One of the main attractions in Arlington is the world-famous theme park, the Six Flags Over Texas, which features many interesting and fun attractions like the Hurricane Harbor – a waterpark.
Arlington is also considered the bowling headquarters of the world with the relocation of various major bowling institutions in the city such as the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, U.S Bowling Congress, and the Bowling Proprietors Association of America.
If it’s entertainment and shopping you are looking for, then you should check Arlington Highlands. This entertainment hub of the city boasts many shops, restaurants, theaters, and more. You can also shop at the Parks Mall, which is composed of numerous retail shops.
If you are into theater shows and concerts, then you’ve come to the right city. Arlington features Theatre Arlington, a leading community theatre that produces some of the best live theatres every year and even provides theater classes for aspiring artists of all ages. In 2009, the Levitt Pavilion Arlington opened in the city and offers about 50 concerts for free every year featuring famous artists in various music genres. Some of the popular artists and groups who already performed at Levitt Pavilion are Asleep at the Wheel, Pentatonix, The Killdares, The Quebe Sisters, and more.
Flag Flying Fun
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Six Flags Over Texas a Lone Star-sized amusement park offers thrill rides, water rides, and Looney Tunes Land for kids of all ages. Get chilled at Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast, an extreme rollercoaster ride that starts riders backward taking them from zero to 70 miles per hour, or the new record-breaking 400-foot swing, the Texas SkyScreamer, which is the tallest swing ride in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. If you can’t stand lines, take a behind the scenes tour of Six Flags Over Texas that allows you to skip lines, eat all day and see the park inside out. And if you stay as the sun sets, try not to get spooked. Many locals believe Six Flags is haunted, especially by Annie, a young girl ghost often seen at the candy store near the Texas Giant.
Higher Education
The University of Tex, as at Arlington, was founded in 1895 as a military academy and then spent several decades in the Texas A& M University System. In 1965, the university joined the University of Texas System and had been growing ever since. In 2014, the 420-acre UTA reached a student population of nearly 35,000 and is currently the second-largest university within the UT system.
Get Wet
When the triple -digits hit during summer (yes, three digits ), don’t fret about cooling off. Hurricane Harbor, a 47 -acre mega waterpark, features over 3 million gallons of water. You’ll find everything from intense water slides you can race down and surfboards where you can hang ten to fun kiddie pools and a lazy river. At Hurricane Harbor are slides, like the Tsunami Surge, where riders are sent twisting down an enclosed tunnel to take on a 40-foot wave slide, and Typhoon Twister, which allows guests to board slides built for two for a ride down a 68-foot enclosed tunnel and into a bowl-shaped slide.
Strike-Worthy Attraction
Bowling isn’t just some silly game that families play on the weekend. After a visit to the Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame, a fun and informative museum that transports visitors 5,000 years back from bowling past to present, that will be clear. The International Bowling Campus houses a bowling robot, as well as boasts the fact that this is the site where every new bowling creation in the world is tested before it goes to market (from oils to the way lights shine on a lane).
Art and Sports: A Winning Duo
Arlington is known as the home of AT& T Stadium, where the NFL Dallas Cowboys, aka “America’s Team,” play. What many don’t know is that this famous sporting and entertainment venue, worth $1.3 billion, also houses a world-class art exhibit with 50-plus contemporary works by an international array of curated artists. Visitors can tour the site, either guided or self-guided, which will allow one to walk on the field, see the biggest HDTV screen in the world, walk through the player’s locker room and strike a pose in the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders dressing room.
PLAY BALL!
If it isn’t baseball, it isn’t played here. Globe Life Park, an open-air baseball-only facility, serves as the centerpiece of a 270-acre complex that solidifies Arlington as an entertainment giant in the Southwest. Home of the Texas Rangers, this $191 million facility, includes a four-story office building within the ballpark, a 12-acre lake and parks and recreation space on the perimeter. On opening day, which should be a national holiday, the 48,114-seat open-air ballpark hosts an overnight sleepover for fans – on the field.
Place Your Bets
Long before Vegas was known as the gaming mecca, it ’s known as today, there was another gambler ’s paradise. In the 1930s and 40s, Top O’Hill Terrace, along the old Bankhead Highway, attracted gamblers (including John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Frank Sinatra) from all over the country. Standing approximately 1,000 feet high, making it the highest point in Tarrant County, it made for the perfect location for illegal gambling, primarily due to the secret tunnels winding through the hill. A police raid closed the popular site in 1947, and in 1956, the Bible Baptist Seminary purchased the property, converting it from a hidden casino to a seminary. Today, it’s Arlington Baptist College, which boasts an enrollment of 200-plus students, where visitors can tour this obscure piece of history.
Outdoors in the City
Smack dab in the middle of the city lies an outdoor oasis, River Legacy Park. This 1,331-acre urban park follows the curves of the Trinity River in North Arlington, allowing for the marriage of 400 species of wildlife, 193 species of birds and 28 species of trees with a metropolitan city. The park was planned as an urban oasis where animals could live with minimal disruption from the hundreds of human visitors that pursue recreational activities every day. Go to bicycle, jog, hike, or picnic. Bring the kids and enjoy one of the three playgrounds, and at sunset, keep an eye out for armadillo and even the occasional bobcat sighting.
Four-Legged Fun
When in Arlington, no need to leave your four-legged best friend at home. Arlington is pet-friendly! Choose to stay overnight at Hawthorne and Candlewood Suites, which both accept pets, or the Sheraton Hotel, where pets under 25 pounds can tag along. The Tails ‘N Trails Dog Park, a 5.7-acre park, offers a place to run and play, with nature trails, water fountains, benches, and shaded areas. At Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, you can eat with your leashed pup on one of the brightly colored picnic tables.
Chef -Worthy Dining
Next time you watch the famous television show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, watch out for a few Arlington restaurants that have been featured. At Chop House Burgers, go hungry for The Chop House Burger, a five-napkin, a sloppy sandwich of ground beef and slow-roasted brisket mixed and topped with house-made steak sauce, applewood bacon and smoked cheddar cheese. Other burgers come topped with bleu cheese, jalapenos, and there’s even a veggie burger for the noncarnivore. At Jamaica Gates Caribbean Cuisine, you can taste the flavors of authentic Jamaican fare, something you wouldn’t expect in Texas, thanks to Chef Barbara Renfro, who was born and raised in Jamaica. Think curry, jerk, and a host of steamed fish options in Jamaican spices. Another unexpected find is Prince Lebanese Grill, which opened in 1989 by Francis Koby. Falafel, hummus, kabobs, gyros, and baklava rule the menu, but no matter what you order, you’ll be satisfied. And if you still haven’t gotten your fill of cultural fare, there’s Taste of Europe, a bit of Russia in Arlington. A combination restaurant and grocery store, this Russian establishment features everything from sausage and Russian cakes to schnitzel and herring. You’ll find nesting dolls, wall calendars, and collectibles in the store.