The Cowboy legacy lives on at the Fort Worth Stockyards

Last updated 15 September 2022

A rich western Cowboy heritage thrives at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards through regular cattle drives, rodeos, and line dancing at the world’s largest honky-tonk. The area has been retained as a nostalgic nod to the Old West. For a couple of days, I felt like I was an extra on a Cowboy movie set.

What happens when you get off a plane in Dallas, Texas after being in transit from Brisbane Australia for well over 36 hours?

You go to a rodeo, don’t you?

But not just any old rodeo. A rodeo at Fort Worth’s Cowtown Coliseum the site of the world’s first indoor rodeo.

But there was one hiccup to overcome before getting to Cowtown. That was trying to convince my uber driver I didn’t want to be dropped off at some random McDonald’s in the middle of nowhere.

In my jetlagged state, trying to flag an Uber at Dallas Love Field Airport, I thought I’d requested a ride to my accommodation at the Stockyards Hotel in Fort Worth’s National Historic District. Imagine my surprise when we pulled up outside the Golden Arches sign – with no Hotel in sight! Somehow my request to Fort Worth’s Stockyards Hotel transformed into a McDonald’s on the edge of the highway, no town of any description. Maybe my uber driver thought I needed a feed of Maccas after such a long time in transit?!

I couldn’t change the Uber location because I couldn’t get any WIFI service. And there was a security guy parading the area who came over to talk to us. Apparently, he didn’t like random cars pulling up and loitering.

I was about to have my experience of Texan hospitality. My uber driver wasn’t going to leave me in the middle of nowhere.

“Why don’t I turn the Uber meter off and we’ll just do a cashie from here,” the young uber driver suggested.

“Sure!” I replied. I mean what were my choices?!

Ok, so now skip the above hiccup, and let’s reframe my original question:

What should you do when you arrive in Fort Worth after being in transit for 36 hours plus another 1.5 hours because you were ‘lost’ in Dallas?

I knew I was in the right place as we pulled up at a large brick building because beneath a wrought iron portico were saloon doors with the words ‘Stockyard Hotel’ emblazoned in bright gold letters. I was happy to farewell that Uber driver who, on an innocent run into the airport must have thought how unlucky he was to unknowingly have picked up a ‘live’ one from down under!

“Howdy and welcome to the Stockyards Hotel,” boomed a friendly greeting from the concierge in a southern drawl my ears were still trying to get used to.  Dressed in a red polo shirt, dark brown shorts, with hiking boots and a red cap, as he pulled the brass door handle open and ushered me inside, I wondered where his cowboy boots and Stetson hat were.

After checking in at the reception desk and picking up my room key, I learned there are two options to reach the upper floors: either via a slow-moving automatic elevator; or the stairs.  I take the lift and just as the doors are about to close an elderly couple enters. Howdy, they say in that strong Texan drawl and friendly manner I’m slowly becoming accustomed to. They love my Australian accent and we have time to chat as the elevator is quite slow. They leave on the second floor and I continue the slow journey to the third floor.

There are 42 rooms and 10 suites in the hotel. I walk past the Butch Cassidy Suite and then the Sundance Kid Room before I find my room #328 called the ‘The Outlaw Room.’  Hmmm, I wonder if was this chosen for me for a reason?

My room is a Mountain Man Room with a king-sized bed and electric lamps designed to look like oil-burning lanterns.  I notice earplugs on the bedside stand, with a note attached: “the cure for loud cowboys.”

What the heck does this imply?

The friendly concierge (Justin Sewell) brings my bag into my room and shows me the amenities, making a special joke about the pull chain on the toilet – believing it to be a novelty.

“I hate to disappoint you, but I’m from Australia and our dunnies were all pull chains back in the day,” I replied.

He departs with a small tip from me (the US dollar kind of tip).

The room has a feature wall painted in a deep shade of green and the furnishings, windows and trims are all ‘brown.’ That timber look reminds me of the 1980s, but I know this is more than likely the ‘rustic’ charm of the hotel. The windows have solid shutter doors instead of curtains or blinds, but they are peppered with holes that lets sunlight through. It wasn’t until the next morning that I noticed them, lying in bed with the morning sun shining through the random holes. I wondered if they are meant to represent bullet holes??? Or maybe they have been caused by bullet holes?! That could explain the earplugs!

What am I going to discover in these Historic Stockyards?

A welcome basket from Visit Fort Worth sits on top of the writer’s desk near the door and a black goodies bag contains my jam-packed itinerary. Longhorns’ insignia is on everything.

I don’t have much time. It’s a quick shower to freshen up and change out of the clothes I’ve been wearing for a day and a half. I wrap the new red bandana (a gift from Visit Fort Worth) around my hair (my only piece of cowgirl gear I have) and I’m off to the Cowtown Coliseum for an 8 pm Stockyard Championship rodeo experience.

This time I choose the internal stairs. They’re heavily carpeted yet the timber still squeaks under my footsteps as old timber is wont to do. The mounted longhorn heads on the wall above the steps look disconcertingly real and eerie at the same time. I’m not a fan of seeing dead animal heads on the wall, especially when they look frighteningly real. But we’re in the heart of Texas where Longhorns have been traded for over a century, so I just need to let go of that hang-up.

I ask the friendly concierge, Justin, whereabouts is the Coliseum. He reveals it’s literally next door to the Hotel so no need for an uber. I can walk there in two minutes.

At the turn of the century, (1907) Fort Worth’s Stockyards were the centre of the nation’s cattle trading industry and home to 40 plus livestock companies. Cowtown Coliseum built in 1908 was the site of the world’s first indoor rodeo.  The annual Texas Fat Stock Show was held there from 1908 – 1944.  Elvis Presley and Gene Autry were some of the Coliseum’s star performers.

Throughout the year, the Coliseum hosts a variety of events, including the year-round Stockyards Championship Rodeo held every Friday and Saturday night at 8 pm and the Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show held every Saturday at 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm.

I take my seat on a grandstand in the arena. A roaring Texan voice on the loudspeaker announces the new arrivals into the ring. It’s loud, energetic, flashy, and full of cowboy action. Cowboys on horses round up bucking bulls, another displays his prowess by standing on the back of his horse while expertly looping circles with a rope. And there are clowns with child clowns who get the crowd cheering. I’ve never been to a rodeo – even though there are plenty in Australia – this is a first for me.

My jet-lagged mind is managing to take it all in – just. I note the Coliseum is not filled to capacity despite being a Saturday night. (Remember this was four years ago in September 2018 – pre-pandemic!) There are handfuls of families and couples here and there. After a few hours, jetlag is catching up and I need sleep. I decide to leave before the evening show ends. I stand up and shuffle past people siitng in my row. I’m tired, but not too tired to notice how polite the men are as I pass in front of them. Many stand up with a “Excuse me, Ma’am.”  Some even tip their caps!

Now that makes me feel old to hear myself being referred to as Ma’am, but I learn during my week in Texas, that’s the Texan way.

Bonnie and Clyde are touted as the Stockyard Hotel’s most notorious guests. The Hotel, built in 1907, has named a room after the couple. Guests can stay in Tte Bonnie and Clyde suite.

I love history and the romance that evolves from stories. I’ve seen the 1967 movie with charismatic Warren Beaty playing Clyde Barrow and sultry Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker. So I was keen to see behind the door ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ where these two illustrious characters once stayed. The friendly people who manage the historic Stockyards Hotel agreed I could take a look and Brandon showed me the smaller ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ suite.

Brandon with a history major has delved into the Bonnie and Clyde story. He believes Clyde stayed across the road at what was then another hotel (you can look out the window from the room and see the building Brandon is referring to.) This was so the pair could stake out the street with views of the Bank (now the General Store) from both directions.

The smaller Bonnie and Clyde Suite occupies the southwest corner of the third floor, where the couple allegedly cased a nearby bank or watched for law enforcement during their stay in 1933. Bonnie and Clyde’s memorabilia adorn the room including framed newspaper clippings of the couple’s exploits and a revolver that allegedly belonged to Bonnie Parker.

Guests can stay in this piece of Texan history! How cool is that?

Self-proclaimed as the ‘world’s largest honky- tonk’ (yes, that’s an actual word) Billy Bob’s Texas is a two-minute walk from the Coliseum. The large building was built in 1910 as a cattle barn for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. In April 1981 it opened as Billy Bob’s Texas  Former football player Billy Bob Barnett gathered a few local cowboy business partners together to open an Urban Cowboy-themed nightclub. With 127,000 square feet to play with, they transformed an abandoned former cattle barn into Billy Bob’s where Western-style entertainment was the central theme. Some of the biggest names in America’s country music played there including Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. They also hosted other musical names like Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, and ZZ Top.

But in January 1988 Billy Bob’s went bankrupt. The club was purchased by a conglomerate and Billy Minick, a former bull rider was hired to run Billy Bob’s which re-opened in November 1988. Billy’s wife Pam, a former Miss Rodeo America looks after Billy Bob’s marketing.

Billy Bob’s has celebrated 40 years and nowadays you can get your boot-scootin’ on, find line-dancing lessons, listen to live country music and watch professional bull-riding demonstrations in a 300-seat arena. There’s also a large pool hall to off your snooker prowess. The walls are adorned with pictures of the stars who have performed there over the years. Sadly I didn’t recognise many of them, but I haven’t been raised listening to country music. (There’s that story about Johnny Cash, a legendary country music star, which I won’t go into detail here.)

The energy in the place was palpable. A hen’s party was having their photo taken. What a place to let your hair down! I felt somewhat out of place wearing my trusty travel shoes, I needed a pair of cowboy boots. I’ll make up for that next time!

Spread over 98 acres, the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District is where you can comfortably wear your Stetson cowboy hat, proudly show off your shiny belt buckle, and stomp around in cownoy boots and not feel out of place.

The District is packed with Old West memorabilia: Texas-themed shops, Western saloons, and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. At the Livestock Exchange Building (the old sheep and hog barns) are shops and restaurants. This is where the Stockyard train pulls up. You can read about the Grapevine Vintage Railroad that runs from Grapevine to the Fort Worth stockyards in the post 10 reasons to visit the small Texas town of Grapevine

If you’re after a pair of special handmade Texan boots head across the road from the Stockyards Hotel to fourth-generation family business M.L. Leddy’s boot-making company on North Main Street. They handcraft boots, belts, and saddles in the same time-honored way M.L. did when he first began creating them in 1922. They also have a range of men’s and women’s fashions, jewelry, belts, buckles, hats, and tailored clothing. I went in for a look and stayed for a while. Their merchandise is high quality and unique. I picked up a pair of boots admiring their workmanship and attention to detail. I gasped (quietly) when I looked at their price tag. Those boots – especially the Leddy Vaquero style – and their belts were DIVINE, but sadly, so was their price tag (especially when converting into Aussie dollars.) I walked out empty-handed.

Something that costs nothing and should not be missed is the Fort Worth twice-daily cattle drive.

Over a million people each year have watched a group of Texan cowhands on horseback drive a herd of Longhorns down East Exchange Avenue twice a day at 11.30 am and 4.00 pm.  There are plenty of photo opportunities – to capture these Longhorns ambling casually down the street and the cowhands dressed accordingly in chaps, Texan boots, and classic cowboy hats. If you stay in town long enough to see more than one cattle drive as I did, you can place yourself in the best position to capture those beasts in action – almost like a scene from the old days of the west – except the streets are no longer dirt and they pass modern cars!

Fort Worth has plenty to offer other than cowboys and longhorns. A quick ten-minute uber/taxi ride from the Stockyards Hotel brings you to downtown Fort Worth. A walking tour of downtown is a must, taking in Sundance Square Plaza, Bass Opera House, and the water gardens. Don’t forget the city’s historic sites including the JFK Tribute, a beautiful visual and interactive monument dedicated to President John F Kennedy. A life-like bronze statue of President Kennedy stands at Fort Worth’s General Worth Square marking the place where Kennedy gave an impromptu speech to thousands of locals who gathered outside the Hotel Texas (now the Fort Worth Hilton.) This was on November 21, 1963, the day before he was assassinated in Dealey Plaza Dallas (on November 22nd.) That impromptu speech in Downtown Fort Worth was the last President JFK ever made.

The Museum of Modern has various exhibitions throughout the year. During my 2018 visit, there was a quirky and highly colourful exhibit by Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami called “The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg.” I wandered around that exhibit for hours taking a few photos and admiring Takashi’s artwork.

The Cafe Modern in the Museum of Modern Art does brunches. After eating, you can wander around the Museum and then into the Kimbell Art Museum. The Cultural District in Fort Worth is worthy of a full day’s visit – but if you want to visit for a morning or afternoon then visit other parts of downtown Fort Worth. Or, head back to the Stockyards for a drink and a barbecue.

Adjacent to the Fort Worth Convention Centre is the Fort Worth Water Gardens designed to be enjoyed freely by the public at any time of the year. If you stroll through these at night time as I did, you’ll enjoy the water features taking on a different hue.

I’ll confess with only two nights in Fort Worth I barely had time to eat or drink. So on the list that follows there is only one place that I can personally vouch for. However, the other places have come highly recommended by the team at Visit Fort Worth, and via online research and intel from my concierge mate Justin, who grew up in Fort Worth.

Booger Red’s Saloon You don’t need to leave the hotel for food and drink. You could to Booger Red’s Saloon, on the corner of 105 E Exchange Street. In Australia ‘booger’ means something gross in your nose. But in this case, this ‘Booger’ was a hotel guest from the early 1900s named Samuel “Booger Red” Privett, who was a legendary bronc rider.

For something different in the saloon while you’re enjoying a drink, you can perch on a weathered saddle stool at the bar and enjoy appetizers, and ribs, in a ‘lively’ western setting. Cowgals and Cowboys can get ‘back in the saddle’ without the need for a horse.

I don’t drink beer but for those that do, you can purchase a 12-oz draft of Buffalo Butt amber, made by Fort Worth’s own Rahr & Sons Brewing Company. I’m assured by the bartender that it’s one of the saloon’s most popular beers, and each frosty bottle of Buffalo Butt Beer is served in an iced bucket. You’ll have to visit Booger Red’s Saloon website for the story behind why Buffalo Butt Beer was created to commemorate the posterior of the prairie’s most majestic beast.

I managed to squeeze in a breakfast at the Hunter Brothers H3 Ranch Restaurant I selected a Tex Mex breaky and it was HUGE – a couple of poached eggs, beans, grits, tomato salad two soft tortillas. It kept me going for most of the day. (Note: at the time of publishing this story on September 10, 2022, the website says H3 is temporarily closed but you can visit Booger Red’s Saloon for drinks.)

And for the beer drinkers, there’s a Fort Worth local nano brewery and taproom. Hop Fusion Ale Works is a brewery that electrically fuses art, bicycles, friends and craft beer. Owned by Macy Moore and Matt Hill who both began their award-winning craft brew journey as home brewers. Macy likes the light-bodied ales, while Matt’s passion tends toward the darker-bodied ales and barleywines.

I think I’d need to stay a week to try out some of these places And I haven’t mentioned the sweet places – apparently, the best dessert is found at Melt Ice Creams – in downtown Fort Worth. Mmmmm says my sweet tooth soul.

And for the beer drinkers, there’s a Fort Worth local nano brewery and taproom. Hop Fusion Ale Works is a brewery that electrically fuses art, bicycles, friends and craft beer. Owned by Macy Moore and Matt Hill who both began their award-winning craft brew journey as home brewers. Macy likes the light-bodied ales, while Matt’s passion tends toward the darker-bodied ales and barleywines.

Taking a stroll down the main street of the historic Stockyard area (literally, a few minutes from the Stockland Hotel) I was not expecting to see a gathering of Vintage cars in the heart of cowboy town – aka the historic Stockyards area.

I’d stumbled upon a local Ford Club’s 33rd Anniversary Grandparent’s Day celebrations.

What made it more special was having a chat with the car owners. These Texan car enthusiasts were super friendly. I confessed to the owners I chatted to, I didn’t know anything about motor cars, except how good these ones looked and how much love (and pride) their owners obviously had for them.

Cat Daddy Jay was happy to chat with me. I asked him to pose for a photo standing next to his 1967 Chevrolet (Chevelle) complete with flames across the bonnet done by a local spray painter 15 years ago.  He’s proud as punch.

There were plenty of classics on display including a 1932 Model A Ford, and a 1960 Silver Cloud II Rolls Royce.

The Verdict

The historic Stockyards is the heart of Texas cowboy country and the Stockyards Hotel is themed accordingly. It’s not a luxury hotel, but it’s quirky and in an ideal location for all the attractions in the historic Stockyard area and downtown Fort Worth.

On my last night in Fort Worth, sitting on a saddle bar stool in the Booger Red’s Saloon I realised I’d found my Cowboy spirit in Fort Worth. Every time I’d take the stairs in the Stockyards Hotel, I’d glance up at the taxidermied Longhorn heads as a familiar part of the decor now. Of course, I prefer to see the live versions. And I did at the cattle drive. I have an enduring memory watching those beasts with their massive horns meander down the main street.

I heard a little country music, a band playing live on stage at Billy Bob’s Texas. It was brief. Too brief. There’s more of Fort Worth I want to explore.

And maybe, next visit I’ll have saved enough to shop at M.L. Leddy’s and walk out with my very own pair of handmade Texan boots. So I can get into some boot scootin’ at Billy Bob’s Texas of course.

And there won’t be any misadventures in an uber from the airport, because next time, I’ll know where I’m going.

Disclaimer

These experiences took place in September 2018. I’ve made every effort to check that all the places mentioned in the story have remained open in September 2022 and are still operating.

The writer (me) travelled as a guest of Grapevine CVB to DFW and arranged with Visit Fort Worth to stop over in Fort Worth before heading to Grapevine. I’d like to thank Visit Fort Worth for their support and apologise that it has taken me FOUR years to publish this story! It was such a memorable couple of days, I can recall it like I was there last week. Especially with the hundreds of photos I took!