First off I have to admit that Ft. Worth is my home town. I moved there when I was 10 and my mother still lives there. Recently we have discovered a different side of the city because of our children. I hope to express what I think are some of the best parts of Ft Worth for both children and adults.
One of the first places I’d suggest going to is the historical stockyard area. This is the area where cattle were driven to either be slaughtered or organized into larger herds and driven further north. It is a wonderful collection of old west memorabilia with wooden covered sidewalks, hand made boot stores(go to Leddy’s),western apparel stores and actual rodeos every week. There is even a maze made out of an old cattle pen that kids will love. Make sure that you go to the Stockyards Collection Museum for a history of “Cowtown”, as Ft. Worth is known.
A huge event is held in the Ft. Worth stockyards area every January and February known as “The Ft. Worth Fat Stock Show”. If you are going to be in the area at that time, call the Chamber of Commerce and get the schedule of events and BUY TICKETS EARLY. There are all types of events from rodeos to livestock auctions.
You could easily spend a full day in this area and then go to Joe T. Garcia’s for lunch or dinner. This is a Mexican food restaurant that can only be described as an integral part of the Ft. Worth culture. There is and always has been a limited menu. But what they do they do well. Joe T.’s ,as it is known, is a must when in this area.
Three other sites in very close proximity would be the Ft. Worth Botanic Garden, the Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History and the Ft. Worth Zoo.
Kids will love to run around the Botanic Garden area as there are many bridges and trails to explore. Also don’t miss the feeding of the koi at the main pond. The Museum of Science and History has a great kid-family atmosphere. There are hands-on science projects, face painting, computerized picture making and digging for fossils. There is also an IMAX theater with wonderful shows. The Ft.Worth Zoo has something for everyone and is a much more sophisticated attraction then you would expect from a city of Ft.Worth’s size. Make sure you take the kids on the train to the Texas Wild which has an old fashioned town to explore.
Speaking of trains, in downtown Ft. Worth you can catch a ride on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad. This is an 1896 steam engine that ,as you might imagine, travels the 19 miles back and forth to Grapevine Texas. There are other routes that follow the Chisholm Trail or the Trinity River.
Texas Stadium in Irving or The Ballpark in Arlington are two great options during the respective seasons of the Dallas Cowboys or the Texas Rangers. Football is king in Texas but baseball is a wonderful experience at The Ballpark. Right next door to The Ballpark in Arlington are two great attractions for kids. Six Flags over Texas and the water park. Depending on the time of year and the weather, its at least an all day event if you combine the two. Six Flags will have “themes” depending on the time of year. For instance, there will be a “Halloween” theme for the month of October.
For a hotel I would stay at the Worthington in downtown Ft. Worth. I would also make sure that you eat at as many of the following as possible; Del Frisco’s Steak House in downtown Ft. Worth, Angelo’s Bar-B-Que on White Settlement Road, The Original Mexican Food Restaurant on Camp Bowie and Kincaid’s Hamburgers(also on Camp Bowie)for lunch.
Joe Hill