700-foot-long reflecting pool.
The porticos establish the visual framework of the Esplanade and accentuate the grand perspective leading up to the Hall of State. Monumental artwork deftly combines with additional site features to complete the visually complex – and dramatic – spectacle. The esplanade was restored in 2009 and new fountains have been added.
The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future
This was Dallas's first municipal coliseum. It was constructed by the State Fair primarily for livestock shows and was also used for musical entertainment throughout the year. In 1935, Texas Centennial Exposition architect George Dahl renovated the building into the exposition’s Administration Building.
The central arched opening, or entrado, of this elevation contains two key pieces of artwork. The Texas-themed mural is by Italian artist Carlo Ciampaglia. The sculpture – the "Spirit of the Centennial" – is by Raoul Josset.
In 2000, adaptive reuse of the building resulted in the nation’s first museum devoted to the historical achievements and contributions of women.
D.A.R. Building
This modest imitation of Mount Vernon served as the Conoco Travel Bureau Hospitality House during the 1936 exposition. It now hosts the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Museum of the American Railroad
The collection of railroad locomotives and passenger cars sits on the site of a similar exhibit of outdoor transportation that took place during the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition.
Centennial Building and Automobile Building
The Centennial Building originally debuted in 1905 as the first steel-and-masonry exhibition building at the fairgrounds. George Dahl’s renovation in 1936 included three new monumental porticos built as part of a frontal expansion of the building.
Dahl made similar architectural gestures on the opposite side of the Esplanade, where he also incorporated an earlier exhibit hall into the new axial ground plan. This building, however, burned after the exposition. In 1948, the Automobile Building replaced it.
The design for the two original buildings included a giant mural under each portico by Carlo Ciampaglia (on the Centennial Building) and Pierre Bourdelle (on the Automobile Building). The cameo reliefs are by Bourdelle. In front of each portico, monumental sculptures by Laurence Tenney Stevens or Raoul Josset represent the six flags that have flown over Texas since Spanish exploration in 1519.
Artists recreated the original murals on the Automobile Building in 1999 and restored the original murals on the Centennial Building in 2000.
Food & Fiber Building and Embarcadero Building
George Dahl consolidated the livestock and agricultural facilities of the exposition on the north side of the Cotton Bowl. The main axial approach into this "Agrarian" district uses the matching porticos of the Food & Fiber Building and the Embarcadero Building as objects in the foreground to frame the view of, and focus attention on, a distant pylon.
Workers completed restoration of the Food & Fiber Building in 1999 and conservation of its mural in 2000.
Tower Building
The 179-foot-tall triangular tower of the original "U.S. Government Building" marked the geographic center of the Texas Centennial Exposition. It also stood in splendid, isolated contrast to the fair’s predominantly horizontal sprawl. Workers completed exterior restoration of this structure – now called the Tower Building – in 1999. This restoration included artist Raoul Josset's gilded, stylized eagle sculpture and a bas-relief promenade of Texas history by Julian Garnsey.
