Teddy Bear Park Dallas Travel Guide

Teddy Bear Park is the prologue to one of Dallas’ prettiest spots. 

Lakeside Park is a fairytale story – a tale punctuated by galleries of trees, lily pads, and trails that wind through Turtle Creek. It’s a slow-moving fable, narrated through seasons.

Read More: Dragon Park Might Just Be Dallas’ Best Kept Secret

Teddy Bear Park Address

The official address of Teddy Bear Park is 4585-4657 Lakeside Dr, Dallas, TX 75205 (alternatively you can type in Teddy Bear Statues in Lakeside Park on Google Maps to get here).

Park street side and step onto a grassy stretch of green. Teddy Bear Park is located on a curve of Exall Lake, just past a spit of a bridge straddling a calm riparian bank and a free-flowing waterfall.

Within seconds, you’ll see a family of doe-eyed teddy bears living peacefully in a dirt lot curtained by high-cut hedges.

Travel Tip: Before you enter the bridge, walk left onto a connecting trail. The best waterfall vantage point is at the crook of the guardrails.

This is Teddy Bear Park. And it’s just as cute as it sounds.

History Of Teddy Bear Park Dallas

Year-end in North Texas usually feels like a lipstick touch of spring.

But in 1995, DFW faced an unusually cold Christmas. The temperature, in the mid-30s, neared a classic winter chill. There was no rain, no sleet, no snow.

On December 25th, the Harlon Crow family melted a dreary morning with a cheery donation – whimsical teddy bear statues in Highland Park. Crow is a son of Dallas. He has a smile that always seems mischevious. He’s a philanthropist and eccentric real estate developer, who took after his father, Trammell Crow, the same Crow who laid a nest of Asian art (The Crow Collection) in downtown.

The bears have been a centerpiece ever since.

Read More: Guide To The Dallas Arts District

What To Expect At Teddy Bear Park

In the evening, Teddy Bear Park feels like the start of a children’s novel.

As the sun sinks in the distance, Turtle Creek turns to pages colored pink and orange.

The 8 foot tall Mama Bear, bow intact, stares at a blush sky. Although a footpath gently meanders behind her, she looks ahead, bright-eyed.

As we spread out our mini picnic blanket, we’re joined by three cubs. One cub presses onto Mama Bear’s foot, another rests its paws on a clean-cut slice of bark, and the third smiles softly as it slides down a slope.

Teddy Bear Park, for the most part, is still a Dallas secret. It’s usually quiet, hidden behind thick, leaf-studded branches. It sits at the edge of Gatsby homes and lux 20th-century architecture.

Read More: Flippen Park Is The Most Romantic Park In Dallas

It’s in the center of rich greenery that steals our eyes – rolling banks, sharp unreal hues.

As we walk back, we pass Exall Lake again. It’s softly lit. And the landscape is hazily reflected on the water.

In the distance, we see Mama Bear and wave goodbye. Somedays, I wonder if she just might wave back.

Did you enjoy this travel guide to Teddy Bear Park in Dallas? Have you ever been to Teddy Bear Park in Dallas? Let me know in the comments below!