Thanks-Giving Square

The Got Weekend take

Why go

Thanks-Giving Square is a free, public urban oasis in the heart of downtown Dallas, dedicated in gratitude to the practice of thanksgiving for people of all backgrounds, cultures, and religions. Conceived by four Dallas businessmen in 1964 as the city recovered from the Kennedy assassination, the Square's Chapel of Thanks-Giving and Bell Tower were dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1976, with the full Square opening in 1977. Its centerpiece is the iconic spiral chapel with triple belfry, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Philip Johnson, featuring the Glory Window stained glass. The garden is open daily from 8am to 8pm and the chapel from 9am to 4pm; the Hall of Thanks-Giving opens for special events or by appointment. Self-guided tours are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Russian, and Arabic, with a spoken audio version on SoundCloud. The Thanks-Giving Foundation, which operates the Square, also convenes community initiatives like Kindness Week and the Good City Report.

• Free and open to the public daily — garden 8am to 8pm, chapel 9am to 4pm
• The spiral Chapel of Thanks-Giving, designed by Pritzker-winning architect Philip Johnson, with the Glory Window stained glass
• Self-guided tour guides in six languages plus a spoken audio tour
• Easy transit access: a short walk from DART's Akard Station and the M-Line Trolley, with metered street parking and a paid garage across the street

Anyone seeking a quiet downtown retreat — interfaith visitors, architecture admirers, and workers on a lunch break alike.

Make it your kind of weekend

• solo exploring
• family outing
• outdoors

A few visit notes

Free admission. Garden daily 8am-8pm; chapel daily 9am-4pm; Hall of Thanks-Giving by appointment. The spaces can close for private events — check the website before a visit. Arrive via DART Akard Station or M-Line Trolley (St. Paul & Federal); paid garage parking at 1516 Pacific Ave.