Day Trips from Fort Worth, Texas

Home to the Urban Wine Trail and the annual Grapefest, Grapevine is centrally located in the heart of the Lone Star State Wine Business between Dallas and Fort Worth, where it offers visitors of all ages a great day out. For children you will find amazing attractions like Legoland Discovery Center, Peppa Pig World of Play, and SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium. As if these were not enough, you can take a ride on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad and visit museums like historic Nash Farm where children can learn all about the pioneer days in Texas. Wine enthusiasts can enjoy tastings at seven urban winery tasting rooms dotted around the city.

Grapevine, TX 75019-6099

Abilene is located in typical Texan “Big Sky Country” approximately two and a half hours west of Fort Worth. History buffs and others who would like to learn about the history of Texas will enjoy a visit to the Frontier Texas Museum which uses brilliant modern technology to tell the Texas story from the earliest native inhabitants to the arrival of the railway. You can take a nostalgic journey back in time at the Taylor County History Center where at least fifteen historic buildings and their contents are showcased. Other Abilene attractions include Fort Phantom Hill, Dyess Air Force Base, the Grace Art Museum and the fabulous Abilene Zoo.

Addison is located about forty-five minutes north east of Fort Worth, which makes it very accessible for a fun family day trip or shopping excursion. Art lovers will enjoy discovering some of the city’s many outdoor public art installations which are dotted around the city. Addison is known for offering an outstanding choice of restaurants, café and coffee shops, many of which can be found in the Galleria Dallas or Village on Parkway shopping malls. If you are interested in aviation you can visit the Cavanaugh Flight Museum or treat yourself and the family to an awesome helicopter tour at Epic Helicopter Tours.

Addison, TX 75001-5254

Athens is located about ninety minutes drive southwest of Fort Worth and is definitely worth visiting for an unusual Texan-style day trip. The Henderson County Historical Museum is worth a visit to get an overview of the city’s history before you move on to visit the town’s most popular attraction, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. Here you can join a guided tour and watch scuba divers hand-feeding some of the native Texan freshwater fish. On the topic of scuba diving, Athens offers enthusiasts a unique diving experience at the Athens Scuba Park where you can explore an entire lake filled with sunken boats, planes and other obstacles. Other attractions include the East Texas Arboretum (for beautiful gardens and trails), the New York Texas Zipline Adventures and Tara Vineyard and Winery.

You need to get an early start for your day trip to Canton if you want to be first in line to pick up a bargain at the city’s world-famous First Monday Trade Day. Staged each month during the three-day weekend before the first Monday of the month, Canton plays host to thousands of dealers and craftsmen who come from near and far to sell their wares at this enormous flea market. You can spend hours admiring fine furniture, artwork, antiques, décor and much more. If you visit outside of these bustling weekends you can have some fun fishing at Mill Creek Reservoir and Old City Lake, visit the Canton Plaza Museum, have hours of fun at Splash Kingdom Waterpark or play a round of golf.

Canton, TX 75103

No visit to Texas would be complete without donning a cowboy hat, saddling up your mount and heading off along the a class="ref1" href="https://www.traveltexas.com/things-to-do/western-experience/texas-towns-on-the-historic-chisolm-trail/" target="_blank">Chisholm Trail for an unforgettable trail ride. The Stockyards Stables in Fort Worth welcomes avid equestrians seven days a week to go on a relaxing outride along the Old Chisholm Trail which winds its way along the Trinity River, against the backdrop of the Fort Worth skyline. You can choose from a thirty or sixty-minute ride and your young children (older than three years) can enjoy a ten-minute arena ride. Besides getting to know the stable horses, children will enjoy the petting zoo while adults may like to have their photo taken astride a beautiful (and patient) Texan Longhorn.

Stockyards Stables, 157 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164, Phone: 817-247-2510

Located off Interstate 45 in Navarro County, Corsicana is within easy reach of Fort Worth for an interesting family day trip. Corsicana is famous for being the birthplace of the Texas Petroleum industry which you can learn all about as you take a walk through Petroleum Park which features various pieces of oil-mining equipment used back in the 1950’s. You can step back in time to Corsicana’s boom days at the Pioneer Village Historical Museum which features various pioneer-era buildings.

Denton is located in the heart of Texan Horse Country, just over thirty minutes from Fort Worth. The area surrounding Denton is home to a huge concentration of horse farms (over 300) which avid equestrians can explore on a scenic drive or by joining a guided behind-the-scenes coach tour. There are at least three local horse ranches which offer guided horse-back out-rides. But Denton is not only for horse lovers – the city boasts an interesting Historic Downtown surrounding the impressive Courthouse-on-the- Square, great art galleries and studios to admire, a selection of heritage sites and museums to explore, restaurants for all tastes and some really different shops and boutiques.

Denton, TX 75065-6259

For a fascinating family day trip from Fort Worth, the Dinosaur Valley State Park is hard to beat. Here, on what was once the shore of an ocean, you can walk in the footsteps of giants along the bed of the Paluxi River. Depending on the time of year you visit, you will be able to find actual dinosaur tracks in the river-bed (it is advisable to phone the park before your visit to check track visibility during the rainy season). Besides searching for tracks the park offers many other activities including walking, hiking, swimming, biking, picnicking and geocaching. There are also some ranger-led activities to enjoy.

Dinosaur Valley State Park, 1629 Park Rd 59, Glen Rose, TX 76043, Phone: 254-897-4588

Located 50 miles east of Fort Worth, Garland offers a large variety of activities for day-trippers of all ages. If you are visiting during the summer months the Hawaiian Falls Waterpark and Surf and Swim in Audubon Park are favorite family destinations for hours of water fun. Outdoor enthusiasts can visit Bass Pro Shops on the shores of Lake Hubbard to view an enormous saltwater aquarium as you outfit the entire family for your next outdoor adventure. In Historic Downtown Garland there is an array of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants set in charming historic buildings. Nobody should leave the town without touring the Resistol Hat Plant where you can buy your own genuine Texan cowboy hat.

Garland, TX 75040