Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Texas Dallas Texas Centennial Art Deco Buildings

Texas Centennial Art Deco Buildings

A "Texanic" (gigantic Texas) collection of Art Deco architecture at Dallas' historic Fair Park.

Dallas, Texas

Added By
Caroline Thrift
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Women’s Museum, Fair Park.   Andreas Praefcke/CC BY-SA 3.0
One of the buildings constructed for the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936.   Rafiul Alam/CC BY-SA 3.0
View of one of the six statues on the Esplanade.   Andreas Praefcke/CC BY-SA 3.0
Hall of State, Fair Park.   Andreas Praefcke/CC BY-SA 3.0
Tower Building during the State Fair of Texas, 2008.   Andreas Praefcke/CC BY-SA 3.0
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  AJofTX / Atlas Obscura User
  AJofTX / Atlas Obscura User
  AJofTX / Atlas Obscura User
  AJofTX / Atlas Obscura User
  AJofTX / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
  cait7911 / Atlas Obscura User
One of the “Six Ladies of Fair Park” depicting each country that reigned over Texas. This one depicts the period when Texas was its own country.   notoriousFIG / Atlas Obscura User
One of the “Six ladies of Fair Park.” This statue depicts Texas.   notoriousFIG / Atlas Obscura User
  Thewanderingmeatball / Atlas Obscura User
  Thewanderingmeatball / Atlas Obscura User
The Women’s Museum at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas (United States).   Michael Barera / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
2019 Picture   narlenevans93 / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In 1936, to celebrate the Lone Star State's 100-year anniversary of gaining independence from Mexico, the then-governor of Texas, wanted to hold a “Texanic” (his made-up synonym for “gigantic”) affair. More than 50 Art Deco-style buildings were constructed for the Texas Centennial Exposition world's fair, located on the grounds of a 277-acre historic Dallas park.

Fair Park originally opened in 1886 for the Dallas State Fair and is a nationally registered historic landmark. For the grand occasion of the centennial, architect George Dahl transformed the entire park into a sprawling Art Deco showcase. 

Though he crafted his grand plan at the time when the extravagant style of architecture was nearing the end of its prime, the Art Deco buildings and the Centennial Exposition overall were a hit. Over 6 million people, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, attended the fair. The event is credited with helping pull Dallas out of the Great Depression.

Today, the park is used for the Texas State Fair every October. The Cotton Bowl in the middle of the park hosts the annual, much-anticipated University of Texas-University of Oklahoma game and can hold more than 90,000 guests. Around 30 of the park’s Art Deco structures still exist today, though they’ve been renovated to suit modern building standards.

Related Tags

Parks Art Deco Architecture Collections World's Fair Design

Know Before You Go

Fair Park can be reached by the Green line of the DART Station, get off at the stop for Fair Park Station. The park can be visited throughout the year but it comes to life the most during the Texas State Fair every year.

Community Contributors

Added By

Carolinethrift

Edited By

shatomica, Meg, notoriousFIG, Kerry Wolfe...

  • shatomica
  • Meg
  • notoriousFIG
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Thewanderingmeatball
  • Collector of Experiences
  • cait7911
  • Michael Barera
  • narlenevans93
  • AJofTX

Published

October 5, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • www.fairpark.org
  • http://www.fairparkmurals.com/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Bowl_(stadium)
  • http://www.fairparkdeco.com/
  • http://www.fairparkdeco.com/files/CADS_Fall%202011.pdf
Texas Centennial Art Deco Buildings
3809 Grand Ave
Dallas, Texas
United States
32.779363, -96.761193
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Texas Woofus

Dallas, Texas

miles away

Adrian E. Flatt, M.D., Hand Collection

Dallas, Texas

miles away

The Traveling Man

Dallas, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dallas

Dallas

Texas

Places 16
Stories 4

Nearby Places

The Texas Woofus

Dallas, Texas

miles away

Adrian E. Flatt, M.D., Hand Collection

Dallas, Texas

miles away

The Traveling Man

Dallas, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dallas

Dallas

Texas

Places 16
Stories 4

Related Stories and Lists

30 Places to Go Deep in the Art of Texas

List

By Isaac Schultz

Related Places

  • Aerial photo of the Tower Bridge.

    Sacramento, California

    Tower Bridge

    Art Deco stylings conceal the true nature of this bridge.

  • Crooked Slide Park

    Barry's Bay, Ontario

    Crooked Slide Park

    Inside this park, an engineering marvel from the early 20th-century still stands.

  • Sand filtration pits repurposed as tree planters.

    Denver, Colorado

    Carpio Sanguinette Park

    An innovative local park built from an abandoned sewage treatment plant.

  • The dam below the bridge, making it look like more water is running beneath.

    Regina, Saskatchewan

    Albert Memorial Bridge

    This Art Deco landmark claims to be the longest bridge over the shortest span of water in the world.

  • Al-Andalus Garden.

    Cairo, Egypt

    Al-Andalus Garden

    A preserved oasis with traditional Andalusian-style architecture and beautiful views of the Nile.

  • The Underground House.

    San Luis Obispo, California

    Poly Canyon - Experimental Structures Lab

    A deserted hodgepodge of experimental structures designed by nearby university students.

  • The hospital tower.

    Bethesda, Maryland

    Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

    FDR's Art Deco hospital tower was hopelessly inefficient.

  • 3-15-21

    Knoxville, Tennessee

    The Sunsphere

    Knoxville’s architectural icon was the symbol of the 1982 World’s Fair, even catching the googly eye of Bart Simpson.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.