Spotlight: Fort Worth - The Stockyards

Spotlight: The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District preserves the history of Texas's legendary livestock industry. Between 1866 and 1890, drovers channeled more than 4 million head of cattle through Fort Worth, inspiring the city's nickname of Cowtown. After the railroad arrived in 1876, the city built the Union Stockyards in 1887. When funds ran low, new investors decided to develop Fort Worth's meat-packing industry rather than just ship the stock off to other markets. Construction soon began on new pens, barns, a Livestock Exchange Building, two new meat-packing plants, expanded telegraph and railroad offices, and other support businesses creating an industry often referred to as "The Wall Street of the West." In 1907 the Cowtown Coliseum was built as an indoor show arena. The industry continued to grow until it reached its peak in 1944. Following WWII, the railroad industry began to decline with the rise of the automobile; and the decline of the cattle industry soon followed. By 1971, both major meat-packing plants were forced to close. In 1976, Charlie and Sue McCafferty founded the North Fort Worth Historical Society to preserve Cowtown's livestock heritage. Through the Society's efforts, the Fort Worth National Historic District was founded. It has continued to grow as new businesses have replaced the old ones, with the new focus shifting to tourism and entertainment.

Location: The Stockyards are located at 130 E. Exchange Ave. in Fort Worth, Texas.

Cost: Free to get in, but individual activities cost extra.

Time: Schedules vary from place to place within the Stockyards. Locations start opening around 9 am and close at around 5 pm. Plan on spending about 1-4 hours, depending on what activities you do.

Description: The Stockyards has dozens of different activities you can do, ranging from shopping to dining to riding a mechanical bull. There are dozens of shops that cater mostly to tourists by selling Old West souvenirs and clothing. There was also plenty of room for expansion when we went it 2014.

     Some of the activities available at the Stockyards include: perusing the Visitor Center, finding your way through the Cowtown Cattlepen Maze, taking a tour (walk, bike, Segway), searching for your favorite Old West character's "star" on the Texas Trail of Fame, seeing a rodeo, visiting an Old West saloon, watching the Cattle Drive, getting your picture taken in old western garb, visiting historic buildings such as the Livestock Exchange Building, riding a mechanical bull, sitting on a live longhorn, perusing one of the museums, visiting the Cowboy Hall of Fame or the Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, trying out your skills at the virtual gun range, petting the animals at the Petting Zoo, admiring the various livestock in the barn, or participating in various special events. For more information on individual activities, visit the Stockyard website.

Cattlepen Maze

     One of the best reasons to visit the Stockyards is the availability of a wide variety of dining options. We ate at Riscky's Bar-B-Q. A large sign warns visitors: "Our Ribs May Be Habit Forming!" Naturally we tried the ribs. The sign wasn't exaggerating. Other restaurants include: Billy Bob's Texas Honky Tonk Kitchen, Cattlemen's Fort Worth Steakhouse, Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Q, Habanero's Grill and Cantina, Horseshoe Hill Cafe, Hunter Brothers H3 Ranch, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Love Shack, Trailboss Burgers, and more.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - If you go to the Website, there are advertisements for the Stockyards Adventure Pass. It is pretty pricey, especially since you can do several of the things listed for free without buying the pass. It appears that the main benefit of the pass is that you get a knowledgeable guide to accompany you as you explore the Stockyards.
- The Cattle Drive is held daily at 11:30 am and 4:00 pm. We stayed to watch it and were a bit disappointed. All they did was walk slowly down the main street and back to their pens. Rather than organize your day around the "drive", just visit the longhorns in their pens.

Cattle Drive

Nearby: Diamond Hill Park, Forth Worth Nature Center & Refuge, Fort Worth Botanical Garden, Fort Worth Water Gardens