Best car photo spots in Dallas

Hand-picked spots in Dallas

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge

Bridges · Best: Blue hour

Shoot from the Trinity Groves side so the white arch and the skyline line up behind your car.

View on map Directions

Reunion Tower

Skyline & city lights · Best: Night

Lit globe after dark. Frame it from the Reunion Blvd area or across the Trinity.

View on map Directions

Dallas Arts District

Skyline & city lights · Best: Golden hour

Modern architecture around the Winspear Opera House and Meyerson. Early weekend mornings are quiet.

View on map Directions

AT&T Discovery District

Skyline & city lights · Best: Night

LED media walls and modern downtown backdrops. Busy on event nights.

View on map Directions

Deep Ellum murals

Murals & street art · Best: Overcast or golden hour

Murals line Elm, Main and Commerce between Good Latimer and Exposition. Go early on weekends before street parking fills.

View on map Directions

Dallas Design District

Murals & street art · Best: Golden hour

Warehouse walls and murals around Dragon and Slocum Streets. Quietest on Sundays.

View on map Directions

Bishop Arts District

Murals & street art · Best: Early morning

Brick storefronts and small murals with character. Weekday mornings have the most open curb space.

View on map Directions

Fair Park art deco

Scenic & lakeside · Best: Golden hour

Art deco exhibit halls along the park roads. Drive in through a gate when there is no event; closed to cars during the State Fair.

View on map Directions

White Rock Lake

Scenic & lakeside · Best: Sunset

Winfrey Point and Flag Pole Hill give lake and skyline views. Stay in marked parking areas.

View on map Directions

Texas Theatre marquee

Neon & retro · Best: Night

1930s Oak Cliff movie palace with a lit vertical sign. Park on Jefferson Blvd after dark.

View on map Directions

Kessler Theater

Neon & retro · Best: Night

1940s neighborhood theater with a glowing sign on Davis St in Oak Cliff.

View on map Directions

Granada Theater marquee

Neon & retro · Best: Night

Classic Lower Greenville marquee. Busy on show nights; go late or on off nights.

View on map Directions

Inwood Theatre neon

Neon & retro · Best: Night

Restored 1947 neon tower on Lovers Lane. Shopping-center parking right in front.

View on map Directions

Lakewood Theater

Neon & retro · Best: Night

Art deco tower and sign at the Lakewood shopping center in East Dallas.

View on map Directions

Pegasus sign at the Omni

Neon & retro · Best: Night

Dallas' famous red Pegasus glows outside the Omni Dallas Hotel. Shoot from Lamar St.

View on map Directions

Sonny Bryan's original smokehouse

Neon & retro · Best: Golden hour

1958 roadside sign and old-school building on Inwood Rd.

View on map Directions

Union Station Dallas

Historic · Best: Blue hour

1916 Beaux-Arts station with Reunion Tower nearby. Street parking on Houston St.

View on map Directions

Old Red Museum

Historic · Best: Golden hour

Red sandstone 1892 courthouse downtown, great with deep red or black cars.

View on map Directions

Dallas Farmers Market sheds

Industrial · Best: Early morning

Open steel sheds and murals downtown. Weekday mornings have the most room.

View on map Directions

Fountain Place

Skyline & city lights · Best: Night

Glass prism tower with fountains at its base. Shoot from Ross Ave.

View on map Directions

Bank of America Plaza green lights

Skyline & city lights · Best: Night

The green-outlined tower that defines the Dallas skyline at night.

View on map Directions

Omni Dallas LED facade

Skyline & city lights · Best: Night

Full-building LED displays change color through the night.

View on map Directions

Margaret McDermott Bridge

Bridges · Best: Blue hour

White arches over the Trinity on I-30. Shoot from the Trinity levee side, never from the highway.

View on map Directions

Perot Museum

Skyline & city lights · Best: Golden hour

Cube-shaped modern museum with clean lines. Street and lot parking nearby.

View on map Directions

Dallas City Hall

Skyline & city lights · Best: Golden hour

I. M. Pei's tilted concrete landmark with an open plaza.

View on map Directions

N Edgefield Ave bridge skyline view

Skyline & city lights · Best: Night

Photographers' favorite downtown skyline angle from the Trinity's west side.

View on map Directions

Highland Park Village

Historic · Best: Early morning

1930s Spanish-style shopping center with exotic cars on any given day.

View on map Directions

Frontiers of Flight Museum

Industrial · Best: Golden hour

Aviation museum by Love Field; aircraft and hangar backdrops.

View on map Directions

Trinity Groves

Skyline & city lights · Best: Night

Restaurant district at the foot of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge with skyline views.

View on map Directions

Lower Greenville

Neon & retro · Best: Night

Bar signs and lit storefronts along Greenville Ave.

View on map Directions

Murals and street art in Dallas

Murals are the most popular car photo backdrop. Pull up alongside the wall, keep the car parallel to it and shoot from a low angle so the art fills the frame behind the car.

More spots in Dallas

• Thomsen Overlook Skyline & city lights
• Jefferson Boulevard Viaduct Bridges
• Hi Line Plaza Scenic & lakeside
• Victory Overlook Scenic & lakeside

Tips for car photos in Dallas

• Shoot at golden hour or blue hour. The hour after sunrise and around sunset gives soft light without harsh reflections; blue hour is best for skylines and neon.
• Go early on weekends. Popular mural walls and downtown streets are quiet before 9 AM, so you can park right in front.
• Respect the spot. Stay off private lots when asked, don't block traffic and keep the engine noise down in neighborhoods.
• Hide your plate if you want. Check your shot before you post it.