Reunion TowerDallas's lit geodesic ball over downtown — the GeO-Deck observation level 470 feet up, with 360-degree skyline and prairie views

Reunion Tower opened in 1978 as part of the Reunion district redevelopment on the western edge of downtown, and its geodesic-sphere crown quickly became the most recognizable element of the Dallas skyline. The 'ball' is wrapped in hundreds of LED lights — originally incandescent bulbs — that put on a programmed nightly show and switch to themed colors for holidays, sports wins, and civic events.

The visitor experience is the GeO-Deck, the observation level 470 feet up. It's an indoor-and-outdoor deck with floor-to-ceiling glass, an open-air section, high-definition zoom telescopes, and interactive touchscreens that label the landmarks below. The 360-degree view takes in the downtown high-rises, Dealey Plaza and the Trinity River, the AT&T Discovery District, and the flat North Texas prairie running to the horizon — best at sunset, when the city lights come up.

Above the deck, the sphere also holds a revolving fine-dining restaurant that slowly rotates a full circle over the course of a meal. Pair a GeO-Deck visit with Pioneer Plaza's bronze longhorn cattle-drive sculpture two blocks east, or the AT&T Discovery District's giant media wall nearby. Allow about an hour for the deck, more if you're timing it for the sunset-to-night transition.