Updated: 06/15/2020
Looking for things to do on your visit to Plano? Here’s a list of Plano adventures under $25.
Angelika Film Center
The Angelika is a stylish five-screen boutique cinema located in Plano’s Shops at Legacy. The Angelika Cafe & Bar is located on the second level of the cinema, and is open to the public. All movie tickets are $11.50 and under. angelikafilmcenter.com
Crayola Experience
Plano’s newest and most colorful attraction, the Crayola Experience at The Shops at Willow Bend, is an amazing place where visitors can explore the 60,000 square foot attraction that Parents Magazine calls one of the “Top 10 Trips to Take Before Your Kid Turns 10.” Experience 22 hands-on attractions inspired by Crayola products and their technologies. Visitors can name and wrap their own Crayola crayon, star in a coloring page, create melted wax spin-art, and learn how crayons are made in a live factory show. There are also two new attractions that debuted in Texas: Silly Selfies and Kaleidoscope. General admission is $24.99 if purchased online. Purchase discounted tickets here.
Children’s Health StarCenter – Plano: Public Ice Skating
Ice skate year-round at the Children’s Health StarCenter – Plano! Public ice skating sessions are available most days out of the week. Check their schedules here. Ages 4+ are $10 and ages 3 and under are free. Skate rental is just $5. nhl.com
Heritage Farmstead Museum
This four-acre museum preserves a way of life during the height of farm prosperity in the early 1900s. The beautiful Victorian home and 12 outbuildings were the hub of a 360-acre farm operated by a colorful local resident, Ammie Wilson. Guided house tours are $7 per person; students and children are $5 per person; children 4 and under are free. Self-guided tours are $3 per person; children 2 and under are free. heritagefarmstead.org
Jack Carter Pool
For a small daily fee, visitors can enjoy Jack Carter Pool during the summer months. Jack Carter Pool has a dual rider tube slide, body slide, lazy river, deep water pool with platform diving and a climbing wall, Flow Rider surf simulator, tot pool, leisure pool with some lap lanes, wet deck areas, spray features, rentable party areas and concessions. Check facility fees and hours at plano.gov.
K9 Cinemas
The newly opened K9 Cinemas is the nation’s first dog-friendly movie theater! Two dogs are allowed per human and you need to provide valid paper’s from the pet’s vet on your first visit. Human tickets are $15.00 and includes 2 dogs. See their website for showings. k9cinemas.com
PINSTACK
Pinstack is a 50,000 square foot venue featuring a 28-lane bowling experience, ropes course suspended 20 feet above the gaming center, two-story laser tag, bumper cars, LED lit six-lane rock climbing walls, hundreds of interactive games and simulator technology. The facility also has a full-service restaurant, outside bar area, covered patio with fire pits, big screen TVs and ample seating. Non-peak time main lanes for 1 hour of bowling is $20. VIP lane non-peak time for one hour of bowling is $25. Lazer maze, laser tag, bumper cars, ropes course and rock wall are all $5 or less. *Peak time begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, runs through close-of-business Sunday and includes all national holidays. pinstackbowl.com
Plano Super Bowl
The newly renovated Plano Super Bowl is open a whopping 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Monday through Friday you can bowl by the game for $8 or by the hour for $22.95. Shoe rental is an additional $5. Check out their bowling specials! planosuperbowl.com
The Texas Pool
The historic Texas Pool is 168 thousand gallons of saltwater shaped like the great State of Texas. The Texas Pool is supported by a membership base, but offers a tourist pass for visitors and hosts a number of free and public events each season. An all-day guest membership pass is $10 per adult and children ages 3-15 are $5. Babies 2 and under are free. texaspool.org
Thunderbird Roller Rink
Lace up the roller skates, turn up the jams, and be a kid again! Check their website for public skate sessions. Skating is $6 per person; skate rental is an additional $2. thunderbirdrink.com
Southfork Ranch
Known as the “world’s most famous ranch,” Southfork Ranch is best known from the television series “Dallas,” offering visitors the opportunity to relive memorable moments from the fictional Ewing clan. The “Dallas Legends: Fact to Fantasy” exhibit features the gun that shot J.R., Lucy’s wedding dress, video clips from the series and other memorabilia. Located in nearby Parker, Southfork has attracted millions of visitors and is open daily year-round. Guided tour pricing: adults – $16, senior citizens (60+) – $14, children (6-12) – $9, and children 5 and under — free. *Pricing does not include tax. southforkranch.com
Here’s What’s FREE!
Art Centre of Plano
Browse through the art galleries for displays of local artists, as well as national shows. artcentreofplano.org
Box Garden at Legacy Hall
The Box Garden at Legacy Hall is Plano’s newest venue for hosting live music and events. The best part is many of their live music events and other happenings are completely free! Be sure to check their event calendar to see what’s playing.
Interurban Railway Museum
North Texas transportation history is brought back to life with this interesting exhibit. Once a vital part of the Texas Electric Railway that stretched from Denison to Waco, the Interurban is one of the original electric cars that ran on the tracks through Plano. Also on site is car 360, which carried mail as well as passengers. planoconservancy.org
McCall Plaza Events
McCall Plaza is a newly renovated performance stage in the heart of the Downtown Plano Arts District surrounded by one-of-a-kind restaurants and unique boutiques. Plano Stages hosts free monthly events and concerts at McCall Plaza. We post events to our event calendar as they are released. planostages.com
Parks
Take a walk in a Plano park! Plano has more than 82 miles of recreational trails open to the public. Chances are there’s a trail near you. Get trail information here including downloadable trail maps. Two of our largest parks in Plano offer great opportunities to connect with the outdoors. Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve is 800 acres and has 3.5 miles of concrete trails and 5 miles of soft trails along Rowlett Creek. Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a 200-acre park with hike and bike trails, a 2-mile walking trail and stunning views of the prairie and forest. And now, due to a partnership between the City of Plano, Toyota, American Park Network and Time Warner Cable, free Wi-Fi is available at City parks and recreation centers! planoparks.org
Get on the Water
The lake at Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve is open for kayaking, canoeing and stand up paddle boarding from dawn to dusk. Bring your own canoe, kayak, or stand up paddle board and see Plano’s largest park from a new perspective, for free!
Skateboard
The new Carpenter Park Skate Park combines popular street-style skating and bowl skating features making it one of the most extensive and unique skate parks in all of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Skaters will enjoy one of the largest bowls in the area as well as various sized ramps, rails, stair sets, and ledges. You will also notice the fitting design of the skate park in a “P” shape resembling the official Plano logo. View hours here.
*Pricing is subject to change without notice. Please check before going on your adventure.
Cover photo: Nan Palmero
Angelika Film Center photo: Nan Palmero
The Texas Pool photo: David Woo
McCall Plaza photo: Visit Plano
