Stockyards National Historic District

When it's 80 degrees out in the City of Cowboys and Culture, and there's a nice cool breeze floating through the air, there's no better place than a good patio. When in Fort Worth, anything better than a good patio is a great rooftop spot where you can take in the sights and sounds of our buzzing city. Whether you're looking for a beautiful bird's eye view of Sundance Square, TCU or the Stockyards, there's plenty of options!

Live Oak This Near Southside rooftop bar and patio on Magnolia Ave. has a fabulous view of the downtown Fort Worth skyline, 50 beers on tap, and an inventive menu of burgers, sandwiches and entrée salads that far exceeds the usual “bar food.” If you're looking for a change of pace, head downstairs for a sit-down dinner or casual concert hall which showcases marquee-name touring acts in a 500-seat superbly engineered auditorium. 

Dutch's Named after legendary TCU coach Leo “Dutch” Meyer, Dutch’s is a lively TCU-area hangout known for its all-natural, juicy-not-greasy burgers. Whether you're looking for a spot to pre-game or a casual weeknight dinner with family or friends, Dutch's patio is the place to be. Be sure to check out their weekly specials, (including 1/2 price Dutch Burger on Tuesdays) here.

Love Shack Iron Chef winner and owner Tim Love has created a gourmet burger joint featuring outdoor seating, live music, and a menu that will have you coming back for more! Love Shack has two locations, the Stockyards and the University area, but the Love Shack Stockyards offers an unforgettable view of the world-famous Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District! Grab a beer, and get a spot for the twice-daily Cattle Drive (11:30a, 4p)!

Reata Restaurant is not just famous for their down-home cowboy cuisine, but their living-room type ambiance downstairs mixed with the cocktail-party atmosphere upstairs, makes this place perfect for any occasion. Overlooking Sundance Square (and the new plaza this fall), the Reata Rooftop is one of the top Fort Worth spots to take in the city sights and enjoy cocktails with friends! Be sure to share the starter sampler for a true taste of Texas! 

Capital Bar With the additions of the Backyard and the Back House, Capital Bar is one of the top music venues in DFW in addition to having an incredible rooftop bar that offers a spectacular view of the downtown skyline on one side and the park-like Fort Worth Cultural District on the other. Before you go, check out their Summer Music Series on Wednesday nights presented by 95.9 the Ranch! 

If you are looking for a fun-and free-way to spend your weekend, bring your family out to Stockyard Exchange for the annual Frontier Forts Days, May 10-11, 2013. During the two-day event, the Stockyard National Historic District will take you back in time to the wild and wooly days of the Texas frontier. During the festival, cowboys, Native Americans, and military personnel come together to reenact a time when these vastly different cultures mingled and clashed, as they forged the future for the city of Fort Worth. 

Exchange Avenue will be transformed to the 19^th century and lined with encampments from the Texas Forts Trail. Wander through the camps to learn about the tools and daily life of the soldiers, as well as get a unique glimpse of the relationship between Texas and US Military. Parades, demonstrations, and other cultural encounters are ongoing throughout the day to give you a glimpse of the journeys and people who shaped the land.

With so many action-packed activities on the agenda, the kids will be so entertained that they won’t even realize they are learning about an important period in Texas history.

You won’t want to miss:

• Artillery demonstrations
• Infantry and Cavalry demonstrations
• Native American performances
• Live music
• 10 Fort encampments
• Military parades and presentations

Frontier Forts Days will begin on Friday, May 10 at 10:00 am and run through Saturday May 11 at 5:00 pm. 

 

Photo: Brian Hutson

Hometown: Westport, ct 

Fort Worth Cattle Raiser's Museum (within the Museum of Science and History)

The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame pays tribute to the cowboys and cowgirls who have excelled in the sports of rodeo, cutting and ranching, and those individuals who have dedicated their lives to promoting and preserving Texas Western heritage. The Sterquell Wagon collection features more than 60 Old West wagons, carts and sleighs. At the Exploratorium, children can learn to pack for a trail drive and dig for treasures in the sawdust, among other hands-on experiences. Western-themed apparel, jewelry and souvenirs are available in the gift shop.

Induction into Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed on individuals who have shown excellence in competition, business, and support of rodeo and the western lifestyle in Texas. This year's induction will take place January 17th, 2013 at the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.

This year's Inductees include:

• Dr. Tandy Freeman, III - Medical Director for the Justin Sports Medicine Team and Professional Bull Riders Sports Medicine Program, Team Physician for the Dallas Mavericks and a member of the physician pool for the U.S. Ski Team.
• Sandy Kirby - A 9-time qualifier for the bull riding and 5-time qualifier for the bareback competition. Kirby took home the Bareback Average title in 1973 and the Bull Riding Average title in 1974.
• Edwards Family & Edwards Ranch - The Edwards Ranch, which has been operating over 160 years, is considered prime real estate in Fort Worth. Over the years parts of the ranch have been sold and developed into Trinity Park and the Fort Worth Zoo.
• Tommy Steiner - The Steiner Rodeo Company has been home to some of rodeos finest stock including 6 Black 6, the 1975 Bull of the Year; 11 Red Lightning, the 1978 Bull of the Year and Stormy Weather, the 1975 Bareback Horse of the Year just to name a few.

Rick Smith Spirit of Texas Honoree:

• Randy White – A retired professional football player, White has appeared in numerous western and children’s fundraising events and is involved in celebrity roping events as well as with other western organizations.

Proceeds benefit the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in their ongoing education and preservation efforts. Click here for more information on the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony or other Events in Fort Worth.

The Snowball Express is coming to town! Sunday, December 2nd, Fort Worth will be the proud host to nearly 2,000 family members of our fallen military heroes. This will be the first time this event has to come to Fort Worth.

Snowball Express is an organization that's mission is to "Honor America's fallen military service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since 9/11 by humbly serving the families they left behind. Champion their children's future success by creating opportunities for joy, friendship, and communal healing, by connecting these families to one another."

Want to get involved? They'll be coming in a caravan of around 40 buses that will end up in the Stockyards National Historic District for a day of fun. Mayor Price and the entire City Council want to make sure Fort Worth knocks their socks off and has a big local showing of support for these families. They are asking citizens to line the streets for the caravan as it comes through downtown Fort Worth via Spur 280 at about 10 a.m. that morning, make their way out of downtown over the Main St. bridge, and head toward the Stockyards.

As you can imagine, the holidays are a particularly difficult time for these children and spouses who are missing their loved one who paid a very high price for our freedom. This is a great opportunity to show them your appreciation and wish them a Happy New Year!

Miss Molly's Hotel is located in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and is filled with history and haunts as it started as a borthel circa 1910. During this time, Fort Worth was a favorite stop during the cattle drives, and so many cowboys took solace knowing Miss Molly's Hotel would be waiting for them with a hot bath and ladies of the evening for entertainment. Later converted to a boarding house, and then Fort Worth's first bed and breakfast in 1989, Miss Molly's Hotel offers eight themed guest rooms-each named appropriately to reflect the history of that particular room. The premier room, "Miss Josie" was the madam's quarters during the bordello days and still serves as the most requested room. Sightings of the last madam, Ms. Josie King, have been reported; it is said she stands at the foot of the bed, watching over whoever is sleeping in her bed. Reports of hearing footsteps in the room and in the private bath area in addition to hearing a woman's voice during the night, only validate previous and similiar claims. The decor of the private bath takes you back in time to an era of days gone by with the original pull chain toilet, pedastal sink, rose petal wall-paper, draped ceiling, polished hardwood floors, and the claw-foot bathtub and shower apparatus from the Victorian era.

Of course, claims of paranormal activity from guests and innkeepers through the years only add to the mystique of Miss Molly's.

There is no better place to experience the Western lore and mystique of the cowboy lifestyle than the annual Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering and Western Swing Festival. Every year, thousands of spectactors, cowboys and locals alike gather for the 'Best Gathering and Best Family Event' voted by the readers of American Cowboy Magazine.

The 22nd annual event in the Historic Stockyards: October 26-28, 2012, is fun for all ages filled with a variety of entertainment. Get your tickets now for the Friday or Saturday special edition Red Steagall Rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum. Shoppers can visit Mule Alley for cowboy goods and accessories. Last year, we scored a pair of vintage Justin Boots for just $20! Enjoy the chuckwagon cook-offs and set-up along Exchange Avenue. Of course, there will be live cowboy poetry and music as well.

So, boot up and come out to the Stockyards National Historic District this weekend for some cowboy fun!

Ever wondered what it would be like to step back in time during the days of the Wild West and experience the day in the life of an American cowboy? This Saturday, July 28th, is you and your family's chance to experience the best of the West at the 5th Annual National Day of the American Cowboy in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District!

The event takes place 10:30am-4pm and is filled with fun Western heritage events for the entire family to enjoy including watermelon eating and seed-spitting contests, best mustache, hay stacking, buckaroo crafts and coloring, Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive, Riscky’s rib-eating contest and much more! Don't miss the gunfight shows, Cowboy Celebration parade or Billy Bob's Texas' Cowboy Idol!  This event is also free, so come out and celebrate our city's amazing history and be a cowboy or girl for the day!

 

 

The T makes it incredibly easy to get around the "City of Cowboys and Culture", especially during Rodeo season! During the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, The T will be running shuttle buses from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, (Jan. 14 through Feb. 4), for one dollar each way from Will Rogers Memorial Center in the Cultural District. There will be two routes including shuttles every 30 minutes to the park and ride lots at Ridgmar Mall (next to Macy's) and every 20 minutes from Billy Bob's North Lot in the Stockyards National Historic District.

The shuttles will run until 10 p.m. again for the 2012 Show to accommodate passengers after the rodeo ends. Trinity Railway Express (TRE) passengers also may use The T’s regular bus service free of charge with their same-day TRE day pass to get to the Stock Show Monday through Saturday.  (The TRE does not run on Sundays.)  It’s a 15 minute bus ride from the TRE stop at the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) to the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Don't have plans for tomorrow yet? Don't fret! There's plenty to do around Fort Worth!
Kick start your healthy resolutions by visiting a Cowtown Farmer's Market (Open am-noon) on Saturday. 

For a place to celebrate when the clock strucks midnight, check out one of Fort Worth's newest additions to the nightlife scene. Barcadia combines the concepts of a bar and an arcade, so if that's not entertainment enough, they'll be playing 80s retro to dance to all night as well as a champagne toast at midnight. 

West 7th's Brownstone is hosting a New Year's Toast including $5,000 cash and prize balloon drop, up to $2,000 in door prizes, live DJ and full on red carpet and paparazzi. This party is sure to be the ultimate NYE bash.

Buck into 2012 and experience non-stop Professional Bull Riding in the Stockyards National Historic District. Catch all the Stockyards Championship Rodeo action at Cowtown Coliseum Friday and Saturday night, starting at 7:50pm.

Rich in history and tradition, the oldest livestock show in the nation, The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will celebrate its 116th  anniversary this January 13-February 4, 2012, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

This Fort Worth legendary annual event started in 1896 with a group of local cattlemen in the Stockyards National Historic District. In 1944, the show moved from the Stockyards to the Cultural District at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, which was the most opulent facility of its time. In 2008, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and is now the World’s Largest Indoor Rodeo.

During the show, visitors and locals alike can experience a variety of entertainment from livestock exhibitors, “Best of the West” Ranch Rodeo, PRCA Extreme Bull Riding, Cowboys of Color Rodeo and much, much more! Don’t forget to download the FWSSR app for the full entertainment schedule!

You can purchase tickets through the online order form or visit the ticket office when it opens, Nov. 28th.  We suggest purchasing the souvenir pin, good for grounds admission during the entire 2012 Stock Show and includes admission to the Rodeo Roadhouse. This is a super Stock Show saving and for under $40, it’s the best value!  Don’t forget, ground admission includes admission to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the Cattle Raiser’s Museum and the Cowgirl Museum.

With such preserved history, Fort Worth is often visited for it's historical western heritage and Cowtown culture. In honor of Halloween, we wanted to share some of Fort Worth's claimed haunted sites.

You can imagine spooky activity going on the Stockyards National Historic District simply because it looks and feels as if you've stepped back into time during the 1800s. Nearly every building in the historic Stockyards houses some sort of ghost story, but sightings include hauntings at The Maverick and General Store of a ghostly woman leaving roses upstairs, ghostly apparitions at the former bordello, Miss Molly's Bed and Breakfast, and of course, the old Spaghetti Warehouse building with at least four reported ghost sightings including an old cowboy that throws glassware and pushes over stools.

Just north of Downtown Fort Worth, previously referred to as Hell's Half Acre during the nineteenth century, you can find many spooky sights such as Pioneer's Rest cemetery. With stones dating back to the early 1800s, you feel as if your walking around the main streets during Fort Worth's 'Hell's Half Acre' days with the famous people who made history during that time of the old Wild West. Also along Samuels Avenue, you can check out the Garvey-Veihl House, which was originally occupied by early Fort Worth wealthy landowner, Baldwin L. Samue during the mid-1800s. The house was abandoned in 1972 for some time until it was saved and eventually renovated. The house represents one of the original grand homes that lined the famous Samuels Avenue at the turn of the century. As you look at the house, you can't help but feel a crisp chill as you imagine the hundreds of years of history that took place on the property.


You may have driven down University drive as you pass through Fort Worth Cultural District and wondered about the haunts of the Log Cabin Village located near TCU. The Log Cabin Village is an entire living history museum devoted to the preservation of Texas heritage. There has been reports of ghostly presences in an upstairs bedroom as well as a female apparition reported in the Foster Cabin. Happy Halloween and Happy Haunting Fort Worth!