Points of Interest

Amon Carter Museum expansion

As one of the great museums of American art, the Amon Carter opened its doors to a new facility described by the museum’s famed architect, Philip Johnson, as “by far the best building plan we have ever done….” Central to this expansion is the addition of almost 20,000-square-feet of new gallery space, enabling four times more art to be on view. With one of the largest and most important collections of American photography, as well as holdings of iconic American paintings and sculpture, the new Amon Carter Museum building provides a magnificent showcase for its collection.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing – Department of the Treasury Western Currency Facility Public Tour Facility & Visitor Center

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) produces the nation’s currency, or banknotes, in only two cities: Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth. A new public tour and visitor center will be constructed at the Fort Worth facility to give the general public an opportunity to observe the manufacturing of U.S. paper currency. The tour facility is designed to accommodate 1,000 visitors per day.

Fort Worth Herd

Each morning in the Historic Stockyards 15 Texas longhorn cattle are rounded up from their corral and driven by cowhands in authentic dress down Exchange Avenue to the delight of tourists and locals alike. The cowhands give visitors presentations on the vital role the cattle industry played in the growth and prosperity of the city and serve as goodwill ambassadors throughout the day. The herd is driven back at 4 p.m. The daily cattle drives are the only known municipal program of its kind in the world and is aimed at raising awareness of the rich heritage of the city fondly remembered as Cowtown.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

In addition to permanent and visiting exhibits, the museum contains the Noble Planetarium and Omni Theater, an 80-foot-high, domed space with a tilted screen and 72 speakers driven by 19,000 watts of power. Popular museum programs include a summer school for kids, as well as a dinosaur bone dig on the grounds.

Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge

This urban retreat, complete with hiking, horse trails and a visitor’s center, is the largest municipally owned facility of its kind in the nation with 3,500 acres of sanctuary and 20 miles of trails.

Fort Worth Stockyards

The Stockyards National Historic District covers 125 acres: 15 square blocks of tradition, nightlife and family fun. International visitors are drawn to the Old West feel of the Historic Stockyards District’s brick streets and restored buildings. The district boasts rodeos, western events, restaurants, retail outlets and much more. Some western attractions include the Tarantula Train, White Elephant Saloon, Stockyards Station and Cowtown Coliseum.

Fort Worth Zoo

The Fort Worth Zoo, considered one of the nation’s best zoos, is Fort Worth’s most popular tourist attraction, with more than 1.2 million visitors annually. The zoo is home to more than 5,000 exotic animals. Annual family events include Boo at the Zoo!, a Halloween treat, and Zoobilee of Lights, an enchanting holiday wonderland. Interactive education programs are offered for preschoolers to teenagers during the school year and summer months.

Sundance Square

Sundance Square, named after the famed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, is a 16-block area of buildings that date from the turn of the century and have been beautifully restored to provide a wonderful architectural view of the past. Sundance Square is full of excitement with a vibrant mix of restaurants, shopping, theater, arts, movies, music and more. Texas Monthly has called downtown Fort Worth the most exciting downtown in the state.

Kimbell Art Museum

Designed by architect Luis I. Kahn, the Kimbell is not only America’s best small museum, but also a beautiful work of architecture. The Kimbell has achieved world status for the quality and scope of its collection and its original exhibitions.

Japanese Garden

The Japanese Gardens were constructed form an old gravel pit used to build the streets of old Fort Worth. Its retaining walls were made from left over red granite used to build the Tarrant County Court House in 1894. Today it has seven different crossing, three main pools filled with fish, a meditation garden, tea house, pagoda and moon deck. The huge, entrance gate was designed by well-known Fort Worth architect Albert Komatsu. The most recent addition to the gardens is the Mikoshi, which is a guided, portable shrine that was donated by Sister City Nagaoka, Japan.

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

The only museum in the world dedicated to honoring and documenting the distinguished women of the American West includes three permanent galleries, traveling exhibits, a multi-purpose theater, a research library, a retail store, and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. The $21 million, 33,000-square-foot museum designed by David Schwarz honors women from a wide range of backgrounds, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Dale Evans, Patsy Cline, Sacajawea, Willa Cather, and Annie Oakley.

Six Flags Over Texas

Six Flags, one of the country’s most popular theme parks, is located just 10 miles from Fort Worth in Arlington. Visitors of all ages enjoy roller coaster and kiddie rides, as well as an array of concerts and shows.

The New Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

Designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando, the New Modern is the second-largest contemporary art museum in America, next to New York’s MoMA. Hailed as one of the most significant architectural projects in the nation, the design embodies the pure, unadorned elements of a modern work of art, with massive planar walls of concrete and immense cantilevered cast-concrete roofs. The new Modern offers 53,000 square feet of exhibit space and 11 naturally landscaped acres, including a 1.5-acre reflecting pond.

Texas Motor Speedway

The Texas Motor Speedway is the second-largest sports and entertainment facility in the nation, with a capacity of more than 150,000. Located near Alliance Airport in north Fort Worth, this 1.5-mile racetrack features 200,000 seats and 200 luxury skyboxes encompassing an area larger than eight Texas Stadiums put together. The track hosts a variety of racing and related events, including NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch, Craftsman Truck and Indy Racing League dates, racing schools and auto shows. In addition to the high-speed entertainment, there are luxury condos and the Speedway Club, which is equipped with a health club and five star dining.

Botanic Garden

The 109-acre botanical garden, with more than 2,500 types of exotic and native plants, features a tropical plant conservatory, rose and Japanese gardens, open areas and walkways. It includes 21 world-renowned specialty gardens. More than 700,000 people visit the gardens each year.

Water Gardens

This Philip Johnson designed-park features a spectacular complex of sculpture and fountains, where visitors stand 38 feet below street level and experiences 1,000 gallons of water cascading down a 710-foot wall.

Water Gardens Events Plaza

Outside the Fort Worth Convention Center’s new grand entrance, a $2.7 million, 55,000 square foot Events Plaza links the Center to the Water Gardens . The outdoor Events Plaza can be either tented, accommodating 600 people for a seated dinner, or open-air, providing a unique function space for several thousand.

For further information on Fort Worth, visit www.fortworth.com.

Photographs courtesy of the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau.