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TEXANIC: A Guide to the History, Art & Architecture of Dallas' Remarkable Fair Park by Steven R. Butler (2022)

Dallas' Fair Park, in addition to being the home of the annual State Fair of Texas, is one of the most historic spots in the city. It is also as one of the most artistically and architecturally distinctive places in the entire state of Texas. This informative guide, illustrated with the author's own photographs, as well as historic photos, is a treasure-trove of information that will almost certainly be welcomed not only by Dallas residents, but also by anyone who is interested in the history, art, and architecture of the only world exposition site of the 1930s in the United States that remains largely intact.

Screenshot from KERA-TV's Art and Seek program, "The Art of Fair Park" (2009)

Although this website, and also my book, TEXANIC, provides visitors the opportunity to take a virtual tour of Fair Park, nothing beats an actual visit! From time-to-time over the years I have conducted actual on-site tours of Fair Park for various organizations, including the Dallas Historical Society and Dallas County Community College District. I would be happy to conduct a tour for your organization or business. You may contact me for more information at docbutler@yahoo.com. To sample my style, I'd like to invite you to view a portion of KERA-TV's Art and Seek program, filmed in 2009, where I conduct a mini-tour of the park. Unfortunately, although the station included it on their website for many years, it is no longer featured.

Tour No. 1: "The Historic Heart"

The "Historic Heart" of Fair Park is located on the westernmost portion of an eighty acre parcel sold to the Dallas State Fair and Exposition Association by Dallas banker and civic booster William Henry Gaston in 1886. This is the original core of the park. For more than a hundred years it has been the site of its principal exposition buildings. Although nearly all the earliest structures are no longer standing, subsequent construction for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition has left it the most aesthetically pleasing portion of the grounds. Learn more...

Tour No. 2: Civic Tract

On 30 acres of land (formerly a residential area called "Buzzard's Gulch") stands a collection of museums and former exhibit buildings, almost all of which were constructed in 1935-1936 and opened in time for the Texas Centennial Exposition. Here you will find the buildings that comprise the Museum of Nature and Science, the Dallas Aquarium, the Dallas Garden Center, the Fair Park bandshell, and the studios and offices of city-owned Radio Station WRR. At the time the area was first developed, it was called the "Civic Tract," a good enough name for our purposes here, although it seems to have fallen out of use over the years. Learn more...

Tour No. 3: Amusements and Agrarian Area

The Agrarian Area encompasses the buildings where agricultural products and farm animals are displayed and placed in competition each year at the State Fair. The Amusements Area includes the Cotton Bowl stadium and the Midway. Learn more...