Plano, Texas, is truly the land of plenty. Blending historic charm with modern luxury, the city brims with amenities and attractions. Plano’s location just north of Dallas offers easy access to the area’s professional sports, famous attractions, and performing arts. But Plano is also a destination in its own right, with more than 1,000 restaurants of every variety including a three-story European food hall, brewery, and entertainment venue, world class shopping, a lively arts and nightlife scene, four walkable entertainment districts, and abundant natural beauty.
Things To Do with the Kids
Plano’s most colorful attraction, the Crayola Experience at The Shops at Willow Bend, is an amazing place where kids and kids at heart can explore 22 hands-on attractions in a 60,000 square foot space that Parents Magazine calls one of the “Top 10 Trips to Take Before Your Kid Turns 10.”
Fowling is a unique and entertaining game that merges football with bowling, and in Plano at Fowling Warehouse, older children and their parents can have a blast playing this new sport. It’s as easy as throwing a football at ten bowling pins until someone knocks them all down.
PINSTACK features a 28-lane bowling alley, a VIP bowling area, a ropes course suspended 20 feet above the gaming center, two-story laser tag, bumper cars, six lanes of LED-lit rock climbing walls, and hundreds of interactive games. The facility also has a specialty restaurant featuring a chef-driven menu and craft cocktails, an outside bar area, covered patio with fire pits, gelato bar, big screen TVs, and ample seating.
Glide over the forest canopy at Go Ape Treetop Adventure at Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve. Zip lines, Tarzan swings and suspended obstacles bring out your inner monkey and provide a fun challenge amid 800 acres of natural beauty at Texas’s only Go Ape location.
Saddle-up for a horseback trail ride at the legendary Southfork Ranch in nearby Parker.
Shop Till You Drop
Visitors won’t want to miss Legacy West. This “city within a city” is the largest mixed use destination in North Texas and the perfect place to play, shop, dine, and stay. Legacy West’s shopping offerings run the gamut from fashion to furnishings to cosmetics and even cars. (Think Tesla!) Its luxury retailers include: CHANEL Fragrance & Beauty, Golden Goose, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, and Tory Burch. At Legacy West diners can satisfy every craving, whether for steak or a good old-fashioned milk shake, French bistro fare, a perfect plate of pasta, or Spanish tapas. The luxurious Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West is the property’s signature hotel.
Nearby The Shops at Legacy features an upscale retail mix of men’s and women’s clothing, home furnishings, and more. The development is also home to the Angelika Film Center & Café, as well as some of the area’s best restaurants, including Bob’s Steak & Chop House, Fleming’s, and Mexican Sugar. The Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Center is the center’s premier hotel property.
Named one of the top 10 best downtowns in America by Livability.com, the Downtown Plano Arts District offers a charming setting for a simple stroll, an afternoon of shopping, or an evening’s entertainment. Visit the Interurban Railway Museum, a railroad car turned urban museum offering a microcosm of North Texas railroad history right in Haggard Park. Walk along authentic brick streets to discover an eclectic collection of shops selling everything from handmade jewelry to home décor to pottery.
Unique Dining
With more than 1,000 restaurants in Plano, there are more restaurants per capita than San Francisco! There are restaurants for every liking and budget.
The Boardwalk at Granite Park features a variety of restaurants serving burgers, gourmet biscuits, southern California boardwalk-style cuisine, brew pub fare, specialty coffee, pastries, and more. There are also beachy deck chairs next to fire pits that afford a great view of the park’s inviting water feature and live music stage.
If visitors are looking for a unique way to wine and dine, try Legacy Hall at Legacy West, one of the nation’s largest and most unique food halls dedicated to serving the best-of food trends prepared by local premier chefs. The three-story, European-style food hall, brewery, and live music and entertainment venue was named USA Today’s 2019 2nd Best Food Hall in the U.S.
Celebrate Texas
On March 25, Plano is throwing its second annual Texas Forever Fest celebrating the food, music and culture of our great state. Enjoy live music, entertainment, activities, food, drinks, and vendors all influenced by Texas’s diverse culture and spirit.
