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Arlington — Stadiums, Six Flags & the Sports Capital

0 min walk

Arlington didn't happen by accident. In the 1950s a young mayor named Tom Vandergriff looked at the empty prairie exactly halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth and bet it could become the entertainment capital of North Texas, and he was right. This walk takes you through what that bet built: AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys' colossus and a 2026 World Cup venue; Globe Life Field, the Rangers' climate-controlled ballpark; Six Flags Over Texas, the original Six Flags, opened in 1961; and Texas Live!, the dining-and-entertainment heart that ties them together. But the district runs deeper than its marquees. You'll meet the new National Medal of Honor Museum, the free-music lawn at Levitt Pavilion, the streetcar-era downtown, and the hill where a Prohibition-era casino once hid behind a tea garden. Stadiums up close, history underneath, and a few of the best vantage points in Texas — that's Arlington.

Stops (12)

AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium)
AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium)StadiumEspañol

Find your seat, sit back, and let the world's grandest football palace tell its story — the screen, the roof, the records, and the summer the world comes to Arlington.

Globe Life Field
Globe Life FieldStadiumEspañol

The Rangers' climate-controlled, retractable-roof ballpark — and the house where, after sixty-three years, Texas finally won a World Series.

Choctaw Stadium
Choctaw StadiumStadiumEspañol

The beloved old open-air Rangers ballpark of 1994 — five names, brutal summers, a one-strike-away heartbreak, and a second life next to the new park.

Texas Live!
Texas Live!Event VenueEspañol

The dining-and-entertainment heart of the stadium district — and the best free vantage point to frame both ballparks and the AT&T roofline in one look.

National Medal of Honor Museum
National Medal of Honor MuseumArchitectureEspañol

A solemn, soaring museum in the Entertainment District honoring the recipients of America's highest military decoration — and the stories behind the names.

Tom Vandergriff & the Birth of Sports Arlington
Tom Vandergriff & the Birth of Sports ArlingtonHistoryEspañol

The decades-long bet by a young mayor — a GM plant, a big-league baseball team, and an airport — that turned a cotton town into the sports capital you're standing in.

Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over TexasAttractionEspañol

The original Six Flags — opened in 1961, the first park in the worldwide chain, and the reason Arlington became a destination at all.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Six Flags Hurricane HarborAttractionEspañol

The water park across I-30 from Six Flags — born as Wet 'n Wild in 1983, and the most persuasive sales pitch in Texas on a hundred-degree afternoon.

Historic Downtown Arlington & the Interurban
Historic Downtown Arlington & the InterurbanHistoryEspañol

The walkable old core of Arlington — born of the railroad, once wired to Dallas and Fort Worth by an electric trolley down Abram Street, and switched back on today.

Levitt Pavilion Arlington
Levitt Pavilion ArlingtonEvent VenueEspañol

Downtown's free-concert lawn — more than fifty free shows a season, and the anchor of Arlington's walkable cultural district.

Top o' Hill Terrace
Top o' Hill TerraceHistoryEspañol

The Devil's Playground — a 1920s–40s illegal casino and speakeasy with an escape tunnel, now a Baptist university. Tours by appointment only.

Who's Playing Here — The Teams on This Field
Who's Playing Here — The Teams on This FieldSportsEspañol

A fan's guide to the national teams playing matches at AT&T Stadium this summer — who they are, how they play, and the legends in their shirt.

After Your Walk

Hurtado Barbecue
Food & DrinkBarbecue

Hurtado Barbecue$$

Arlington's breakout Texas barbecue, with a Tex-Mex twist.

Order: Brisket and the birria tacos

205 E Front St, Arlington, TX 76011

Recommended by AudVia
J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill
Food & DrinkAmerican / Pub

J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill$$

Arlington's classic bar — home of the original Irish nachos.

Order: The Irish nachos

400 E Abram St, Arlington, TX 76010

Recommended by AudVia
Food & DrinkHamburgers

Rodeo Goat$$

Everything on the menu is original and fantastic!

Order: Check out their weekly Battle of the Burgers!

333 E Division St, Arlington, TX 76011

Recommended by AudVia
Mercury Chophouse
Food & DrinkSteak house

Mercury Chophouse$$$$

Gourmet steakhouse with panoramic views & traditional American bistro fare in an upscale setting.

2221 E Lamar Blvd #910, Arlington, TX 76006

Recommended by AudVia