The 561-foot geodesic globe that has defined the Dallas horizon for over four decades, and everything you need to know before you visit.
There are buildings, and then there are symbols. Reunion Tower belongs to the second category, the kind of structure that people draw when they're trying to describe Dallas to someone who's never been.
Ask any Dallas local what first comes to mind when they picture the city's skyline, and the answer is almost always the same: that glowing ball hovering over downtown at night. Reunion Tower has anchored the Dallas horizon since 1978, when it opened as the centerpiece of a sweeping urban redevelopment project meant to breathe new life into the area near historic Union Station. Nearly five decades later, it hasn't just survived, it's become the shorthand for Dallas itself.
Standing 561 feet tall with its signature geodesic dome capping the top, Reunion Tower is operated by Omni Hotels and connects directly to the Hyatt Regency Dallas. But to reduce it to a hotel amenity would be a significant undersell. The tower draws visitors from across the country and around the world who come specifically to stand inside that glowing sphere and take in one of the most dramatic city views in the American South.
561 ft - Total Height
68 sec- Elevator to Top
360°-Panoramic Views
1978-Year Opened
Reunion Tower takes its name from the broader Reunion development project, itself named after La Réunion, a short-lived utopian French colony that settled near present-day Dallas in the 1850s. When city planners set out to revitalize the area around Union Station in the 1970s, they chose this name as a nod to the city's layered and surprising past.
The architectural firm Welton Becket and Associates designed the tower, completing construction in 1978. Its 260 high-wattage spherical lights were a deliberate choice, the dome was meant to be visible from miles away at night, functioning almost like a lighthouse for the city. And it worked. Photographs of Dallas taken from any direction invariably find their way to that glowing orb, often appearing to float above the rest of the skyline.
"Reunion Tower doesn't just overlook Dallas, it watches over it. On a clear night, the dome catches the city's glow and throws it back like a second sun." -Architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News
The tower underwent a significant renovation in 2012 when the GeO-Deck, the public observation level was completely reimagined. New interactive technology, better camera positions, and cleaner sightlines transformed what was already a great view into one of the premier urban observation experiences in Texas.
The centerpiece of any Reunion Tower visit is the GeO-Deck, an indoor-outdoor observation experience located 470 feet above street level. Getting there takes exactly 68 seconds via high-speed elevator, fast enough to feel like a mild thrill on its own.
Once up top, the views reach well beyond Dallas proper. On a clear day, you can see the sprawl of the Metroplex fanning out in every direction, DFW Airport to the northwest, Arlington's stadium cluster to the west, and the dense interior neighborhoods bleeding into the suburbs in all directions. The outdoor observation level is open-air, meaning you'll feel the wind and, on winter evenings, the full effect of a North Texas cold front rolling through.
What separates the GeO-Deck from a standard observation tower is the technology layered into the experience. High-definition cameras mounted around the exterior of the dome feed live footage to interactive touch screens, letting visitors zoom into specific neighborhoods, landmarks, and streets below in real time. It's part live camera, part city map, and genuinely engaging, even for people who've lived in Dallas their entire lives.
The best time to visit the GeO-Deck is roughly 30-45 minutes before sunset. You'll catch the full daylight view first, then watch the city transition to its nighttime grid of lights, two experiences in a single admission price. Weeknight visits are noticeably less crowded than weekend afternoons.
Just above the GeO-Deck sits Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck, the tower's signature dining experience. The restaurant occupies a slow-rotating level of the dome, completing one full revolution approximately every 55 minutes. The menu is pan-Asian influenced, with a sushi and sashimi program that draws regulars who come as much for the ambience as the food. Reservations are generally recommended for dinner service, particularly on weekends and during the State Fair season in October.
Even if a full dinner isn't on the agenda, the lounge level of Five Sixty is worth knowing about for cocktails. Watching the downtown arts district rotate past your drink is one of the more quietly memorable ways to spend an evening in Dallas.
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Address |
300 Reunion Blvd E, Dallas, TX 75207 |
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Nearest DART |
Union Station (Green, Blue, Red & Orange lines), short walk |
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Parking |
Omni Hotel garage on-site; street parking limited on weekends. Several surface lots nearby in West End. |
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GeO-Deck Hours |
Sunday-Thursday 10am-10pm; Friday-Saturday 10am-10:30pm (verify on their site, hours seasonal) |
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Admission |
Adults from $26; children under 4 free. Book online to avoid queues. |
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Best For |
Couples, visitors, photography, special dinners, corporate events |
Reunion Tower sits at the southwestern corner of downtown Dallas, which makes it an excellent hub for exploring nearby attractions. The West End Historic District is a five-minute walk and offers a dense cluster of restaurants, bars, and entertainment options. Dealey Plaza, one of the most historically significant sites in American history, is just a few blocks east, and the Dallas Arts District is a manageable walk or short ride north.
Arriving in Dallas? Your Car Deserves the Same Attention as the View!
If you're heading to Reunion Tower for a special dinner at Five Sixty, a sunset visit with out-of-town guests, or even just a first-time visit to the city, first impressions matter and that includes your vehicle. Reunion Tower's valet and the Omni's entrance are high-traffic, high-visibility spots. Dallas locals notice the details.
We offer mobile car detailing across the Dallas metro, we come to your home, your office, or anywhere in between. A full interior and exterior detail takes a few hours, and we can work around your schedule so your car is showroom-clean before you ever pull up to 300 Reunion Blvd. Learn more about Dallas car detailing.
If you happen to be anywhere with a view of the Dallas skyline at night, keep an eye on the top of Reunion Tower. The dome's 260 programmable LED lights are used for more than just decoration, the tower participates in citywide events, holidays, and awareness campaigns by shifting its color scheme. Cowboys game nights turn the dome blue and silver. Texas Independence Day gets a Lone Star treatment. Even major sporting events and local milestones find their way into the rotation.
The light show has become a form of civic communication. Dallas residents track the colors almost the way they track the weather, it tells you something about what's happening in the city tonight. Visitors who don't know the system just see a beautiful, pulsing ball of light above the skyline. Those who've been here long enough know it's a message.
Given its location at the southwest edge of downtown, Reunion Tower works well as either a starting point or a cap to a broader Dallas day. Here are the natural extensions:
A ten-minute walk east takes you to one of the most visited sites in Texas. The Sixth Floor Museum occupies the former Texas School Book Depository building and chronicles the events of November 22, 1963 with remarkable depth and care. It's a sobering but essential Dallas experience, and the surrounding Dealey Plaza is surprisingly small and intimate in person.
Just north and west of the tower, the West End is Dallas's entertainment and dining hub for the downtown crowd. Converted warehouses house restaurants, bars, and event spaces. It's an easy dinner option before or after the GeO-Deck, especially if Five Sixty's pricing isn't in the budget.
A short drive or ride north puts you at the Perot Museum, an architecturally striking building that houses some of the best science exhibits in the Southwest. It's particularly well-suited for families. The combination of Reunion Tower and the Perot makes for a complete day in Dallas without ever feeling rushed.
If you're driving and plan to visit both Reunion Tower and Dealey Plaza, park in the Omni garage and walk east. The garage rates are reasonable for a few hours, and walking along Reunion Blvd toward the West End gives you a street-level feel for the downtown area that you miss entirely by rideshare. Just make sure your car is clean enough that you don't mind leaving it with a valet, a lot of Five Sixty guests do.
Beyond public admissions, Reunion Tower and the Five Sixty space are popular for private events. Corporate dinners, proposals, anniversary celebrations, and reception events are all part of the tower's portfolio. The rotating restaurant floor creates a natural wow factor for guests who haven't experienced it before, and the nighttime city views are reliably spectacular.
If you're planning a private event at the tower, the Omni Hotel's event team manages bookings and can coordinate catering, A/V, and scheduling. Lead time of four to six weeks is typical for smaller private events; larger corporate buyouts require more runway.
For visitors flying into DFW or Love Field and heading directly to an event at Reunion Tower, the drive through downtown is itself an introduction to the city. The first time you see the skyline approaching on I-35 or Commerce Street, with the dome glowing above everything else, is a moment Dallas locals tend to remember from their own first visits.
In a city that tears things down and rebuilds them constantly, Reunion Tower is a rare example of something that has only grown in meaning over time. It was built as an anchor for downtown revitalization, and that's exactly what it became, not just architecturally, but culturally. The tower is on the license plate of Dallas's identity. It appears on postcards, in films, in every aerial shot of the skyline that's been taken in the last 45 years.
But beyond the symbolism, it's simply a good visit. The GeO-Deck delivers what it promises. The elevator is quick. The views are genuine. The restaurant is worth the splurge at least once. And the surrounding neighborhood has enough to fill a full day for anyone making the trip to downtown Dallas.
If you're visiting Dallas for the first time, Reunion Tower isn't optional. It's the starting point, the view from which everything else in the city begins to make sense. Learn About The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.