Fort Worth

1. Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Established in 1934 and located on Botanic Garden Boulevard, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in Texas and features over 2,500 species of native and exotic plants in 21 specialty gardens. Some of these beautifully manicured gardens include a “Back Yard Vegetable Garden,” a beautiful vegetable garden that hosts a variety of community-based educational programs, a 10,000-square-foot conservatory which houses tropical species such as orchids and bromeliads, and a unique Fragrance Garden that the visually-impaired can enjoy.

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is one of the best things to do in Fort Worth for families and couples.

Special gardens include the 7-acre Fort Worth Japanese Garden with koi ponds, bridges, waterfalls, pavilions, a Zen Garden, and a teahouse, as well as the Lower Rose Garden, which was inspired by an ancient villa in Italy. An admission fee is charged for the Conservatory and Japanese Garden; the other gardens are free.

Address: Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, Phone: 817-392-5510

2. Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Fort Worth Stockyards is a historic district in the heart of Fort Worth as well as a testament to the livestock industry in Texas. Once the last major stop for rest and supplies for the cattle drovers heading the cattle up the Chisholm Trail to the railheads, Fort Worth served as a major center for the livestock industry with the Fort Worth Stockyards at its center.

Today, the 98-acre (40 ha) district celebrates this long and historical tradition with a variety of attractions focused on the cattle industry for the public to enjoy, from championship rodeo and Longhorn cattle drives to gunslinger shows and stagecoaches.

Address: Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, 500 N.E. 23rd Street, Fort Worth, TX, Phone: 817-626-7921

3. Kimbell Art Museum

The Kimbell Art Museum is a comprehensive art museum that houses a small, but superb collection of 350 works of art, as well as an extensive research library and various educational programs. Designed by renowned architect Louis I. Kahn, the building is recognized as a significant work of architecture, particularly for the natural, silvery light that flows across the vaulted gallery ceilings.

The museum’s collection consists of European works from the classical period, including Gainsborough, Fra Angelico, and Mantegna, as well as antiquities from Egypt, Greece, and Rome. An Asian collection features paintings, sculptures bronzes, and ceramics while famous works by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, and Mondrian make for a special treat. The museum boasts a substantial research library that consists of nearly 60,000 books, periodicals, and auction catalogs, resources that are readily available to faculty members, graduate students, and art historians.

Address: Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas, Phone: 817-332-8451

4. Fort Worth Zoo

Established in 1909 with only a few animals to show, the Fort Worth Zoo has since transformed into a nationally ranked facility and is now home to over 7,000 native and exotic animals in a variety of habitats. Texas’ oldest zoo has more than 16 permanent exhibits, including Texas Wild! – An eight-acre complex that houses seven distinct exhibits related to the fauna and flora of Texas.

Other habitats and exhibits include Raptor Canyon, World of Primates, Meerkat Mounds, Parrot Paradise, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Museum of Living Art (MOLA).

The zoo features state-of-the-art facilities, as well as pleasant walkways, shade structures, walkways, picnic areas, and some food outlets.

Address: Fort Worth Zoo, 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas, Phone: 817-759-7555

5. Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall

The Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall provides a state-of-the-art location for the various major performing arts organizations of Fort Worth, as well as a premiere venue for other events, shows, and attractions for the public to enjoy.

The Hall is home to resident companies, including the Fort Worth Opera and Symphony Orchestra, the Cliburn, and the Texas Ballet Theater, and it hosts a range of traveling performance throughout the year. If you are looking for romantic date night ideas in Fort Worth, watch a performance at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall. The owners of Bass Hall, Performing Arts Fort Worth, offer educational and community-based projects at no cost to children in grades one through twelve to inspire and encourage an interest in the arts.

Address: Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun Streets, Fort Worth, Texas, Phone: 817-212-4325

6. Cowtown Cycle Party

Cowtown Cycle Party offers a unique and fun way to experience Fort Worth. The Cowtown Cycle Party is a multi-seated bar on wheels that can be rented by groups of up to 16 people who can ride around town, check out all the best attractions, and make new friends at the same time.

There are no set routes on the two-hour tour, but it often covers popular areas of the city such as Sundance Square Plaza, Magnolia Avenue, and the Fort Worth Water Garden, where you can experience a variety of historical and cultural points of interest, beautiful architecture, and an array of restaurants, bars, and cafés.

7. Sundance Square, Fort Worth, TX

Spanning 35 blocks in Downtown Fort Worth, Sundance Square is one of the finest entertainment and shopping districts in the Southwest. Made up of over 40 buildings both modern and historic that house an array of entertainment, retail, and dining venues, the Square offers myriad things to see and do, from enjoying casual coffee in a sunny courtyard to fine dining in an elegant restaurant.

Home to a range of museums and art galleries, the Square also allows visitors to enjoy live music, live theater, and other outdoor and indoor events that are held there throughout the year. Sundance Square also offers a range of business and hospitality services, including financial, health, and personal services.

8. Velvet Taco

Velvet Taco is a forward-thinking taqueria with excellent food, sublime margaritas, and late night hours. Offering all-time Mexican favorites such as handmade tortillas and tacos made with real corn and packed with pulled, slow-roasted chicken, pure beef burgers, shrimp and grits and freshly-made salad accompanied by a range of handcrafted margaritas and sangrias using fresh fruit and sorbets, Velvet Taco is the go-to place for early diners and late-night revelers alike. Grab a whole rotisserie chicken with delicious sides of nachos, roasted potatoes or crisp tots for a night in with friends.

Address: Velvet Taco, 2700 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth, Texas, Phone: 817-887-9810

9. Amon Carter Museum of American of Art

The Amon Carter Museum of American of Art is dedicated to showcasing masterpieces of American art through a diverse array of exhibitions, displays, programs, and publications. Established by Amon G. Carter Sr. over 60 years ago to house his collection of paintings and sculptures by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, the museum has since become a tribute to the finest examples of American art.

The permanent collection is made up of paintings, sculptures, illustrated books, photographs, and works on paper, and the museum showcases a range of temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The Amon Carter Museum of American of Art is one of the best things to do in Fort Worth for art lovers. Complementing the museum’s excellent art collection is a research library that offers an extensive range of materials on American art, photography, and history from the early nineteenth century to the present.

Address: Amon Carter Museum of American of Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas, Phone: 817-738-1933

10. The Modern

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is dedicated to the presentation of artworks from the post–World War II era until today and features over 3,000 objects, ranging from paintings, sculptures, and videos to photographs and prints. Consisting mainly of works collected between between 1945 and the present, the museum’s collection represents genres and international movements such as Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism and Post-Minimalism, Conceptualism, and American Pop, with a particular focus on Pop, Minimalism, and German Art.

The museum endeavors to promote understanding and interest in art and the artists behind the masterpieces through an array of outstanding exhibitions, displays, educational programs, classes, lectures, and workshops.

Address: The Modern, 3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth, Texas, Phone: 817-738-9215