Dallas Market Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dallas Market Center |
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Dallas Market Center (Trade Mart to the left, World Trade Center to the right)
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| Coordinates | 32°48′11″N 96°49′30″W / 32.803°N 96.825°W |
| Inaugurated | 1957 (Homefurnishings) |
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| Enclosed space | |
| Public transit access | DART Light Rail, Orange and Green lines (Market Center station) |
The Dallas Market Center is a huge business hub in Dallas, Texas. It's like a giant shopping mall, but only for businesses! Here, companies sell products like gifts, lights, home decorations, clothes, and shoes.
This center is not open to the public. Instead, it's a place where retail buyers (people who buy things for stores), interior designers, and manufacturers meet. They come to see new products and place big orders.
The Dallas Market Center is also famous for a sad historical event. In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was on his way to give a speech here when he was assassinated.
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Exploring the Dallas Market Center Campus
The Dallas Market Center is made up of four main buildings. These are the World Trade Center, the Trade Mart, the International Trade Plaza, and Market Hall. Together, they cover a huge area, about 5 million square feet!
Inside these buildings, you'll find almost 2,300 permanent showrooms. These showrooms display over 35,000 different product lines. Products come from manufacturers all over the world.
The World Trade Center
The largest building is the World Trade Center. It has 15 stories and is about 3 million square feet. Here, you can find showrooms for gifts, home accessories, lighting, and even toys! There are also sections for jewelry, rugs, and gourmet foods.
The International Trade Plaza
The International Trade Plaza is the oldest building at the Dallas Market Center. It has two stories.
A Look Back in Time: History of the Market Center
The Dallas Market Center was started in 1957 by a real estate developer named Trammell Crow. The very first building was called the Dallas Homefurnishings Mart. It was designed by Donald H. Speck. This building is now known as The International Trade Plaza.
The first big event at the center happened in July 1957. About 1,850 people came to visit. Today, the biggest events attract over 50,000 visitors! These visitors come from all over the United States and many other countries.
The Dallas Trade Mart
The Dallas Trade Mart was the second building to open, in 1958. It was designed by Harold Berry, Donald Speck, and Harwell Hamilton Harris. This building cost over $12 million to build.
The Trade Mart was the planned destination for President John F. Kennedy's motorcade on November 22, 1963. He was supposed to give a speech to 2,600 people at a special lunch there. Sadly, he was assassinated before he could arrive.
In 1964, a famous English sculptor named Elisabeth Frink created a bronze sculpture called "The Eagle." It sits outside the main entrance of the Trade Mart today. A plaque on it remembers President Kennedy and the friends who were waiting for him.
The Apparel Mart and World Trade Center
In 1964, the Apparel Mart opened. It was a place for buying and selling clothes and accessories for men, women, and children. It closed in 2004, and now clothing showrooms are located in the World Trade Center.
The World Trade Center, which is the main building of the campus, opened in 1974. It first had seven stories, but it was later made even bigger to have 15 floors.
Big Events and Trade Shows
The Dallas Market Center hosts many trade events throughout the year. These include nine major markets that bring in about 200,000 retail buyers.
One special event is the ARTS Awards gala. This event celebrates great achievements in retail, manufacturing, and design.
The Toy Industry Association also holds its Fall Toy Preview here. This is a very important show for toy companies. They show off new toys that are still being developed for the next year.
Images for kids
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Market Hall (2018)
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Dallas World Trade Center (2018)
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