Downtown Museums and Galleries

Adjacent to the Dallas Museum of Art and open to the public since 2003, this private collection, owned by the Nasher family, is one of the most stunning in the world, including works by everyone from Auguste Rodin and Paul Gauguin to Richard Serra, Ellsworth Kelly, and Tony Smith. The grounds match the work with a sprawling garden by Peter Walker and a glass Renzo Piano pavilion that barely interrupts the landscape. And not to be missed (from May until October): The Nasher hosts the ’til Midnight program, staying open late for film screenings and outdoor concerts.

The permanent art collection here cannot be dismissed: There are Monets, Manets, and Rauschenbergs, plus one of the largest Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections in the country. But all that said, the museum’s design and local crafts holdings from around the world are just as impressive, from pre-Columbian artifacts to African masks and ceremonial attire to Eero Saarinen’s Tulip Chair. Admission is free. Photo courtesy of the Dallas Museum of Art.