The mention of Dallas still brings to mind J.R. Ewing of the 1980s hit TV show named after the city, or, more likely, the black and white memories of a brisk and sad November day in 1963, when a president was assassinated here. But whatever images the city produces in your mind, be sure to pronounce it "Deh-lis," according to columnist and author Molly Ivins.

Built by oil and cattle barons, and run by big business such as Electronic Data Systems, Texas Instruments, 7-Eleven, Southwest Airlines and J.C. Penney today, Dallas grew up snootier than it's next-door neighbor, Fort Worth. For years, there was fierce competition between the two cities. Amon Carter, Sr., the late publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, brought along a sack lunch whenever he had to attend a meeting in Dallas: He wasn't about to spend a dime in Dallas. And, there's evidence the rivalry still exists. A new national home magazine called Dwell recently called up this Fort Worth humor: "What does Dallas have that Fort Worth doesn't? Answer: A nice city 30 miles away." Ouch!

While Amon Carter worried about nickels and dimes, today's business traveler to "Big D" is likely to spend more than a few dimes, but there's plenty to see and do on an extra day in this metropolis that is home to trade, transport, tech and cultural diversity. The Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau says that of the 13.1 million visitors to Dallas in 2001, 3.5 million were business travelers.

The fatal shot — With only one extra day to spend in Dallas, the Sixth Floor Museum of the old Texas School Book Depository is a must. People who are old enough to remember the events of Nov. 22, 1963, will be immediately transported back to the moment they heard that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas. The official story is detailed here, where historians say an angry Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shot from a sixth-floor corner window of this building. Visitors can look down to Dealey Plaza (500 Main and Houston streets), which was built in the 1930s and was once considered the ceremonial gateway to Dallas. Exhibits in the museum explore Kennedy's life, details of his visit to Dallas that day, the political mood in the city, and other topics. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and children 6 to 18, and free for kids under 6. 411 Elm St.; 214-747-6660; www.jfk.org.

After the museum, walk two blocks east to the 50-foot-square, open-roofed "empty tomb" designed by Phillip Johnson that commemorates the JFK assassination. The memorial, built in 1969, is open 24 hours a day and is lit from underneath at night. Intersection of Main, Market and Commerce streets.

And if you still don't buy the official government line, visit the Conspiracy Museum a half-block south, where other theories about Kennedy's death are presented, along with allegations of conspiracies and cover-ups in high-profile cases such as the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., and the crash of Flight 007 off the coast of Korea. Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students and $3 for children 12 and under. 110 S. Market St.; 214-741-3040; www.conspiracymuseum.com.

Thoroughly modern — That's how Dallasites Raymond and the late Patsy Nasher preferred their artwork. Raymond D. Nasher was among the first real estate developers in the country to include public art, primarily sculpture, in commercial complexes. Along the way, he and his wife collected a few pieces for themselves. They shared all they could in their front yard in North Dallas and in a lot they purchased across the street. But that wasn't enough for Nasher, who opened the Nasher Sculpture Center in downtown Dallas in October 2003. The permanent collection contains works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edgar Degas, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore and others. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. Admission, which includes an audio tour, is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for students, and free for young children. 2001 Flora St.; 214-242-5100; www.nashersculpturecenter.org.

On safari — The Dallas Zoo, located three miles south of downtown, uses a slow-moving monorail to transport zoo visitors through six African habitats. Visitors to the 95 acres of habitats glide through forests, mountains, deserts, bush, woodlands and riverbanks. The best time to visit is before those searing 100-degree temperatures make long summer days unfit for both man and beast. The more adventurous can take a nature hike through the 25-acre Wilds of Africa exhibit. Visit mock safari stations along the way and come a bit closer to the real experience. The zoo, founded in 1888, is also one of the country's top animal research facilities. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Christmas Day. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for seniors and kids 3 to 11, and free to kids under 3. 650 South R.L. Thornton Freeway (I-35 East) at Marsalis Avenue, exit; 214-670-5656; www.dallas-zoo.org.

Art in all its forms — The Dallas Museum of Art has played host to some impressive traveling exhibits over the years, and its permanent collection includes works by impressionists Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh and Cezanne, paintings and sculptures by post-World War II American artists, pre-Colombian and Egyptian art, African, Asian, contemporary and Indonesian art, as well as impressive photo collections. Current and upcoming special exhibits include "Before Impressionism: French 19th-Century Art at the Dallas Museum of Art," masterworks from the museum's permanent collection including works by Courbet, Corot, Daubigny, Delacroix, Manet, Millet and Rousseau (through Jan. 2, 2005) and "Splendors of China's Forbidden City:The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong," which features 400 national treasures and artifacts from 18th-century imperial China (through May 29, 2005).

Located on the northern edge of downtown, it's open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (open until 9 p.m. Thursday). Admission is free the first Tuesday of each month. At all other times, it's $6 for adults, $4 for seniors, and free for students and children under 12. 1717 N. Harwood St.; 214-922-1200; www.dm-art.org.

Head west — The most important art museums in the area can be found in Fort Worth, an hour west on Interstate 30. If you plan to visit, you need the better part of a day. There are three museums, and each one is worth the trip. The Kimbell Art Museum about two miles west of downtown Fort Worth is richly endowed with masterpieces by Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet and Matisse, along with a fine collection of Asian, Pre-Columbian, African and Egyptian art. Designed by Louis Kahn, the building itself is thought by many to be a work of art. It is considered to be among the best small museums in the country. Upcoming special exhibits include "Stubbs the Horse," 40 paintings and 30 drawings by George Stubbs, British painter of animals and outdoor life (through Feb. 6, 2005). Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Tuesday through Thursday, from noon to 8 p.m. Friday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free, although there is a fee for special exhibits. 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd.; 817-332-8451; www.kimbellart.org.

Just down the street, the Amon Carter Museum houses one of the finest exhibits of photography in the country, including works by Richard Avedon and Laura Gilpin. There is much to see here, from Remington to O'Keefe. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (open until 8 p.m. Thursday) and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd.; 214-565-9026; www.cartermuseum.org.

Also nearby is the Museum of Modern Art, with an impressive holding of nearly 3,000 pieces of post-World War II artwork, including works by Picasso, Pollock and Rothko. The museum's new home, a modern concrete structure designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, opened last winter, allowing the museum to display its entire collection for the grand opening. Prowling the nooks and crannies of Ando's masterpiece, rubbing the various textures of concrete is almost a museum experience in and of itself. Upcoming exhibits include "Ruckus Rodeo," an exhibit of two-dimensional works (through Feb. 6, 2005). Now known simply as "The Modern," the museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. 3200 Darnell St.; 817-738-9215; www.themodern.org.

Never forget — Troubling as it may be for some, the only way to enter the Dallas Holocaust Memorial Center is through a cattle car that was actually used to transport Jews to concentration camps in Europe during World War II. Videotaped testimonies of survivors are moving, and local Holocaust survivor Mike Jacobs, who was instrumental in bringing the rail car from Europe to Dallas, can often be found at the museum, talking about his experiences. The center, located at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center eight miles north of downtown, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (until 9 p.m. Thursday from September through May) and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The suggested donation is $3 for adults and $2 for children. 7900 Northaven Rd.; 214-750-4654; www.dallasholocaustmemorialcenter.org.

View from the top — For a bird's-eye view of Dallas, go to the top of the 50-story Reunion Tower, which looms over downtown with a giant ball-shaped top that houses an observation deck, Antares restaurant and a revolving lounge. The restaurant's New American cuisine is good, but the view is the main attraction. The observation tower is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. The ride up the elevator costs $2 for adults and $1 for seniors and students. Children 12 and under are admitted free. 300 Reunion Blvd.; 214-651-1234.

Take the trolley — Jump aboard a restored old electric streetcar, the McKinney Avenue Trolley, which travels a three-mile route between the downtown Arts District and all the restaurants and shops in the McKinney Avenue area, making stops at various points such as McKinney Avenue Antique Market and McKinney Avenue Contemporary art gallery. The M-Line, as it is now called, operates in cooperation with Dallas Area Rapid Transit and is a Heritage Historical Trolley System. The 40-minute ride between the Dallas Museum of Art and the City Place Light Rail Station takes 40 minutes and is free. The trolley operates weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. 3153 Oak Grove Ave.; 214-855-000; www.mata.org.

Head to Southfork — No, J.R. doesn't live here any more. He's dead, remember? (Or is he?) The television show that spawned a million impressions about Dallas is long gone, but those who still remember the antics and attitudes of the moneyed, bad-tempered Ewings can still pay homage at the sprawling ranch house where the hit 1980s TV series' filming was based. In addition to being a tourist attraction, Southfork is also used as an event and conference center. It was spiffed up with a multimillion-dollar renovation several years ago, and today thousands of visitors pour through the gates every year. Inside you'll find a museum, a clothing/gift shop and a deli. The ranch is about 20 miles north of Dallas, off US-75 (Central Expressway) at the Parker Road exit. There are daily tours every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $7.95 for adults, $6.95 for seniors, $5.95 for kids 4-12 and free for kids under 4. 3700 Hogge Rd. at Parker Road; 972-442-7800; www.southfork.com.

For the kids — Located in Arlington, halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, Six Flags Over Texas offers all the classic amusement park fare. It's a 205-acre park with more than 100 rides, shows and attractions. It's a roller-coaster lover's paradise, with seven coasters, including the 255-foot Titan which hurls you around at 85 mph. Pick the right night and see a big-name performer at the 10,000-seat Music Mill Amphitheatre. Days and hours of operation vary, so check before you go. Admission is $42.89 for adults; $26.80 for seniors and kids; free for kids under 2. 2201 Road to Six Flags East at I-30 and Highway 360; 817-640-8900; www.sixflags.com/parks/overtexas/home.asp.

Polka lovers — If polka's more your tune, don't miss the Czech community of Ennis' National Polka Festival. Located an hour south of Dallas, the town has welcomed polka lovers from around the country for 37 years. There will be dancing in three halls, a downtown parade, arts, crafts, family activities and plenty of Czech food. The event takes place the last weekend in May each year. Downtown attractions are free, while an event pass is $19. 972-878-4748; www.nationalpolkafestival.com.

By Binnie Fisher, USATODAY.com