Dallas is sports-mad, one of the only cities in the U.S. to support teams in six professional sports. Tickets to pro sporting events are available from Central Tickets (tel. 817/335-9000), Star Tickets (tel. 972/660-8300), and Ticketmaster (tel. 214/373-8000).

Ticket Central -- For tickets to sporting events and performances, try Central Tickets (tel. 800/462-7979 or 817/335-9000), Star Tickets (tel. 888/597-STAR), or Front Gate Tickets (tel. 888/512-7469). For many events, there's little need to secure tickets in advance of your trip, but that's not the case with big sporting and musical performances.

Baseball -- The Texas Rangers (formerly owned by the current president of the U.S., George W. Bush) play from April to October at one of the finest stadiums in the country, Rangers Stadium in Arlington, I-30 at Highway 157 (tel. 817/273-5100), a home field that recalls the glory days of baseball. Of special interest is the fascinating Legends of the Game Baseball Museum, with rare pieces on loan from the Cooperstown Baseball Museum (the only stadium so fortunate).

The Frisco Rough Riders (tel. 972/334-1909), the Texas Rangers feeder team, play minor league at the new stadium at Highway S. 12 between Dallas North Tollway and Parkwood Boulevard.

Basketball -- The Dallas Mavericks (tel. 214/747-MAVS or 214/665-4797), one of the top teams in the NBA, call the American Airlines Center home. The excellent arena, built by the same architect who created the critically acclaimed Rangers Stadium in Arlington for the Texas Rangers, opened in July 2001. Single-game tickets (available at Ticketmaster, tel. 214/373-8000) are $10 to $225 and can be a bit hard to come by, as popular as the Mavs are at home. Tours of the arena are available on nonevent days at 10:30am.

Football -- The Dallas Cowboys, five-time Super Bowl Champions and (at least formerly) "America's Team," play from August to December at Texas Stadium, 2401 E. Airport Fwy., Irving (tel. 972/785-4800), the arena with the famous hole in the roof. Individual game tickets, which cost $36 to $68, aren't easy to come by, so plan ahead if you want to avoid paying high broker's fees. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, who started a professional trend of scantily clad females bouncing around on the sidelines, still shimmy and cheer them on, big hairdos, cleavage, and all. Tours of Texas Stadium are available on a daily basis. The Dallas Desperados play arena football (AFL) in the spring at American Airlines Stadium in Irving; call tel. 972/785-4900 or visit their website for information.

Golf -- The PGA Byron Nelson Classic, named for a local legend, has been held in Dallas for the past 3 decades every May. Check out some of the top names in professional golf at the Four Seasons Resort and Club (call tel. 972/717-1200 for tickets).

Hockey -- Dallas may not seem like the most logical place for a professional ice hockey team, but Big D has one of the best, the Dallas Stars (the 2000 Western Conference Champions), and Dallasites are wild about them. The Stars play at the American Airlines Center; the season is September through April. The Stars sell out all of their home games, so plan ahead if you want to see a game (tel. 214/GO-STARS). Tickets (available at Ticketmaster, tel. 214/373-8000) range from $25 to $300, and family packs (tickets and food) are available.

Rodeo -- One of the top rodeos in Texas, and a huge draw for out-of-towners and travelers from abroad, is the Mesquite Championship Rodeo, about 20 miles northeast of downtown at Resistol Arena, 1818 Rodeo Dr. (tel. 800/833-9339 or 972/285-8777). You can check out some authentic professional rodeo action -- bull riding, saddle and bareback riding, calf roping, and chuck-wagon races -- on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm (reserved grandstand seating $14; general admission $10 adults, $7 seniors, $4 children younger than 12). Animal-rights sympathizers might feel a bit squeamish watching some of the roping exercises, which violently snap calves' heads back. There's a petting zoo for kids and a gift shop for Western duds just like the ones the cowboys and their fans will be sporting. Rodeo season is April through October.

Soccer -- The newest professional team in the area, FC Dallas, plays outdoor soccer (MLS). Conference champions in 2006, FC Dallas moved from the Cotton Bowl to Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, 30 miles north of Dallas, and drew 1.5 million fans to the 20,000-capacity stadium in its first full year there. The season lasts from April to October. Tickets cost $9 to $60. Call tel. 888/FCD-GOAL or visit their website for more information.

The Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Indoor Soccer League used to play at the American Airlines Center, but the team has been inactive during the last couple seasons. The league still hopes that the team will make its return to Dallas in the near future; visit their website for updates.