Fort Worth Stockyards
- Address
- 121 E. Exchange Avene
- Fort Worh, TX 76164
- Phone
- 817-625-1148
- Area
- Neighborhood
- Price
- free to walk around; museums cost but are cheap
- Web Page
- http://www.fortworthstockyards.org
Type of Makom
- Other Type
- Public
- Shopping Type
- Avenue
Semi-useful stuff
Mikomos rating
Description
The Fort Worth Stockyards is a historic district that is located in Fort Worth, Texas, north of the central business district. The 98-acre (40 ha) district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District in 1976. They are a former livestock market which operated under various owners from 1866.
This is a real old-fashioned western town. There are a few blocks that still have an old world Texas feel. A must do, especially for the first time visitor.
- A real Texan experience for Texans and out-of-towners alike.
- There are lots of shops (covered walkways between them to avoid the summer heat) as well as a saloons (empty during the day), bars, a rodeo, a few museums, and Billy Bob's, the world's largest Honky Tonk. They also have the worlds longest cattle drive, where cowboys herd the cattle through the streets.
- They have the Stockyards Hotel which has a real old-fashioned lobby area to sit down and take a break.
The Fort Worth Stockyards now celebrates Fort Worth's long tradition as a part of the cattle industry and was listed on the National Register as a historical district in 1976. The listing included 46 contributing buildings and one other contributing structure.
The Stockyards consist of mainly entertainment and shopping venues that capitalize on the "Cowtown" image of Fort Worth. Home to the famous boot making company M.L. Leddy's which is located in the heart of the Stockyards. The city of Fort Worth is often referred to as "Where the West Begins." Many bars and nightclubs (including Billy Bob's Texas) are located in the vicinity, and the area has a Western motif. There is also an opry and a rodeo. The Fort Worth Stockyards are the last standing stockyards in the United States. Some volunteers still run the cattle drives through the stockyards, a practice developed in the late 19th century by the frontiersman Charles "Buffalo" Jones, who herded buffalo calves through the streets of Garden City, Kansas.
On April 1, 2011 The Fort Worth Stockyards Stables were remodeled and reopened. They are located next door to the Hyatt hotel in an original Historic Stockyards building that was built in 1912. These stables offer full care boarding, overnight boarding, hourly boarding, horse rentals on the open trails of the Trinity River and carriage rides. Boarders can ride their horses all around the Historic Stockyards. The Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo (Northside) is located right across the street from the new stables.
Tips
- The cattle herding takes place at 11am and 4pm daily (in good weather) and lasts about 8 minutes
- Many of the sidewalks are covered, but not all, so it might get hot in the summer.
- There may not always be a rodeo, check out the website for the latest details.
- Billy Bob's is EMPTY during the day (before 6pm) but it costs $2 to go in a look around (they take credit card though) but they do check IDs so you probably have to be 21.
- There is some free 2 hour parking on E. Exchange Ave. as well as paid parking ($2/hour or $5/day)
- You can take a pic on a Longhorn for $5
Hours Subject to change. Always verify.
- The museums close at 5 & 6pm
- The hotel doesn't close
- The bars, saloons, and Billy Bob's are open till about 2am
- The shops close at about 6 or 7pm
