Look up at the glowing sphere locals call 'The Ball,' 561 feet above the Reunion district of downtown Dallas. Locally known as 'The Ball,' it was designed by Welton Becket & Associates and completed on February 2, 1978 alongside the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion as part of an urban redevelopment project that also renovated historic Union Station. Although construction finished in February, the landmark officially opened to the public on April 15, 1978 and quickly became one of Dallas' most recognizable attractions and a defining feature of the city's skyline.
For two decades the tower stood free‑standing until the construction of an addition to the Hyatt Regency Dallas and surrounding complex in 1998 altered its immediate setting. Today, the story of this spot ties the soaring observation sphere to transit and renewal: Union Station, refreshed in the same project, now services Amtrak, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and the Trinity Railway Express to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Fort Worth. Below you, Union Station still carries travelers toward Fort Worth, the Hyatt Regency's 1998 addition framing the glowing sphere against the skyline.