Update: For the 2019 Guide to Planning a Spring Getaway in Plano, click here.
Whether you are visiting Plano and the Dallas area over spring break or planning a staycation, we have your guide for planning the ultimate Plano adventure.
For the Adventurous
An active entertainment venue for kids and adults? Yes, please! Wear the kids out and enjoy yourself too at PINSTACK, one of Plano’s newest entertainment destinations. From VIP bowling experiences to two-story laser tag, bumper cars, LED lit six-lane rock climbing walls, hundreds of interactive games and simulator technology, PINSTACK offers fun for everyone. A chef-inspired restaurant offers an upscale dining experience before or after gaming with modern American classics, a stacked bar and craft cocktails. The “Bowl Bar,” located right next to the bowling lanes, serves guests 24 beers and six wines on tap, top shelf craft cocktails, and full-service, gourmet coffee and gelato bars.
The newly renovated Main Event is offering a springFUNpass starting at $12.95. Stop by this spring break and check out the new 160-inch TV screens in the sports lounge, private VIP lanes, upgraded luxury seating, state-of-the-art lighting and more.
Check out these new escape rooms in Plano: Breakout Games, Escape Expert, and Escape Hunt Dallas. Mention our blog post and Hard Knocks will offer you a 2 hour pass for $24.99 (ages 17 & under). They are also offering extended hours during spring break.
Enjoy the Outdoors
Plano has more than 56 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 major parks within the city of 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. With more than 56 miles of trails crisscrossing the city, biking is a great way to see Plano. You can even find the routes on Google!
Be sure to check out the new Go Ape Treetop Adventure course at Oak Point Park which is made up of numerous rope ladders and 39 exciting crossings including Pirates Crossing, Fisherman’s Trap, Bosun’s Chair, two Tarzan swings and five zip lines!
Spend a day with your pup at the Dog Park at Jack Carter Park then treat him to lunch out at the new Lazy Dog restaurant in Plano.
Plan a Historical Adventure Day
Stop 1: The Heritage Farmstead Museum preserves a way of life during the height of farm prosperity in the early 1900’s. The beautiful Victorian home and 12 outbuildings was the hub of a 360-acre farm operated by a colorful local resident, Ammie Wilson. The museum is open to the public and guided tours are available. Be sure to check out their Staycation event on March 7!
Stop 2: Plano transportation history is brought back to life with an interesting and free exhibit at the Interurban Railway Museum. Once a vital part of the Texas Electric Railway which 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.
Stop 3: Known as the “world’s most famous ranch,” Southfork Ranch has attracted millions of visitors ever since it became the homestead of the fictional Ewing clan from the hit TV show, “Dallas”. Re-live some of the memorable moments from “Dallas” in the “Dallas Legends: Fact to Fantasy” Exhibit then take a tram around the property to the famous Ewing Mansion for a guided tour. You can even experience Southfork Ranch on horse-back; trail rides are available seven days a week.
Attend an Event this Spring Break
If you have ever been intrigued by fly fishing but didn’t know where to begin, now is your chance: The first-ever Texas Fly Fishing & Brew Festival will be held at Plano Centre March 11-12, 2017. Festival hours are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday. View the event schedule here.
Fly fishing professionals from around the country will participate in this two-day extravaganza. Attendees can meet rod, reel, and line manufacturers; fly fishing guides; expert fly casters and fly tyers; and lodges and outfitters from across Texas as well as Colorado, Montana, and Tennessee. Attendees can learn how to cast a two-handed Spey rod, tie just the right fly for a particular local water, or “test drive” a kayak on the indoor kayak demo pond.
Beer tasting tickets, included in admission, enable patrons 21 years and older to sample the wares of some of the best microbreweries in Texas. General admission is $20 and a weekend pass is $35. Children 16 years old and younger are free with an adult paying ticket.
Get in the Saint Patrick’s Day spirit at Dark Hours Haunted House March 17-18, and yes, there will be leprechauns and witches. Guests who are daring enough to go will find themselves caught up in a terrifying power struggle between magical figures from Irish lore.
Following in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit, The Fillmore Pub in the Downtown Plano Arts District is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Bash featuring live music, giveaways, specials, and Irish food all day.
Check out free live music by Adam Cline in McCall Plaza March 18 at 8:30 p.m.
Don’t Miss Opportunities
Children are mesmerized by trains! And luckily, you can get to and from Plano via DART! Choose from three stops in Plano: Parker Road Station, Downtown Plano and the George Bush Turnpike Station. Visit dart.org for more information.
Don’t forget! You can experience great dining and shopping in the Downtown Plano Arts District and at The Shops at Legacy. Bring the family, have a date night, or even splurge on a girl’s weekend.
Check hotel availability and book online here. There are more great events in and around the Plano area; view them here.
Cover photo credit: Visit Plano
Hard Knocks photo credit: Hard Knocks
Interurban Railway Museum photo credit: Visit Plano
McCall Plaza photo credit: Visit Plano
DART photo credit: Visit Plano