Sports-crazed Dallas

updated 12:23 p.m. ET May 8, 2006

Dallas is sports-mad, one of the only cities in the U.S. to support teams in six professional sports. Tickets to pro sporting events are available from Central Tickets (tel. 817/335-9000), Star Tickets (tel. 972/660-8300), and Ticketmaster (tel. 214/373-8000).

AUTO RACING
The Texas Motor Speedway, I-35W at Highway 114, north of Fort Worth (tel. 817-215-8500); is said to be the third-largest sporting complex in the world. It's the place to see NASCAR, Indy, and motorcycle racing. Plan on joining a crowd; more than 150,000 people can attend the races here.

BASEBALL
The Texas Rangers (formerly owned by the current president of the U.S.) play from April to October at one of the finest stadiums in the country, the Ameriquest Field in Arlington, I-30 at Highway 157, Arlington (tel. 817/273-5100), a home field that recalls the glory days of baseball. Of special interest is the fascinating Legends of the Game Baseball Museum, with rare pieces on loan from the Cooperstown Baseball Museum (the only stadium so fortunate).

The Frisco Rough Riders (tel. 972/334-1909), the Texas Rangers feeder team, play minor league at the new stadium at Highway S. 12 between Dallas North Tollway and Parkwood Boulevard.

BASKETBALL
The Dallas Mavericks (tel. 214/747-MAVS or 214/665-4797), one of the top teams in the NBA, call the American Airlines Center home. The excellent arena, built by the same architect who created the critically acclaimed Ballpark in Arlington for the Texas Rangers, opened in July 2001. Single-game tickets are $10 to $225 and can be a bit hard to come by, as popular as the Mavs are at home.

FOOTBALL

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The Dallas Cowboys, five-time Super Bowl Champions and (at least formerly) "America's Team," play from August to December at Texas Stadium, 2401 E. Airport Fwy., Irving (tel. 972/785-4800), the arena with the famous hole in the roof. Individual game tickets, which cost $36 to $68, used to be nearly impossible to come by, but as the team's fortunes have dipped, you have a better chance of scoring one on short notice. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, who started a professional trend of scantily clad females bouncing around on the sidelines, still shimmy and cheer them on, big hairdos, cleavage, and all. Tours of Texas Stadium are available on a daily basis. The Dallas Desperados play arena football (AFL) in the spring at American Airlines Stadium in Irving; call tel. 972/785-4900 or visit www.dallasdesperados.com for information.

GOLF
The PGA Byron Nelson Classic, named for a local legend, has been held in Dallas for the past 3 decades every May. Check out some of the top names in professional golf at the Four Seasons Resort and Club (call tel. 972/717-1200 for tickets).

HOCKEY
Dallas may not seem like the most logical place for a professional ice hockey team, but Big D has one of the best, the Dallas Stars (the 2000 Western Conference Champions), and Dallasites are wild about them. The Stars play at the American Airlines Center; the season is September through April. The Stars sell out all of their home games, so plan ahead if you want to see a game (tel. 214/GO-STARS). Tickets range from $25 to $300, and family packs (tickets and food) are available.

RODEO
One of the top rodeos in Texas, and a huge draw for out-of-towners and travelers from abroad, is the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, about 20 miles northeast of downtown at Resistol Arena, 1818 Rodeo Dr. (tel. 800/833-9339 or 972/285-8777). You can check out some authentic professional rodeo action -- bull riding, saddle and bareback riding, calf roping, and chuck wagon races -- on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm (reserved grandstand seating $14; general admission $10 adults, $7 seniors, $4 children under 12). Animal rights sympathizers might feel a bit squeamish watching some of the roping exercises, which snap calves' heads back violently. There's a petting zoo for kids and a gift shop for Western duds just like the ones the cowboys and their fans will be sporting. Rodeo season is April through October.

SOCCER
The newest professional team in the area, FC Dallas, play outdoor soccer (MLS). They will move from the Cotton Bowl in spring 2005 to their new home north of Dallas, in Frisco, at the Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Center, where the MLS Cup will be held in November 2005. The season lasts from April to October. Tickets cost $9 to $60. Call tel. 214/979-0303 or visit www.dallasburn.com/ for more information.

The Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Indoor Soccer League used to play at the American Airlines Center, but the team was inactive during the 2004-05 season. The league hopes that the team will make its return to Dallas for the 2005-06 season; visit www.dallassidekicks.com for updates.

For more of what to see and do in Dallas, visit the Frommers.com online attractions index.

Frommer’s is America’s bestselling travel guide series. Visit Frommers.com to find great deals, get information on over 3,500 destinations, and book your trip. © 2006 Wiley Publishing, Inc. Republication or redistribution of Frommer's content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Wiley.

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