Fort Worth Stockyards: a Hootin’ Hollerin’ Good Time

If you have a hankering for a different kind of vacation – a place that is not a typical sun, sand and beach destination, then Fort Worth Stockyards could be what you are looking for. This historical district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, transports you back in time to the late 19th and early 20th century when Fort Worth played an instrumental role in the cattle industry. Today the Fort Worth Stockyards are the last standing stockyards in the U.S. However, for visitors of all ages, the area offers much more than just original and renovated buildings from the era.
Cowboy Nirvana:Cattle DriveEvery day at 11:30 am, and again at 4 pm, visitors are ushered to the sidewalk to witness more than a dozen head of Texas Longhorns make their way down East Exchange Avenue.
RodeoWant to see what it takes to be a real cowboy? Then head on over to the Cowtown Coliseum for the Stockyards Championship rodeo, complete with bull riding, barrel racing, lasso tricks and mutton tag (where children try to touch [tag] a sheep).
Cowboy MuseumWhile not a huge facility, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame houses the world’s largest collection of wagons and it is fascinating to walk among them and witness how milk and groceries used to be delivered, not to mention how laundry, photography and dump truck services used to all be handled from the back of a wagon. Also inside the museum are tributes – in the form of small, personalized stations – dedicated to Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees.
Cattle Drive
Entertainment:Steak DinnerWhen in Texas, especially a location whose history is centered around cattle, it seems only right to head out for a good steak dinner. And Cattlemens Steak House certainly delivers – just ask to sit in the rear of the restaurant so that you can watch the chef work his magic on the various meat cuts.
Honky Tonk