16 Cool and Supremely Romantic Dallas Spring Date Ideas

This wasn’t the most brutal Dallas winter of recent years, but Mother Nature definitely had some laughs at our expense. So we’re ready, willing, and able to welcome spring with wide-open arms and a sense of adventure. Which is to say: We’re ready for some romantic spring dates in Dallas. Even if said date is as simple as learning the proper method for making sushi.

We’ve gathered together a list of activities perfect for enjoying the temperate spring Texas air, as well as plenty of indoor, climate-controlled options. That means for every designer picnic date, we’ve balanced it out with a few hours in a Virtual Reality arcade. You can also go on hikes, feed elephants, marvel at perty-perty flowers, and take off for a sunset flight above the city. Valentine’s Day may be over, but spring is the real season of love if you ask us. So swipe right on your dating app of choice or look your long-term partner in the eyes and ask them out for a few hours of quality one-on-one time.

Shops at Park Lane
Los Angeles–based Two Bit Circus chose Dallas for its second location, which means and you and your sweetie (or group of friends) can enjoy hours of challenging activities. From old-school and new-fangled video games in the arcade to escape rooms where you can “perform surgery” to an entire virtual reality playground. Oh, and there’s also a robot bartender waiting to mix you one of seven boozy concoctions.

Multiple locations
Texas-based Central Market has long been a staple of culinary creativity, whether you’re picking up grab-and-go from the chef’s case or prefer to learn some knife skills or master a fancy new make-at-home meal. Sign up for all sorts of interactive classes including some options specifically designed for couples, whether it’s a first date or the 101st. Best of all, in these educational courses you get to eat your homework.

Anywhere you wish
Victorians mastered the art of the picnic way back in the 1800s, but Uptown Picnic Company has taken the snacks-on-the-ground activity to new heights of artistry. Pack up your favorite foods and drinks (you’ll have to be sneaky if you want to drink booze in most places) then choose from a variety of picnic themes (among them Bohemian, Romantic, and Coastal). The team will set up a tiny table and blanket with gorgeous decor at the place of your choosing. Add on fresh flowers, umbrellas, twinkle lights, photoshoots (you know, for proposals), and custom portraits if you wish to really impress.

The Colony
A TV show about people competing for a huge cash prize while risking gruesome deaths may not seem like the ideal date idea, but hear us out. Squid Game could be a real bonding experience—with practically zero risk of an early demise—when you play at Immersive Gamebox. Ideal for double dates or group dates, the options at this interactive experience puts you in the middle of the action in VR versions of not only Squid Game, but also Angry Birds, a rabbit James Bond, and even a riff on the old Pac-Man game.

Multiple locations
Dallas will never lack incredible restaurants worthy of special occasions, whether it’s a first date to truly impress, an anniversary, or simply an excuse to get out of the house. Of course, to capitalize on an amazing dinner and the feelings that come from, oh, a night of raw oysters and champagne, getting a hotel room upstairs takes romance to a whole new level and brings a much sexier meaning to the word “dessert.” Among our can’t-miss recommendations: the lively spectacle of Villa Azur at W Dallas-Victory; the reopened SĒR Steak + Spirits at the Hilton Anatole with gorgeous views of the downtown skyline from its 27th-floor location; Monarch at Thompson Dallas with equally spectacular views of downtown from downtown; the Adolphus Hotel’s iconic restaurant, The French Room, which has thankfully returned to service after closure during COVID; and Fearing’s Restaurant from celebrity chef Dean Fearing, located inside The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas.

South Dallas
Interacting with animals always makes for a fun date and it doesn’t get much more exotic than the Backstage Safari at Dallas Zoo. For $150 per person—which adds up to $450 for thrupples—you can embark on a 90-minute excursion behind the scenes with one of the zookeepers. Feed apples to the world’s largest land mammal (the African elephant, if you’re playing along at home), participate in a training session with some hippos, and attend a private Wild Encounters show where you’ll get an up-close look at tamanduas, tortoises, and other magnificent creatures.

East Dallas/White Rock Lake
Not only are the gardens at the Dallas Arboretum perfect for photo ops during the colorful days of spring, the mild temperatures mean you can hang out longer. Dallas Blooms (February 25-April 16) absolutely guarantees splendor in the grass (and in the bushes and trees). If you’re looking for a quiet, more private experience and you’re a morning person, take advantage of the fact that members get exclusive access at 7 am, (two hours before the arboretum opens each day), plus free parking and other perks. Explore the seasonal exhibits, grab some food to-go from the Terrace Cafe or Cafe on the Green, then spread out a blanket for a picnic on the great lawn overlooking White Rock Lake as the bunnies and squirrels size up your sandwiches.

Downtown Dallas
With its giant, light-encrusted orb towering above the downtown skyline, Reunion Tower will always be one of Dallas’ most recognizable icons. The tower’s observation level, GeO-Deck, creates new memories with their special date night package that includes two admission tickets, VIP elevator service, a digital photo and a silver frame, two complimentary glasses of bubbly, and two keepsake Reunion Tower flutes. Better still, when you reserve this package, you can book a room at the Hyatt Regency downstairs at a nice discount.

Dallas Love Field
Recently won the lottery or have a nice juicy credit limit on your Visa? Charter a jet for two just about anywhere imaginable for a luxurious, undeniably memorable date night. Chilled vodka and lobster on the flight before jazz and dinner in New Orleans? Sunset on the beach in San Diego? If you can dream it, they can probably make it happen at Leviate Air Group, which offers on-demand flights and white-glove service that you will never, ever, never-never-never-NEVER find on a major airline. (Bags fly free, too.)

East Quarter
Downtown Dallas’ Lighthouse ArtSpace has already welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to their immersive experiences from Frida Kahlo to King Tut. Currently, their O.G. event, the Immersive Van Gogh Experience, continues its run alongside Monet and his Impressionist pals. Enjoy the masterpieces on a more intimate level with the exclusive Date Night package (Van Gogh only, for now), which includes VIP tickets, viewing from a private booth, plus take-home gifts including locally made Kate Weiser Chocolates. You even have the option to add a one-night stay at Lorenzo Hotel.

Bonton
Show how much you care by volunteering your time at Bonton Farms (after a delicious breakfast at the cafe, of course). Sign up for a Saturday and weekday slot and you could soon be feeding baby goats, milking mama goats, harvesting plants, taking care of chickens, or assembling food bags for neighbors in need. It’s an opportunity to get dirty in a field with your date without ever joining FarmersOnly.com.

Redbird
The classic dinner-and-a-show combo always makes for an enjoyable, inside-the-box date night, but you can up the ante considerably when the show takes place outside the window of an aircraft. At Delta Charlie’s, you and your sweetheart can enjoy a three-course meal followed by a private sightseeing tour after sunset. Consider scheduling a flight during a fireworks presentation (you know, should you need a marriage proposal idea).

Las Colinas
Navigate through the Mandalay Canal and Lake Carolyn on a gondola complete with a gondolier in black-and-white stripes operating a big stick. Choose from breakfast, lunch, and dinner options—fancy or casual—and see the city from a completely different vantage point. Cruises range from $155 to $425 depending on whether you have a meal, plus various other optional upgrades. And, little known fact: It’s gondola tradition to kiss every time you go under a bridge.

North Dallas Okay, maybe you can't perfectly execute a split leap (yet), but what’s more fun than ice skating (or attempting to ice skate) at the Galleria? Even if you’re both terrible at the sport, falling into someone else’s arms (or vice versa) always speeds up the romantic process. Admission is $12 during public skating hours, and skate rentals come in at just $5 per person. Lessons are available, too, should you really want to learn how to stay on your feet.

Frisco
Did you call yourself a “fearless badass who loves to be extreme with five Xs” in your dating profile? It’s time to put your money where your mouth is, pal. iFly offers indoor skydiving sessions via a giant wind tunnel. It’s not cheap—as in, $85 for two flights per person “not cheap”—but also far less than true skydiving. The experience makes for great photo ops and proves that, yes, you would totally jump out of a plane without actually having to jump out of a plane. (Of course, you can always do that, too.)

Oak Cliff, South Dallas
For an endorphin rush you'll probably both appreciate, you could certainly do worse than hitting either of these gorgeous multi-mile hikes through hundreds of acres of rolling wilderness and groomed trails. Perhaps you can even share some trail mix while assigning names to the river otters and other wildlife scampering across the path in front of you. Sweat it out then mix things up by careening down one of Trinity Forest Adventure Park’s many high-flying zip lines, with the longest clocking in at 100-feet long.