Unique & Offbeat Arlington, Texas Activities

Situated in between Fort Worth and Dallas is Arlington, home to plenty of sights and things to do. Best known as the home of the Dallas Cowboys football team and a couple of major amusement parks, Arlington is a fun, tourist-friendly city. Such a shame so many visitors overlook the odd attractions and offbeat Arlington activities. The next time you find yourself passing through this part of Texas, travel different — visit one or two of the city’s unique, offbeat destinations 😉

Travel Different. Travel Offbeat.

Check out these unique and offbeat Arlington activities the next time you pass through the city #travelguide #Arlington #Texas #travel #traveltips #holidaze #traveldifferent

  Presenting The Top Offbeat Arlington Activities & Destinations:

Sunset over Arlington, Texas
Arlington sunset. Nothing offbeat about this photo, just pretty.

International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame

When people think of Arlington, the first thing that invariably pops into their heads is the sprawling Six Flags Over Texas amusement park. Travel just down the road from the roller-coasters and rides, and you’ll find the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. Located right next to the highway, this place isn’t exactly off the beaten path, but it’s definitely offbeat.

Welcome to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, one of the overlooked and offbeat things to do in Arlington, Texas
International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, one of the overlooked and offbeat things to do in Arlington

Did you know that bowling was originally invented by the ancient Egyptians? Or how a bowling ball is made? You can learn lots of interesting things at the bowling museum, even if you’re not a big fan of the sport. The museum is full of historical information, a bowlers’ hall of fame, and interactive exhibits that offer a great way to kill an hour. There’s even a miniature bowling alley at the end for you to get in a round or two before leaving.

See More Things You Do Not Know About [insert destination here]

If you’re a bowler, then visiting the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame is a must — the Bowling International Training & Research Center is also located on site, so you could run into a professional bowler during your visit.

Stop by the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, one of the offbeat Arlington activities that is perfect for the entire family
This offbeat Arlington activity that is perfect for the entire family

World’s First Billy Bass Adoption Center

Anyone who lived in the United States in the late 1990’s remembers the commercials for the singing fish mounted on a plaque, the Big Mouth Billy Bass. The commercial had one of those annoying jingles that gets stuck in your head. Between the jingle and the sheer ridiculousness of a singing fish hanging on the wall, these things actually proved to be a brief hit before they found their permanent home tucked away in a closet.

The world's first and only Billy Bass adoption center is one of the unique and offbeat Arlington, Texas activities
The world’s first and only Billy Bass adoption center is definitely one of the most unique and offbeat Arlington activities

The Billy Bass Adoption Center is located within a popular Arlington restaurant known as the Flying Fish. This places serves excellent seafood with a Cajun twist, and it’s worth visiting just for the food. The massive collection of novelty singing bass is an added bonus, though. Have one somewhere around your house? Bring it with you and make a donation!

Anish Kapoor’s “Sky Mirror”

As the name implies, “Sky Mirror” is a 20-foot-wide (6 metres) stainless-steel dish that serves as a giant mirror. It’s angled so that one side reflects down on the people standing in front of it, while the other side reflects up toward the sky. Anish Kapoor, the same artist who created Chicago’s famous “Cloud Gate” reflective sculpture, also designed “Sky Mirror.”

The Sky Mirror is one of the unique and offbeat places that makes Arlington interesting
The Sky Mirror. Just doing its part to keep Arlington offbeat 😉 — photo via vincehuang

Originally unveiled in 2001 in Nottingham, England, “Sky Mirror” quickly became a popular sculpture. It’s moved several times over the years and even spawned a couple of imitations. Since 2013, it has resided outside Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Seek Out The Street Art

Arlington has never been a popular street art city. A decade ago the closest thing to “street art” was spray can tagging and graffiti. However all that has changed the last few years and now there are an increasing amount of colorful murals scattered around town.

Offbeat Arlington street art -- because everything is bigger in Texas
The oldest building in Arlington now has a bit more color to it thanks to SaxonLynn Arts 😉

Part of this new urban artwork has been a result of the annual South Street Art Festival, which has taken place every October since the success of the first one in 2013. In addition to attracting artists from nearby Dallas and Fort Worth, this festival has also inspired local youth to improve their spray paint skills. And like all proper festivals in Texas (such as SXSW), the 3-day SSAF is not merely about art. It also features live music, delicious food, and plenty of craft beer. Beer? I like beer!

Other Offbeat Texas Travel Guides:
  ·   Offbeat Corpus Christi   Encounter the Demon of Corpus Christi, honor the Whataburger founder statue, experience the South Texas Walk of Music Fame and other strange, overlooked activities.
  ·   Offbeat Houston   Question your mortality at the National Museum of Funeral History, be amazed by the one-of-a-kind Beer Can House, and meet the Soup Nazi, just a few of the unique things to do in Texas’ biggest city.
  ·   Offbeat South Padre Island   Ever walked on water? Attended a crawfish party? Explored hidden, overlooked parts of the island? Then come on over to the offbeat side of Padre 😉

Any other unique Arlington destinations to recommend?

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About Derek Freal

"Some people eat, others try therapy. I travel."   Cultural enthusiast. Adrenaline junkie. Eater of strange foods. Chasing unique and offbeat adventures around the world since 2008. Derek loves going to new destinations where he does not speak a word of the local language and must communicate with hand gestures, or places where he is forced to squat awkwardly to poo -- supposedly its healthier and more efficient. For more information (about Derek, not squat pooing) including popular posts and videos, check out his bio.

6 thoughts on “Unique & Offbeat Arlington, Texas Activities”

  1. Hello,
    Thank you for featuring our Historic Arlington mural on the Vandergriff building! We are prolific artists throughout the DFW metroplex. Please kindly credit the artist in your article. We appreciate the recognition.
    Kind regards,
    Sheri & Lee
    SaxonLynn Arts
    Saxonlynnarts.com

    Reply
  2. Not that this is necessarily offbeat, but any heavy metal fan from outside of the DFW area ought to know about Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul’s grave too.

    Reply
    • Interesting indeed Brody, I had no idea about that — and I’m both Texan and a huge Pantera fan! Although not offbeat it is definitely unique. Appreciate the tip, will have to stop by Moore Memorial Gardens the next time I’m in town. Thanks 🙂

      Reply

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