DALLAS -- In a city that hangs its hat on big money, a flashy skyline and well-heeled locals, a visit on the cheap might seem unlikely. But residents know it doesn't take a trust fund to have a good time here. For starters, sit down to a plate of cheap tacos and start people-watching.

Dallasites take their shopping seriously, so spending some time wandering the city's malls and shopping areas is a must. But if tempting yourself with shiny new things doesn't appeal, there are plenty of other options, like visiting museums, the John F. Kennedy Memorial or the Katy Trail.

GETTING AROUND

Visitors should rent a car while in Dallas, a city more known for eight-lane interstates than for being pedestrian-friendly. A public transportation system with buses and light rail, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (www.dart.org) offers $3 all-day passes, but check first to see how close it goes to your destination.

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (www.mata.org) runs a free trolley through the trendy Uptown area, lined with restaurants and bars. The trolley takes riders from near the Dallas Museum of Art to West Village, a development filled with restaurants, shops and a movie theater.

FAMOUS PLACES

With its catchy opening tune, the television series Dallas, about a wealthy Texas oil family, brought the city international attention in the late '70s and '80s. Drive about 40 minutes north of downtown and tour the Ewings' fictional home, Southfork Ranch, for $9.50 (www.southfork.com).

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, who was shot while riding through Dallas in a motorcade Nov. 22, 1963. Evidence showed that shots came from the sixth floor of the museum building, a former warehouse known as the Texas School Book Depository. Depository worker Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested in the assassination the day Kennedy was killed, but was shot to death two days later by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Admission to the museum (www.jfk.org) is $13.50 for adults, but the Dealey Plaza district is a National Historic Landmark and you can join other tourists checking out the area around the museum for free. Sites include a nearby memorial to Kennedy, as well as the infamous ``grassy knoll,'' a spot from which some witnesses thought gunfire emanated.

For an old-school shopping experience, go downtown to Neiman Marcus' flagship store (www.neimanmarcus.com).

Want to check out the new $1.15 billion stadium where the Dallas Cowboys will be playing this fall, but don't want to buy a game ticket? Take a tour of the retractable-roof stadium in nearby Arlington (http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/tours/tourInfo.cfm), $15 for adults.

ENTERTAINMENT

Laid-back bars line Greenville Avenue, starting just south of Mockingbird Lane. For a little boot-scootin', Gilley's Dallas (www.gilleysdallas.com) offers a chance to try out your two-step and hear live music. Cover is $8 on Fridays and $10-$15 on Saturdays. Free dance lessons are offered Saturdays, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Trinity Hall (www.trinityhall.tv), an Irish bar, serves everything from beer to wine to whiskey and also has live music. It's in Mockingbird Station, an outdoor shopping development with restaurants, shops and a movie theater not far from Southern Methodist University.

Aside from lots of shopping, Galleria Dallas has an indoor ice skating rink for those looking to cool off. Admission is $8, skate rental is $3.

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