Fort Worth Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards now celebrates Fort Worth’s long tradition as a part of the cattle industry and was listed on the National Register as a historical district in 1976. The listing included 46 contributing buildings and one other contributing structure.

The Stockyards consist of mainly entertainment and shopping venues that capitalize on the “Cowtown” image of Fort Worth. Home to the famous boot making company M.L. Leddy’s which is located in the heart of the Stockyards and The Maverick Fine Western Wear and Saloon where customers “can ‘belly up’ to the bar, relax and have a cold beer while in the Stockyards; just like they did in the days of the big cattle drives”, as they shop around the store. The city of Fort Worth is often referred to as “Where the West Begins.” Many bars and nightclubs (including Billy Bob’s Texas) are located in the vicinity, and the area has a Western motif. There is also an opry and a rodeo. The Fort Worth Stockyards are the last standing stockyards in the United States. Some volunteers still run the cattle drives through the stockyards, a practice developed in the late 19th century by the frontiersman Charles “Buffalo” Jones, who herded buffalo calves through the streets of Garden City, Kansas.

On April 1, 2011, the Fort Worth Stockyards Stables were remodeled and reopened. They are located next door to the Hyatt hotel in an original Historic Stockyards building that was built in 1912. These stables offer full care boarding, overnight boarding, hourly boarding, horse rentals on the open trails of the Trinity River and carriage rides. Boarders can ride their horses all around the Historic Stockyards.

History

Fort Worth Union Stockyards opened for business on January 19, 1890, covering 206 acres. On February 7, the Fort Worth Dressed Meat and Packing Company was founded. This facility was operated without profit until purchased by G. W. Simpson of Boston. In an effort to produce revenue, they reached out to the Swift and Armour companies to establish packing houses. By 1886, four stockyards had been built near the railroads. Boston capitalist Greenleif W. Simpson, with a half dozen Boston and Chicago associates, incorporated the Fort Worth Stock Yards Company on March 23, 1893, and purchased the Union Stock Yards and the Fort Worth Packing Company. The Stockyards experienced early success. By 1907, the Stockyards sold a million cattle per year. The stockyards was an organized place where cattle, sheep, and hogs could be bought, sold and slaughtered. Fort Worth remained an important part of the cattle industry until the 1950s. Business suffered due to livestock auctions held closer to where the livestock were originally produced.

What to Photograph:

The Cattle Drive

The Fort Worth Herd is the world’s only twice daily cattle drive, held every day at 11:30 AM & 4:00 PM in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Drives are not held on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. The Fort Worth Herd Trail Boss determines drive cancelations due to inclement weather and necessary onsite changes.

The Fort Worth Herd steers can be viewed before and after cattle drives in their pens behind the Livestock Exchange Building on East Exchange Avenue.

The Cowtown cattle pens, the Cowtown Coliseum, and the many historic buildings.

Getting There:

Driving Directions

From DFW Airport

• Head south on International Parkway/TX-97 Spur
• Keep right to merge onto TX-183 W
• Veer left to exit onto Hwy 121 S
• Keep left to continue onto Interstate 820/Texas 121/Texas 183
• Merge onto I-820 W
• Exit 17 toward N Riverside Drive
• Keep left at fork; merge onto I-35W south
• Exit 54A for 183/NE 28th St.
• Turn left onto Main St.
• Turn left onto E Exchange Ave.

From Dallas Love Field Airport

• Turn right onto W Mockingbird Ln.
• Turn right onto John W. Carpenter Freeway
• Take the left ramp onto TX-183 W
• Keep left at the fork; follow signs for Fort Worth / DFW South Entry
• Use left two lanes to exit onto Hwy 121 S
• Keep left onto I-820/Texas 121/Texas 183
• Exit 17 toward N Riverside Drive
• Keep left at fork; merge onto I-35W south
• Exit 54A onto 183/NE 28th St.
• Turn left onto Main St.
• Turn left onto E Exchange Ave.

From Dallas

• Head west on I-30
• Exit 15C onto US-287 N toward Denton/Downtown/I-35W N
• Keep left onto TX-280 Spur
• Continue onto 6th St.
• Turn right onto Commerce St.
• Commerce winds around and becomes Main St.; continue north on Main St.
• Turn right on E. Exchange Ave.

 

Cost:

There are no fees for this area but parking will run $5 to $7 dollars for the day.

Facilities

This is a tourist attraction in downtown Fort Worth Texas, and as such has many restaurants, bars, and shopping facilities.

Maps:

Interactive Google Map

Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.

Location Contact Information:

Stockyards Visitor Center

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

130 E. Exchange Ave.
Fort Worth TX 76164
817-624-4741

Fort Worth Stockyards Photo Gallery

Click Here for full page gallery

More Photographic Destinations in Texas:

Interactive Google Map

Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.

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gdisch On December 6, 2016   /   Texas   /   Leave a comment