From the first Dallas city government in 1856 to 1872, City Aldermen met in a series of rented quarters. In 1872 a committee was formed to investigate a site for a permanent city hall. The City entered into an agreement with a Mr. Caplin to erect a two story building at Main and Akard streets, whereby city offices would occupy the second floor. In 1881 Municipal offices moved to Commerce and Lamar streets.

The Renaissance Revival City Hall building that occupied the site of the present Adolphus Hotel.

The seat of city government moved once again when, on June 29, 1889 the Commerce and Akard Street location opened. This castle-like Renaissance revival structure of stone served as city hall until an offer too good to pass up was made. On June 22, 1910 the Commerce and Akard land sold to beer baron Adolphus Busch, who had the old city hall razed and on its site built the luxurious hotel that still bears his name: the Adolphus. During the wait for a new building, temporary quarters were established in a house on Commerce Street between St. Paul and Harwood.

The Beaux-Arts Style City Hall building, called the Municipal Building.

With the Busch money and other funds, the City purchased land in 1911-1912 from Eliza Trice and Otto H. Lang and from the Sweeney Family. Bid specifications and plans were drawn up in 1913 and that Spring Fred A. Jones Building Company contracted with the city to build the new city hall. Because the building company filed for bankruptcy later that year, the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to accept the sale and transfer of materials to the receiver, C. C. Street, Jr., and proceeded with the completion of the building. The Municipal Building opened October 17, 1914, designed by C. D. Hill.

In the basement of this structure on Nov. 24, 1963, Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy.

“It’s time to sing or get away from the piano,” remarked Mayor Wes Wise at the time of Dallas City Hall’s groundbreaking, referring to the long struggle and final commitment to begin the building of the present city hall. Planning for the Dallas Municipal Center, today known as Dallas City Hall, commenced in 1964 when the Dallas City Council appointed a Citizen's City Hall Site Committee to select an appropriate location for new municipal administration offices.

A search committee of prominent citizens settled on I.M. Pei, world famous designer of the Louvre pyramid addition, the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, and Dallas’ Morton Meyerson Center. Construction of the new Dallas City Hall commenced on June 26, 1972 under the direction of contractor Robert E. McKee and Pei.

The project was completed in three phases. The City accepted the garage parking areas in November 1974; the Park Plaza in May 1976; and the building in December 1977. The cost of design and construction of the building, the Park Plaza and the garage was over $70 million. Controversies arose over cost overruns (the original estimated cost was $42.2 million) and aesthetic issues (was the building too avant-garde?), though most problems were addressed and work moved on to completion.

The present Dallas City Hall is situated on an 11.8-acre site near the center of downtown Dallas. The overall square footage is approximately one million square feet, including over 374,000 square feet of useable office space, two levels of underground parking for 1,426 cars as well as public space including the Council Chamber, Flag Room and Great Court.

The first Dallas City Council meeting was held in the building's City Council Chamber on February 1, 1978. The City Council Chamber is three-stories high with theatre-style seating for 250 persons. The entire facility was formally opened and dedicated on March 12, 1978.

When it opened in 1978, City Hall contained 1,400 workstations. It had few floor-to-ceiling walls, using instead five, six, and seven-foot high partitions to create separate offices. The absence of walls allowed employees and visitors to have window views from all areas. The second floor of Dallas City Hall is referred to as the Great Court because of its 250-foot length and the uninterrupted height to the vaulted ceiling approximately 100 feet above.

The Park Plaza is two blocks long and one block wide and is bounded by Young, Ervay, Marilla and Akard streets. The Plaza includes a 180-foot diameter reflecting pool, a variable height fountain, park benches and three distinctive 84-foot high flagpoles. The Plaza is landscaped with trees native to Texas-live oaks and red oaks. The reflective pool for many years held large floating sculptures designed by artist Marta Pan.

Recent improvements to Dallas City Hall include a state-of-the-art Conference Center that includes a 156-seat auditorium and three conference rooms.