Grand Prairie, Texas, is one of those DFW cities that can be easy to overlook if you’re focused on Dallas or Fort Worth. That would be a mistake, because Grand Prairie has packed a surprising amount of entertainment, food, shopping and family-friendly activities into one city. Located between Dallas and Fort Worth and just a short drive from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Grand Prairie also makes a convenient home base for exploring the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

After spending a few days exploring Grand Prairie, I found there is considerably more to do here than I expected. Whether you are traveling with kids, looking for something fun for teenagers, planning a weekend with friends or simply want to try something different in the DFW area, there are plenty of options.

Here are some of the best things to do in Grand Prairie, Texas, including several that may not immediately show up on your radar. I highly recommend the Get Out Pass to save money on attractions here!

EpicCentral is a 172-acre entertainment district in Grand Prairie with restaurants, green spaces, trails, attractions, hotels, and the centerpiece of the area, Illuvia, a free water and light show. You can easily combine several activities here, but Illuvia is the one I would make a point of seeing after dark.

Illuvia is a Vegas-style outdoor show featuring fountains shooting up to 60 feet, illuminated water, projected images, and synchronized music. I watched the show during my visit, and it turns what could otherwise be just another walk around an entertainment district into an actual evening attraction.

The nice thing about EpicCentral is that you don’t have to build your entire evening around the show. You can spend the day at one of the nearby attractions, grab dinner, wander around the area and then find a spot to watch Illuvia. The show runs multiple times in the evening, although schedules can change, so check the current schedule before you go.

During my visit, I stopped at The Finch, a modern restaurant located near the EpicCentral attractions, followed by Syrup + Sno, a shaved-ice and sweet-treat shop. Syrup + Sno is located alongside The Epic and offers a completely different kind of stop after dinner.

If you are looking for something to do with kids in Grand Prairie, Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark should be on the list. The 80,000-square-foot indoor waterpark has a retractable roof, which means the weather doesn’t have quite as much power to ruin your plans.

There are waterslides for thrill-seekers, an indoor lazy river, a splashpad and a FlowRider where visitors can try surfing. There is also an arcade, so even if your family has reached the point where everyone is temporarily tired of being wet, there is another option.

The retractable roof is a particularly nice feature in Texas, where “pleasant weather” can sometimes be a very short-lived concept. Having an indoor waterpark gives families a reliable activity regardless of whether the forecast is cooperating. Admission is included in the Get Out Pass!

For kids and teens who need to burn off some energy, Bolder Adventure Park offers climbing walls, zip lines, ropes courses, jump pads and other activities. The attraction is indoors, making it another option when Texas weather decides to behave like Texas weather.

I particularly like the idea of this for families traveling with children of different ages because it isn’t just a single attraction that appeals to one narrow age group. Younger kids through teenagers can find activities that challenge them, while parents can hopefully enjoy a few minutes without hearing the words “I’m bored.” Admission is included in the Get Out Pass!

If unusual attractions are your thing, make time for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Grand Prairie. The attraction features hundreds of rare and unusual artifacts along with interactive exhibits, making it an easy choice when you want something that is entertaining without requiring you to spend the entire day there.

This is one of those attractions that works particularly well when you have a group with varied interests. You don’t need to be a history buff or an adrenaline junkie to enjoy seeing things that make you stop and think, “Wait, that’s real?” Admission is included in the Get Out Pass!

For something completely different, head to Asia Times Square. What began as a market serving the local community has grown into a multipurpose center with restaurants, boutiques, grocery stores, beauty and health businesses and other retailers.

The center also hosts Dem Cho Hoa, a Night Flower Market celebrating Lunar New Year. Even when there isn’t a special event happening, wandering through the grocery aisles and exploring the restaurants and shops can make this a fun stop for travelers who want to experience a different side of Grand Prairie.

And yes, I recommend actually going inside the grocery stores. Travel isn’t always about checking off major attractions. Sometimes discovering an unfamiliar snack aisle is where the fun starts.

You cannot visit Texas and completely ignore barbecue. Well, technically you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Zavala’s Barbecue is a Grand Prairie barbecue restaurant with roots in the community. According to the restaurant’s story, owner Joe Zavala grew up around his father’s smoker and eventually turned his backyard barbecue and pop-up experience into a restaurant.

The menu combines Texas barbecue with South Texas influences, including pepper-crusted brisket and the Sloppy Juan taco. During my visit, the cheesy jalapeño hominy was one of the things that stood out to me, and honestly, I could have made a meal out of it.

There is also a fun little bonus while you’re waiting: free Lone Star beer. If there happens to be a line, at least you have something cold to drink while you stand there contemplating how much barbecue you can reasonably eat.

For a completely different Grand Prairie experience, spend some time at Lone Star Park. The seven-level Grandstand overlooks the racetrack, and the property also includes dining and a large simulcast facility.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a horse-racing person, going to the track is a fun experience because it is about more than watching races. There is the atmosphere, getting dressed up if you feel like it, watching the horses in the paddock and, of course, deciding whether you are suddenly an expert handicapper after looking at a few numbers.

For an elevated experience, Silks Dining overlooks the track and includes a chef-inspired buffet, non-alcoholic beverages and access to wagering from your table.

If you like shopping where you never quite know what you are going to find, put Traders Village on your Grand Prairie list. The enormous marketplace has thousands of shops, and shoppers can browse everything from children’s toys to tires.

This is not the place to go when you need to quickly grab one specific item and leave. It is more of a wandering-and-see-what-you-find experience. Give yourself time to browse, because part of the fun is discovering something you weren’t looking for in the first place.

For a slower-paced Saturday morning, check out the Grand Prairie Farmers Market at Market Square in downtown Grand Prairie. The market is open Saturdays from April through mid-December and features locally grown produce, plants, tamales, baked goods, meat, salsas, honey, spices, soaps, candles and artisan crafts.

I like farmers markets as a travel stop because they give you a glimpse of the local community rather than simply another attraction built specifically for tourists. You can grab breakfast or something to take home while wandering around downtown.

Don’t make the mistake of treating Grand Prairie as only an entertainment destination. Downtown Grand Prairie is worth exploring, particularly if you’re already visiting the farmers market, Traders Village or some of the restaurants along Main Street.

The city has several locally owned businesses and dining spots downtown, including Firehouse Gastro Park, which combines indoor and outdoor dining, a full-service bar, green space, coffee, and a smokehouse.

If you are traveling with older kids, teenagers or adults who refuse to grow up, and I mean that as a compliment, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is a great Grand Prairie activity. The Grand Prairie location is an indoor entertainment complex with electric go-kart racing, an arcade, virtual reality experiences, laser tag and duckpin bowling.

The go-karts are the obvious draw, but that’s not the only reason to go. Having multiple activities under one roof makes Andretti particularly useful for groups because everyone doesn’t have to be interested in the same thing. One person can race, another can play arcade games, and someone else can try VR, which is considerably easier than trying to get a group of people to agree on one activity.

And because it is indoors, this is another Grand Prairie option to keep in your back pocket when it is 103 degrees outside or the sky decides to dump rain on your carefully planned day. Texas weather does not care about your itinerary.

You don’t have to be a serious golfer to have fun at Topgolf Grand Prairie. The entertainment-focused golf venue combines hitting bays with Toptracer technology, food and drinks, making it more of a social activity than a traditional golf outing. The Grand Prairie location is part of the growing entertainment corridor along State Highway 161.

This would be a particularly good choice for families with older kids or teens, couples, friend groups, or anyone who wants to do something active without committing to an entire round of golf. You can compete with your friends, work on your swing or simply see how badly you can embarrass yourself in front of people you know.

Topgolf’s covered hitting bays also make it considerably more appealing in the Texas heat than standing on an uncovered driving range wondering why you thought golf was relaxing.

I realize Bass Pro Shops sounds like an odd thing to put on a list of things to do in Grand Prairie, but hear me out.

The Grand Prairie location is a 100,000-square-foot outdoor retail destination, and it was specifically designed with the immersive, themed environment associated with Bass Pro Shops. The store combines shopping with outdoor-themed displays and experiences, so it can be worth a look even if you’re not actually shopping for a fishing rod.

This is particularly convenient because it is close to Andretti, Topgolf, IKEA, and the EpicCentral area. If you’re already exploring this part of Grand Prairie, you can easily make it a quick stop rather than driving across town specifically to visit a sporting-goods store.

PlayGrand Adventures is an all-inclusive playground within the EpicCentral area. The playground designed for children of all ages and abilities.

This is one of those attractions that is easy to overlook when you’re searching for major things to do. Not every activity on a vacation needs to require a ticket or a reservation, and an awesome playground gives kids an opportunity to simply run around and play.

If you are planning a trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Grand Prairie is worth considering as more than just a place you drive through. The city has an unusual combination of major entertainment attractions, indoor activities, shopping, dining, outdoor spaces and distinctly local experiences.

For families, EpicCentral, Epic Waters and Bolder Adventure Park provide plenty of options when you need activities that will actually keep kids occupied. Adults and mixed-age groups have plenty to choose from too, including Zavala’s barbecue, Lone Star Park, Asia Times Square, Traders Village and the restaurants throughout the city.

With Grand Prairie positioned between Dallas and Fort Worth and close to DFW Airport, it can work particularly well as a base for exploring the larger metroplex.

The biggest takeaway from my Grand Prairie visit? Don’t assume you’ve already seen everything just because you’ve spent time in DFW. Grand Prairie has its own personality, and there are enough things to do here to fill a weekend without having to constantly drive into Dallas or Fort Worth.

And frankly, any Texas destination where I can eat barbecue, watch horse racing, wander through an international market sipping a Vietnamese Salt Coffee, and end the night watching 60-foot fountains dance to music has earned a spot on my weekend-getaway list.