Texas Cultural Tour, Pt. 2 - Fort Worth
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Not a Cowtown, call it Cowboys and Culturetown
Fort Worth is just a short distance from Dallas, and for years it was considered a cowtown. But no more!
Now Ft. Worth is a modern growing business city with big buildings under construction and a surprising assortment of museum jewel cases that are the envy, yes the envy, of bigger institutions in the U.S, Europe and Asia for their amazing collections of art. All are just a short drive from the DFW Airport and certainly well worth the trip. Why even friends and family living in Dallas said it was worth the trip to Fort Worth and here are just a few of the venues I visited – marked with ** -- along with reasons why I believe you will enjoy the visit.
STOCKYARDS HISTORIC DISTRICT CULTURE
Nothing like a return to the modern version of the old days in Fort Worth when it was a rip roaring rambunctious rodeo 24/7.
 Fort Worth Rodeo |
Fort Worth Herd**
The Wild West is long gone but every day
there’s a cattle drive with real Texas Longhorns, cowboys whopping
and whistling down the asphalt paved version of the Chrisom Trail in the
Stockyards National Historic District as throngs of tourists stand on the
curb.
 Cattle drive |
Texas Cowboys Hall of Fame**
Located in the stockyards is worth
the trip. There's a Cowgirls museum too, but not in this area.
 Billy Bob's |
Billy Bob's**
For a contemporary experience and alternate ways of quenching a
thirst, a visit to the biggest honky-tonk in the world
- can hold 6,000 people and has a real bull riding ring - is worth
the price of admission to see so many people in love with
history and the two-step dancing from famous C&W artists and bands.
Cowtown Coliseum
Check out the Cowtown Coliseumů for a real rodeo, tons of cowboys, cowgirls, cows,
bulls and lots of people wearing westernwear. It's fun and exciting
for adults and kids, too.
 New boots at rodeo |
And if you want some souvenirs of the trip there are countless shops, store fronts and stores offering a variety of ‘authentic’ western wear … priced from the inexpensive to boots selling for over $500.
Where to stay?
One of the travel websites has a huge list of hotels and
motels in Ft. Worth for a plastic visit. If you're looking for a
semi-true western experience it's the Stockyards Hotel.**
There's enough nostalgia along with western themes, trinkets and
kitsch to make a real cowboy breakout in a sad song. The rooms look old,
but are really quite new and modern, while the bar is pure yee-haa with
hundreds of liquid firewaters, especially from Mexico known as tequila, and
the food is better than any chuck wagon on a cattle drive and many fancy
restaurants. 109 E. Exchange Avenue Phone: 800.423.8471 www.stockyards-hotel.com
FT. WORTH’S CULTURAL DISTRICT
I've had the pleasure of visiting great art museums in America from LA to NY and in most major cities in Europe and Asia. They have amazing collections and exhibitions which require countless hours to visit and then half the good stuff is never seen. But not in Fort Worth! The generosity of two local benefactors has produced an amazing collection of art museums that only have the very best of diverse collections, can be easy viewed in less than a couple of hours, are housed in architectural jewels and... are free except for special exhibitions.
Kimbell Museum**
Although it has less than 350 works of art, the Kimbell
Art Museum has an awe inspiring collection of masterpieces from ancient to
modern times and has become a byword for art quality and importance
worldwide. The Kimball’s holdings range in period from antiquity to
the 20th century, including European masterpieces from Fra Angelico and
Caravaggio to Cézanne and Matisse, and important collections of Egyptian,
Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman antiquities, as well as Asian, Mesoamerican,
and African arts. The Kimbell Art Museum is widely regarded as one of the
most outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. 3333 Camp
Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76107-2792, Phone 817-332-8451.
 Amon Carter Museum |
Amon Carter Museum of American Art**
This amazing museum was established
through the generosity of Amon G. Carter, Sr., a legendary figure in Texas
history and for most of his life Fort Worth’s leading citizen and
champion. His will provided for the establishment of a museum in Fort Worth
devoted to American art, “As a youth I was denied the advantages
which go with the possession of money,” he stated in the will.
“I am endeavoring to give to those who have not had such advantages,
but who aspire to the higher and finer attributes of life, those
opportunities which were denied to me.” In addition to the
world’s biggest collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic
Remington and Charles M. Russell, the museum now houses 300,000 objects,
including landmark works by such paramount American artists as Winslow
Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, and John Singer Sargent. The museum also
houses one of the largest collections of American photography in the
country. 3501 Camp Bowie Boulevard Fort Worth, TX 76107-2695
817.738.1933
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth**
How can a museum founded in 1892 claim to be a modern art museum? Answer: by building foremost collection of
modern and contemporary art. The museum's permanent collection
consists of more than 3,000 works including pieces by the masters of modern
and contemporary art. There's a wonderful café on site to add
nutritional appeal to what Texans call, "The Modern." 3200
Darnell Street, Phone: 817.738.9215, Toll Free: 1.866.824.5566 www.themodern.org
 Cowgirl sculpture at Cowgirl Museum |
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame**
This interesting museum could only be in Texas. This homage to the fabled cowgirls of stage,
screen, television, radio and rodeos is housed in a Greek revival building
replete with a rotunda of Corinthian Columns topped with carvings of
Longhorn steers. Greeting visitors at the building’s entrance is a
life size sculpture created by Mehl Lawson, depicting a cowgirl and her
horse. There’s a gift corral, er shop on site too. 1720 Gendy Street,
Phone:817.336.4475, www.cowgirl.net
Other cultural venues:
History buffs will enjoy the Fort Worth Museum of
Science and Industry and everyone should experience the Fort Worth Zoo
especially the new Museum of Living Art – snakes and other crawly,
creepy creatures.
For more information about Fort Worth and Texas visit www.fortworth.com and www.traveltex.com.
By Marty Bernstein
Sr. Editor at Large
