Things to Do in Frisco, TX for Sports, Museums and Parks
A railroad gave Frisco its name in 1904. A century later the town hosts an NFL practice facility, an MLS stadium and a ballpark with a lazy river. That mix makes it one of the more surprising stops in North Texas.
Frisco sits in Collin and Denton counties about 25 miles from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The 2020 census counted 200,509 residents. The attractions are spread across the city instead of packed into one downtown.
The short list of things to do in Frisco, TX runs from The Star and Toyota Stadium to the railroad and videogame museums, a free sculpture garden and a 63-acre park. The sections below sort them by why you came.
Things to Do in Frisco, TX Grouped by Reason for Visiting
| If you like | Start with |
|---|---|
| Football | The Star and the Ford Center |
| Soccer | Toyota Stadium |
| Baseball | Riders Field |
| Videogames | National Videogame Museum |
| Trains | Museum of the American Railroad |
| Art on a budget | Texas Sculpture Garden |
| Fresh air | Frisco Commons Park |
Pair two stops per day and check each venue’s current hours before you drive over.
The Star Puts the Cowboys in a Suburban Backyard
The Star is a 91-acre development in Frisco that serves as the Dallas Cowboys headquarters and practice facility. It opened in 2016 and cost about $1.5 billion to build. The centerpiece is the Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium used for practice and for Frisco ISD high school football.
Around it you will find a 300-room Omni hotel, the Ring of Honor Walk and a mix of shops and restaurants. Free areas include Tostitos Championship Plaza, the giant star set into the floor and the Hill of Honor. Check the schedule before you go, since access to practices and events follows the team calendar.
Toyota Stadium Hosts Soccer and a Hall of Fame
Toyota Stadium opened on August 6, 2005 as the home of FC Dallas in Major League Soccer. It started with 20,500 seats and was the third MLS stadium built specifically for soccer. The National Soccer Hall of Fame opened inside it in 2018, the first league hall of fame built within a stadium.
The stadium has hosted the NCAA Division I Football Championship since 2010 and the Frisco Bowl since 2017. A large redevelopment is planned to finish before the 2028 season, so confirm what is open before you go. Read more on Toyota Stadium’s history and renovation plans.
Riders Field Comes With a Lazy River
Riders Field opened on April 3, 2003 and is home to the Frisco RoughRiders, a Double-A baseball team. Architect David M. Schwarz designed it as a park within a ballpark with nine separate pavilions. A lazy river holding 68,000 gallons of water was added in 2016.
The ballpark was called Dr Pepper Ballpark from 2007 to 2020 before taking its current name in 2021. Older guides still use the previous name, so search both when you look for tickets.
Pac-Man and Pong Live at the Videogame Museum
The National Videogame Museum opened in Frisco on April 2, 2016 in 10,400 square feet. It holds classic arcade machines like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, a giant Pong installation and playable console games. Rare pieces include a Nintendo World Championships cartridge and the only known prototype of the unreleased Sega Neptune. For a Texas beach break instead, see our guide to South Padre Island.
It sits inside the Frisco Discovery Center beside the Sci-Tech Discovery Center and TrainTopia. Everything here is built to be played, which makes it a solid backup when the weather turns.
Park Once
The Frisco Discovery Center houses three partner museums under one roof: the National Videogame Museum, Sci-Tech Discovery Center and TrainTopia. You can see all three on a single stop.
Railroad Giants at the Museum of the American Railroad
The Museum of the American Railroad holds more than 70 pieces of rail equipment on 15 acres. Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4018, a 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive built in 1941, anchors the collection. So does the Frisco railway’s own No. 4501, which pulled the Meteor passenger train.
The museum began as a small exhibit at Fair Park in Dallas in 1963 and finished its move to Frisco in November 2011. TrainTopia at the Discovery Center adds more than 2,500 feet of G-scale model track. The separate Frisco Heritage Center and Museum has a steam locomotive, a wooden caboose and historic buildings. Another Texas stop with a different personality is covered in our guide to Waco, Texas.
A Free Sculpture Garden and a Park for Slow Hours
The Texas Sculpture Garden is free and holds the largest private collection of contemporary Texas sculpture open to the public. Pick up a map in the lobby at 6801 Gaylord Parkway or take the free audio tour.
Frisco Commons Park covers 63 acres and opened in 2004 with an amphitheater, a fishing pond, trails and a playground. It includes Hope Park, a play space designed for all abilities. Frisco’s city parks open 30 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes after sunset.
Matching Stops to Ages
For younger kids start with the Commons Park playground and Hope Park. The Sci-Tech Discovery Center is a hands-on science stop. KidZania inside Stonebriar Centre lets children try grown-up jobs indoors.
Teens tend to gravitate to the videogame museum and a night game at Riders Field or Toyota Stadium. Toddlers do better with the park and the model trains than with a long museum day.
The biggest new stop is Universal Kids Resort, a 20 acre theme park and 300 room hotel that opened on July 1, 2026. News reports list tickets from $54.99 and attractions themed around Minions, Trolls, SpongeBob, Shrek and Jurassic Park. It is built for young children, so teens may still prefer the videogame museum and the stadium games.
An Evening Out Without the Kids
The Rail District is Frisco’s historic downtown area with dining and shopping plus food trucks. Add a night game at Toyota Stadium or Riders Field for the main event. Golf fans can add the PGA of America headquarters, which brings championship courses to the city.
Where the Budget Stays Intact
The sculpture garden is free. Walking Frisco’s trails and parks costs nothing either, and guides also list the 22 foot T-Rex named Rexy at the public library and the 2.2 mile Big Bluestem Trail in Grand Park. Museums and stadium events charge admission, so pair one paid stop with free ones.
Listing prices help with a budget. The National Videogame Museum and TrainTopia are about $12 each, the National Soccer Hall of Fame about $15 and the Sci-Tech Discovery Center about $10. The Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple is another free stop.
Planning for This Weekend, Tonight or December
Dates change every season, so check each team’s calendar before you build a day around a game. FC Dallas and the RoughRiders post home schedules. Toyota Stadium’s postseason football game falls in bowl season. Free events listed for 2026 include Frisco Freedom Fest on July 3 and 4 and Music in the Square on June Fridays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Come for the Stadiums and Stay for the Trains
Frisco looks like a sports city at first glance. Spend a full day and the railroad history and the games show a quieter side.
Keep exploring through North America or Things to Do.
