Things to Do in Garland, Texas
Garland has come into its own as a place to spend a day — a revitalized downtown square with murals and chef-driven restaurants, a big open-air shopping center, a 22,000-acre lake, and a real performing-arts scene. For an established Dallas suburb, there's a lot going on.
Here's what to do in and around Garland.
The Downtown Square
Garland's downtown square has been revived into a walkable district of murals, chef-driven restaurants, boutiques, and antique shops, with the giant glowing Big Hat sculpture at Main and Fifth as its signature photo op. Intrinsic Brewing and the local restaurants keep it busy in the evenings.
It's a genuinely pleasant, character-filled square, and it hosts community events through the year — the natural place to start a visit to Garland.
Firewheel Town Center
On the east side, Firewheel Town Center is Garland's big open-air shopping and entertainment destination — a million square feet of stores, restaurants, and community events, with an AMC Theatre featuring IMAX. Side Quest Arcade adds nearly 200 all-you-can-play games for a family day.
It's the go-to for shopping, a movie, and a meal in one stop, and it draws visitors from across the eastern suburbs.
Lake Ray Hubbard
Garland runs up to Lake Ray Hubbard, a 22,000-acre reservoir on its eastern edge that's a center for boating, fishing, waterskiing, and swimming. The Bass Pro Shops on the lake's banks is a destination in its own right, letting anglers dock their boats right at the store.
The lake gives Garland a resort-like outdoor side to go with its urban attractions, and it's an easy escape to the water.
Arts and Recreation
Garland has a real arts scene, anchored by the Granville Arts Center and the Plaza Theatre downtown, which host the Garland Summer Musicals, the Garland Symphony Orchestra, and the Garland Civic Theatre through the year.
For active fun, a Hawaiian-themed water park cools families off in summer, and Strike and Reel packs 22 bowling lanes and a 24-foot indoor rock-climbing wall into 50,000 square feet. Between the arts, the lake, and the shopping, Garland fills a weekend.
FAQ: Things to Do in Garland
Garland's draws include the revitalized downtown square with its Big Hat sculpture and chef-driven restaurants, the million-square-foot Firewheel Town Center, Lake Ray Hubbard with its Bass Pro Shops, and the Granville Arts Center and Plaza Theatre for live performances.
Firewheel Town Center in Garland is a million-square-foot open-air shopping and entertainment destination with stores, restaurants, an AMC IMAX theater, and Side Quest Arcade's nearly 200 all-you-can-play games.
Yes. The Granville Arts Center and the Plaza Theatre in downtown Garland host year-round performances, including the Garland Summer Musicals, the Garland Symphony Orchestra, and the Garland Civic Theatre.
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