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Cowboys and Culture, Hooves and Horsepower Top the Line Up of Fort Worth AttractionsDate: 03/31/2009 FORT WORTH, Texas ? In its youth, Fort Worth was a rough-and-tumble frontier town, dusty and lawless, home to the brave and the brawling, the soldier, the frontiersman, the outlaw. Today, Fort Worth, one of the largest cities in Texas and the 17th-largest city in the United States, is a destination shaped by its revitalized downtown, a world-renowned cultural arts district, beautifully preserved Western-heritage sites and major-league attractions. Originally settled in 1849 as an army outpost at the Trinity River, Fort Worth was one of eight forts assigned to protect settlers from Indian attacks on the advancing frontier. Progress helped the growing settlement survive long after other such towns had blown away with the dust of departing pioneers. The cattle industry was king for a generation of people working the Fort Worth leg of the historic Chisholm Trail, which ran from the 1860s to the 1870s. Cowboys worked and played in Hell?s Half Acre, located where downtown Fort Worth stands today, before driving the cattle on the Chisholm Trail to its ending point in Kansas. A visit to Fort Worth is not complete without seeing the famed Stockyards National Historic District. It looks much the same today as it did 100 years ago. In fact, the entire avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Catch the Fort Worth Herd, the world?s only daily cattle drive, on their twice-daily drive down Exchange Avenue. The authentically restored Grapevine Vintage Railroad carries visitors into Stockyards Station, the former hog and sheep pens turned shopping and dining marketplace. Rodeo action and Wild West shows take place year-round in the Cowtown Coliseum, home of the world?s original indoor rodeo in 1918. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, located in the Stockyards? original mule barns, features the Sterquell Wagon Collection of over 60 authentic lifestyle wagons and honors the top cowboys and cowgirls in Texas. ?Texas-sized? takes on a whole new meaning at Billy Bob?s Texas, the ?World?s Largest Honky-Tonk.? This must-see, named ?Club of the Year? an amazing ten times, can hold up to 6,000 people and plays host to country music?s top performers. Live bull riding at Billy Bob?s indoor arena thrills visitors each weekend with an up-close perspective on the wildest rodeo event. In 2006 it celebrated its 25th anniversary. Nearby, the White Elephant Saloon is an authentic Western watering hole offering Country & Western music nightly. The entire historic district is recognized as much for family entertainment and shopping as for saloons and boot-scootin?. Downtown Fort Worth is a success story few cities can boast. Glittering skyscrapers form a ring around Sundance Square, Fort Worth?s heralded shopping and entertainment district that is now restored to its original Victorian beauty, filled with restaurants, theaters, shops, museums and galleries, and hotels and residences. This 20-block area is also site of the $67 million Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, which opened in May 1998. Called the ?last great performance hall built in the 20th century,? it is the permanent home for the city?s professional symphony, opera and ballet companies, as well as the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and productions of Casa Ma?ana Theatre. It is noted as one of the world?s top 10 opera houses by Travel + Leisure magazine, one of only three named in the United States. Also located in Sundance Square is the Sid Richardson Museum, a museum that showcases 39 paintings and bronzes by Western greats Frederic Remington and Charles Russell. Sundance Square has emerged as a national model of urban revitalization. By day it is a dynamic business district and by night a broad array of entertainment options abound. With movie and live theaters, music clubs, a host of restaurants and cafes, hotels and retail development in a state of continual growth, the streets bustle with activity. The Fort Worth Water Gardens and the Fort Worth Convention Center, which recently received a $75 million expansion, occupy what was once Hell?s Half Acre, a brothel- and saloon-packed district where cowhands had their last bit of fun before heading out on the Chisholm Trail. Fort Worth and its renewed convention center now attract professional meetings and tradeshows from around the world and host thousands of convention-related visitors annually. Fort Worth's new convention center headquarter hotel, the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, is now open. Featuring 614 rooms and 68,000 square feet of meeting space, this elegant new property is located adjacent to the Fort Worth Convention Center. The Omni Fort Worth Hotel has joined more than 2,000 additional hotel rooms in downtown and nearly 12,000 rooms citywide. On the horizon in downtown is an ambitious $400 million+ Trinity River Vision project that will bring a complete transformation to the city?s river. The plan calls for a lively waterfront area to include a town lake and a host of recreational activities, as well as business, retail and residential development. One of the defining aspects of Fort Worth is its wealth of cultural institutions, some noted internationally as the finest in America. It is easy to see why Fort Worth is considered the ?Museum Capital of the Southwest.? The Louis Kahn-designed Kimbell Art Museum?recognized as ?America?s best small museum??and the Amon Carter Museum, renowned for its collection of Western and American masterpieces, have garnered worldwide attention for their collections and building designs. The Carter tripled its gallery space after a renovation in 2001 by architect Philip Johnson. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas? oldest museum (founded in 1892), is now housed in a stunning new building designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The Modern maintains one of the foremost collections of post-war art in the central United States. The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, in a $21 million facility designed by David Schwarz, honors women who embody the spirit of the American West, such as painter Georgia O?Keeffe, Western sharpshooter Annie Oakley, author Laura Ingalls Wilder and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O?Connor. It is the only museum of its kind in the world. Currently closed for renovations, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History will offer hands-on exhibits that delight children and adults alike, ranging from Lone Star Dinosaurs to computer science. The new facility, designed by acclaimed architectural firm Legoretta & Legoretta will open in the fall of 2009. The museum's popular Omni Theater is open during the renovations. Within walking distance of Fort Worth?s museums are Casa Ma?ana Theatre and the Will Rogers Memorial Center, which hosts equestrian and cattle events over 200 days each year. The Will Rogers Memorial Center is home to the oldest stock show and rodeo in the country?the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, held annually in January and February. The beautiful 114-acre Botanic Garden and Japanese Garden are located nearby as well. The Fort Worth Zoo, consistently ranked as one of America?s best zoos, is world-renowned for its collection and for the natural habitat exhibits that replicate animals? homes in the wild. The popular Texas Wild! exhibit, a major addition to the Zoo showcasing the diversity of Texas wildlife and terrain, is set on eight acres and features 200 native animals and a replica of an 1890s Texas town. And this spring, the Fort Worth Zoo will open the most elite herpetarium in the nation, known as the Musuem of Living Art. The Texas Civil War Museum, opened in January 2006 in northwest Fort Worth, is artifact rich with more than 3,000 pieces and 70 flags. It is the largest Civil War museum west of the Mississippi River. One of the finest aspects of cultural life in Fort Worth is the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Every four years the world?s greatest young pianists gather in the city to vie for the coveted medals and engagements that launch classical music careers. Music aficionados around the globe recognize the Cliburn as one of the foremost piano competitions worldwide. Selected pianists will take the stage at Bass Performance Hall for the competition?s 17 days of extraordinary music-making next in May/June 2009. Major-league auto racing has captivated Fort Worth, the home of Texas Motor Speedway, one of the largest sports and entertainment facilities in the country. Throughout the year, the superspeedway plays host to NASCAR and IRL IndyCar races, plus other major forms of American auto racing. The 1.5-mile oval track is set within a stadium that accommodates more than 200,000 fans. Year-round tours and championship driving schools are also offered here. With a population exceeding 702,850 people, Fort Worth is home to some of the country?s major corporations and manufacturers, such as American Airlines, RadioShack Corporation, Pier 1 Imports, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems. Fort Worth is consistently ranked as one of the top places in the nation to work, live and do business. The City garnered a major honor as one of ?America?s Most Livable Communities? for the 10-year period of 2004-2014, one of only 10 large cities so named. A chief asset of the region is the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). It is one of the world?s busiest airports, with approximately 1,947 daily passenger arrivals and departures and service to more than 150 destinations around the world. The airport has invested $2.7 billion in a five-year Capital Development Program, which includes a two-million square foot international terminal and the world?s largest high-speed train, Skylink, both of which opened in 2005. While Fort Worth maintains its historical ties as the city ?Where the West Begins,? it also gains a reputation for urban sophistication and a celebrated connection to the arts. It all shows that in Fort Worth cowboys and culture do peacefully coexist. About the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau The Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization of the 17th- largest city in the United States. The organization is dedicated to promoting Fort Worth as a premier business and leisure destination, with thriving centers of culture and commerce. For more information, visit www.fortworth.com. Contact Information Kelly Campbell, Vice President of Marketing Communications Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau Phone: 817-698-7841 (direct) or 800-433-5747, ext. 232 Email: kellycampbell@fortworth.com
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