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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
Why did you change your name?
Does the City of Dallas own Dallas Heritage Village?
Who owns the historic buildings and who is responsible for their upkeep?
Between Dallas Heritage Village and the City, who pays for what?
Where Does Dallas Heritage Village Funding Come From?
How Many People Visit Dallas Heritage Village Each Year?
Who owns the Yellow Cab property?
Do you have a restaurant on site?
Are the buildings original?
Will you be adding any more exhibit buildings?
Answers
Why did you change your name?
Though long-time residents of Dallas knew the history behind the name “Old City
Park,” many new residents did not. The name caused quite a bit of confusion—
people expected a traditional park, with swing sets and swimming pools, and
were surprised to find a museum filled with historic structures. In 2005, with the
help of focus groups and others, we changed our name to Dallas Heritage Village
at Old City Park to better reflect who we are and what we do.
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Does the City of Dallas own Dallas Heritage Village?
Yes and no. The City of Dallas owns the park land and the buildings. A nonprofit
organization called the Dallas County Heritage Society runs the museum
through a long term management agreement with the City of Dallas, Office of
Cultural Affairs and the Parks and Recreation Department.
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Who owns the historic buildings and who is responsible for their upkeep?
Since 1969, when Dallas Heritage Village opened Millermore, its first building, the
arrangement between the City and the museum has been this: Dallas Heritage
Village has been responsible for finding, moving, restoring, and furnishing the
buildings in the Village at private expense. The City is then officially responsible
for the repair and upkeep of the buildings, while the museum is responsible for
running the museum’s tours, education programs, and events.
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Between Dallas Heritage Village and the City, who pays for what?
Because of extremely limited funds from the City of Dallas, the museum pays
for most restoration, programming and presentation of the buildings and their
artifacts, as well as for the lion’s share of museum operating funds.
The Office of Cultural Affairs pays for utilities and approximately 14 per cent of
the operating funds, the amount of which must be negotiated each year. All other
revenues must be raised by the Board and by museum programs.
The Park and Recreation Department pays for general maintenance (mowing,
tree trimming, etc.) of the grounds and for repairs to drinking fountains and
irrigation lines.
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Where Does Dallas Heritage Village Funding Come From?
The museum has an annual budget of just over $1,000,000 (2010-11 figures).
Funding comes from a variety of sources:
| Membership and Contributions |
25% |
| City of Dallas |
14% |
| Facility Rentals |
08% |
| Gone to Texas Gala/Special Events |
25% |
| *Miscellaneous |
13% |
| School Tours/Ed. Programs |
12% |
| General Admission |
03% |
* Includes items such as Yellow Cab rent, gift
shop sales, memorial gifts, etc.
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How Many People Visit Dallas Heritage Village Each Year?
Approximately 60,000. Of these, we see over 20,000 area school children each
year. Roughly half of the general admission visitors are residents of Dallas-
Fort Worth and the other half are tourists from outside of Texas or from foreign
countries. Our foreign visitors often come on the weekend, and have heard
about Dallas Heritage Village through the internet.
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Who owns the Yellow Cab property?
The museum owns the property at the corner of Gano and South Ervay, which is
currently leased by Yellow Cab. This is the only parcel of land that the museum
owns.
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Do you have a restaurant on site?
No. Brent Place closed in 2003. That building now houses our Learning
Lounge, an interactive play space for children. Snacks and drinks are available
in our ticket office, and you’re more than welcome to bring a picnic lunch to the
museum.
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Are the buildings original?
All of the buildings are authentic, historic structures that were moved to Dallas
Heritage Village over the last 40 years. Original sites include the Cedars
Neighborhood (where we’re located), Plano, Carrollton, and land that is now
DFW airport. The only buildings here that are on their original sites are the
Rockhouse bathrooms (near the farmstead), the two administration buildings
across the street from the Donkey Paddock, and the Curatorial offices, next to
the Visitor Parking lot.
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Will you be adding any more exhibit buildings?
No. We feel that the buildings are a good representation of late 19th century life
in North Texas. In addition, we need to concentrate our fundraising efforts on
maintaining the buildings that are already here.
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