Here are fun, family-friendly and even free ways to enjoy the summer in our neighborhood.

PLAY STREET MUSEUM
7130 Skillman St., 214.414.2819
Play Street Museum is a children’s indoor play area and interactive museum. Created by a former teacher, the play areas are designed to encourage independence, creativity and exploration. The Lake Highlands location has a “downtown” theme that includes a trolley, town hall, restaurants and movie theater.
Admission: $13 for children ages 1-8. No reservation is needed. Signed waivers are required for each minor who visits.
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday

Red barn from Play Street Museum. Illustrations by jynnette Neal

Illustrations by Jynnette Neal

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DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER
5938 Skillman St., 214.978.0110
Dallas Children’s Theater offers 11 productions per season in the newly renovated Rosewood Center for Family Arts. Summer classes are grouped by grade levels. Prices range from $100-$475 depending on skill level and age. The teen summer musical production for this year will be The Addams Family, Young @ Part. Performances will run July 14-23.

 

Game joystick, virtual reality headset and a cocktail. Illustrations by jynnette Neal

TWO BIT CIRCUS
8030 Park Lane, 469.405.6166
Two Bit Circus opened at The Shops in Park Lane in 2022. The Los Angeles-based micro-amusement park includes an arcade, virtual reality playground, escape rooms and an interactive stage theater.

You can find everything from old-school games such as Ms. Pac-Man to newer arcade games like Killer Queen. There are also original games such as Button Wall, Super Thunder Bloxx and Hexacade. The five virtual reality rooms include a Hyperdeck, which is equipped with a tilting floor and weather effects.
Admission: $35 or $50.
Hours: 5-10 pm. Thursday, 3 p.m.- 12 a.m. Friday, 1 p.m.-12 a.m. Saturday, 1-8 p.m. Sunday

Waterslide Illustration by Jynnette Neal

LAKE HIGHLANDS AQUATIC CENTER
9400 Church Road, 214.670.1346
Cool off on hot summer days at the Lake Highlands Aquatic Center, which has been in our neighborhood since 2019. The aquatic center features a children’s area, a six-lane lap pool with a diving board, a climbing wall and a 20-foot slide tower. While concessions are available for purchase, outside food is allowed.
Admission: $4 for kids 11 and under, $12 for ages 12 and up. Season passes are $50.
Hours: June 4-Aug. 14. 12:30-3:30 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. daily except Thursdays

BAHAMA BUCKS
6780 Abrams Road
Looking for somewhere to cool off after a day in the sun? Shaved ice, or Sno, from Bahama Bucks comes in over 100 flavors. For dogs, there’s the Pup Sno, an unflavored SnoBall topped with whipped cream.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-9:30 p.m. Sunday

Snow Cone Illustrations by jynnette Neal

SHADY’S BURGERS & BREWHAHA
9661 Audelia Road, 469.726.2920
Shady’s has something for the entire family. All burgers are made with certified Angus beef from Texas cattle and freshly baked local bread. Milkshakes come in five flavors, and adults can upgrade to an alcohol-infused milkshake starting at $7.50.

Burger and fries. Illustrations by jynnette Neal

Library book Illustration by Jynnette Neal

SMART SUMMER READING PROGRAM
The Dallas Public Library is offering free activities for families throughout the summer, including the reading program with Mayor Eric Johnson. Children and teens who read at least 20 minutes a day can earn prizes. After 10 days of reading, a free book is earned. Each time the 10-day mark is reached, prizes are earned, up to five times. Adults can also read to earn prizes by reading for at least one hour a day. At the 20-day mark, adults can earn a free book. Anyone who reads at least 50 days by Aug. 13 will be entered into a drawing to win one of the grand prizes, including a 43-inch Roku TV, a Huffy 12V ATV, Pocket Mod Electric Scooter, Hoverboard and a PS5. Log reading on the Beanstack app or through the Dallas Public Library.

AUDELIA ROAD BRANCH LIBRARY
10045 Audelia Road, 214.670.1350
The Audelia Road Branch Library has free weekly activities for families in June. Enjoy toddler story time at 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday. Seniors can participate in a coffee club at 9 a.m. every Thursday. There’s a yoga and meditation class each Friday at noon. Check out the events calendar on the Audelia Road Branch website for more summer activities.