Choosing a new city in Texas to call home can be tough when you don’t know what to expect.
More and more people are calling Plano, TX home—with a population of over 284,000 in 2020.
Located about 20 miles north of Dallas, Plano offers a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy. From outdoor adventures to dining and shopping, Plano is the place to be if you enjoy a small-city feeling without all the hustle and bustle of Dallas or Fort Worth.
Plano is often called a mini-Dallas because of all it has to offer! Let’s take a look at the best things to do in Plano, TX.
Explore Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
When you live in Plano, you can spend a day exploring Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. It’s perfect for families, couples, or singles who want to experience the outdoors, whether for a workout or a relaxing day in nature.
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a 200-acre preserve that offers enough nature for running, hiking, and exploration.
Here you’ll see plants, animals, and ecosystems commonly found in North Central Texas. The preserve has unpaved trails for hiking and cycling and is open to the public seven days a week. Dogs are allowed to join if they’re on a leash, and if you walk the whole trail loop, you’ll tap in at about 3.4 miles—the perfect way to beat your friends in a Fitbit challenge.
Search for Live Music
Plano is also known for its diverse music scene.
In the warmer seasons (and post-COVID), you will regularly find outdoor venues playing live music along with small stages at restaurants and bars showcasing local artists.
Downtown Plano specifically has an intimate music scene. McCall Plaza, outside of Fillmore Pub, is a popular outdoor stage for musicians and performers. For a perfect night, enjoy dinner at Urban Rio or ZaLat Pizza, drinks at The Fillmore Pub, and end your night with the sound of new music.
If you feel like being a true adventurer, you can drive around different parts of the city and search for venues as well. Live music seems to be everywhere in Plano.
To see the latest events coming to Plano, TX, Visit Plano is the news outlet to follow.
Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve in Plano, Texas
The Shops at Legacy & Legacy Food Hall
The Shops at Legacy & Legacy Food Hall is a popular destination for Plano residents and surrounding visitors. It is an all-in-one location for all shopping and dining needs and is seen as its own little town inside Plano. In fact, it has an overwhelming number of options; you could go to Legacy Food Hall every day for a week to each both lunch and dinner without eating at the same restaurant twice.
Surrounding Legacy Food Hall are numerous other restaurants—including sushi, Italian, Latin, and fast food. Plano is one of the best cities around Dallas for food and drink options.
In addition to all the options Shops at Legacy has to offer your stomach, it also has a plethora of other things to do. The Shops are lined with trendy boutiques, coffee houses, entertainment venues, and a movie theater. You may even catch famous Dallas athletes and their wives shopping around this area!
Visit Interurban Railway Museum
For those interested in history and learning, the Interurban Railway Museum is a great spot. This railway offers outdoor exhibits for learning while practicing social distancing.
In 1908, the Texas Electric Railway provided transportation from Denison to Waco, stopping in four places along the way.
When visiting the Interurban Railway Museum, you’ll see life-size trains, learn what Plano looked like a century ago, and enjoy interactive exhibits catered toward both adults and children.
Enjoy the Water at Oak Park
Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve is the biggest park in Plano and offers kayaking and paddle boarding on the pond and trails for walking, hiking, and biking. This is another great option for those who love the outdoors.
It offers both hard and soft trails topping out at 3.5 and 5 miles.
Parks and preserves in Plano make it easy to be active outdoors.
Crayola Experience Plano
Located in the Shops at Willowbend Mall, the Crayola Experience is an interactive learning experience for the whole family. There are dozens of hands-on experiences to help kids and adults explore the world of color and express their creativity.
It has enough to do that you can easily spend three to four hours there, which makes it great for a full day’s adventure! It’s even bigger than an NFL football field.
Afterward, you can grab a meal in the mall or head over to Legacy Food Hall.
If you’re interested in checking it out, you can plan your visit on the Crayola Experience website.
Everyone Can Find Happiness in Plano
In addition to the fun things to do, moving to Plano is also a smart financial decision. It has more jobs available every year than surrounding cities, it’s been named one of the best places to live in America, and it has a low crime rate.
Plano has everything to make living here exciting and entertaining for families or singles, whether you enjoy drinks and live music or a walk with nature.
