The Museum of Money is planning to open in downtown Dallas next month, promising to be “the only museum where you’ll leave richer.”
The museum, MoMoney, is planning to open on historic Dealey Plaza at 501 Elm St. on February 20. It will accept visitors from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Cofounder Houss El Marabti told The Dallas Express that financial literacy is rarely taught in a practical or encouraging way, but he wants to make it approachable and memorable.
“MoMoney is built to be genuinely immersive and playful, not just a traditional ‘read-the-wall-text’ museum, although we have quite a bit of that as well,” Marabti said. “From the design to the pacing, every zone is meant to feel like you are stepping into a new world that surprises you and invites participation.”
Exhibits include the history of money, an “80s AI dude” to read the financial future, and a “cash shower splash.” Visitors can even design their own currency.
“MoMoney is designed for families, adults, students and all the curious minds,” Marabti said. “Basically anyone who wants to understand money in a way that feels human and approachable.”
“We built it to make money feel approachable,” he said. “There’s already enough books on the subject, so we turned it into a fun, immersive experience.”
A ‘Deep Dive’ Into Finance
Organizers began planning the museum in 2021, according to Marabti.
“It quickly turned into a deep dive,” he said. “The more we explored money, the more we realized it touches everything: history, culture, psychology, and more.”
Meanwhile, they kept finding money’s importance to daily life, Marabti said. They also found most people did not know how to save, budget, invest, borrow wisely, or even discuss it without stress.
“The experiences are intentionally crafted to spark curiosity and conversation, so people leave talking about what they saw, what they tried, and what it made them think about,” he said.
The museum is currently backed by private capital and is “open to mission-aligned partners,” according to Marabti.
Dallas is quickly becoming a major player in American finance, as The Dallas Express has reported. The Texas Stock Exchange – dubbed “Y’all Street” – is planning to launch in Dallas early this year. Meanwhile, Nasdaq also announced a Texas branch this year.
In June 2025, Mayor Eric Johnson offered Dallas as a safe haven for New York City residents and businesses to flee from socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as The Dallas Express also reported. In September, Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed Texas the “new financial capital of America.”
“Dallas is clearly emerging as a major financial hub, and we love that energy, but MoMoney was not created as a response to that,” Marabti said. “We started building it well before we had any sense that Dallas’ financial rise would become such a prominent story.”
“That said, Dallas and Texas are a fascinating backdrop for a museum about money,” he added.
The museum includes data about the local economy — including that if Texas were a country, its economy would rank among the top 10 in the world.
Local schools are working to keep up. In April 2025, Dallas ISD set goals to teach financial literacy and life skills. The district has been prioritizing finance in recent years, introducing a Financial Literacy Day in 2024.
“Money matters to all of us, yet most of us were never taught how to manage it in a straightforward way, although we recognize that there have been recent efforts to make this part of school curriculums which we applaud,” Marabti said. “MoMoney aims to close that gap.”
The new museum hopes to engage visitors and teach some important lessons along the way, according to Marabti.
“The goal is simple,” he said. “People leave entertained, but also with a few clear nuggets they can apply in real life, and the motivation to keep learning and making smarter choices.”
