If you find yourself in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you will not want to miss out on a visit to the historic Fort Worth Stockyards! We love that this area boasts a whole host of exciting things to check out! From watching a cattle drive, to riding a covered wagon, to enjoying one of the bests steaks we’ve ever had, Fort Worth has something for everyone! We had the opportunity to visit Fort Worth 6 times in the summer of 2022 as we were working on aircraft nearby. We took the chance to swing by the Stockyards each visit. With each visit, we experienced even more that the area has to offer! We definitely suggest going early in the day. Parking is paid parking, but the apps available for parking make it simple to navigate.
Walking Tours
We started our trip with a walking tour checking out all of the historic icons located in the Stockyards area of Fort Worth. Historic markers are posted everywhere and you can truly spend days merely roaming around the area and reading about how each location helped to shape the city of Fort Worth. We loved the Texas Walk of Fame! All around the area we found markers honoring famous Texans. A quick Google search lead to us learning a ton about the area!
Covered Wagon Rides
Next up, we hopped on board for a covered wagon ride and explored the city. Our driver was fantastic and gave us an oral history of the area, pointing out several buildings and art instillations throughout our tour. These wagon tours do have a cost, but we absolutely recommend adding it to the budget. The information and views along the tour were well worth the $20 we spent for the ride! In addition to the covered wagon rides, they offer horseback riding, as well as the opportunity to pet their horses and long horn cattle!
Coliseum
Next up was a trip to see the famous Coliseum built in 1908 that still hosts rodeo events today. The building features a rodeo shop where guests can purchase hats, boots, belts and more.. The fantastic staff that were happy to tell us all about the history of the building. By this point in the trip, we were getting a bit tired and decided to take a rest at the picnic tables scattered on the front lawn at the Coliseum.
Riscky’s Steakhouse
From there, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Riscky’s Steakhouse. Our steaks were delicious and tender, cooked to perfection. The sweet tea was perfectly made and the service was top notch. In fact, we loved it so much we came back a week later and had dinner there again because we found ourselves back in the area! Honestly, writing about it right now is making my mouth water! The area is known for their superb steaks, but we fell in love with Riscky’s. They also own a BBQ restaurant inside the Stockyards that smelled divine.
Cattle Drive
Next, the clock struck 4:00 pm and it was time for the cattle drive! Daily, guests can experience a cattle drive right in the heart of Fort Wroth! That’s right, the street is shut down for vehicle traffic and long horn cattle are the mode of transport. We watched as cowboys on horseback lead the cattle to down the street just as they would have lead them up the Chisholm Trail to market at the turn of the century. For more information and a schedule of the cattle drive, click HERE.
Mule Alley
Mule Alley is an area in the Stockyards that offers nearly 180,000 sq. ft. of historic Horse and Mule Barns. The barns have been renovated with the addition of retail shops and boutiques, restaurants and cafés, entertainment and live music venues. You’ll find Billy Bob’s 100,000 square foot honky tonk. The nightspot is known as the World’s Largest Honky Tonk. The area also features a gorgeous hotel, and several beautiful statues that pay homage to the area’s history.
If you are looking for more information on the Fort Worth Stockyards, or to plan your trip, be sure to check out the official page for the Stockyards HERE. Information for Mule Alley can be found HERE. If you are looking for some healthy snacks to take on your trip, check out our post HERE.
