Cattle, Cowboys, and a Lightbulb
People like to throw around the word, “tourist trap.” Typically, this travel slur refers to some cheesy, stereotypical attraction that only exists to separate stupid tourists from their money. Unfair I say! I am here to say that I often find myself enjoying tourist traps. Cheesy and stereotypical can still be fun. On my last trip to Texas, I had the opportunity to attend one of the greatest tourist traps within the USA. Allow me to tell you about the Fort Worth Stockyards. Sure, the Stockyards are a tourist trap. But, they are also history, Americana, and good fun. When you boil it all down, it’s about Cattle, Cowboys, and a Lightbulb.
You Start with the Herd
Let’s start with a bit of history. Following the Civil War, the state of Texas had a massive surplus of cattle. The problem was access to a market to sell them. So, the Fort Worth stockyard served as the staging area to gather the herds. Then, the cowboys would drive them 600-900 miles north. Needless to say, this was a slow and arduous trip. As the longhorn cattle go about 1-2 miles per hour, a good day on the cattle drive was about 10-15 miles. Thus, a typical cattle drive took at least 3 months.
To get the flavor of the drive, you should first visit the actual stockyards. There are 17 longhorns corralled here. Naturally, each one is named so you can pick your favorite (i.e. Pugsley). Then, twice daily, the cowboys drive the herd around the main city block near the stockyards. Where else are you going to get a twice daily cattle drive through the town…Americana at it’s best. As these beasts SLOWLY meander by you, you will find it impossible to imagine taking them all the way to Kansas City.
And then, the Cowboys
While the cattle drive is the crown jewel of this place, none of this happens without the cowboys. So, naturally, the Fort Worth Stockyards are all about celebrating the cowboys (cowgirls too). Furthermore, the stockyards are home to the ultimate celebration of cowboys…The Cowboy Hall of Fame.
The HOF is laid out generally as you would expect. There are individual booths that contain memorabilia from each inductee. What I did not expect was the diversity of the inductees. There were inductee categories for ranching, rodeo, entertainment, medical, equine, and bull riding. I am pretty sure if you were ever a Dallas Cowboy football player and engaged in any of these activities…you were automatically inducted. Actually, I knew the names of far more inductees than I expected. Some notable HOF inductees would include Nolan Ryan (ranching), Tommy Lee Jones (ranching), Willie Nelson (entertainment), Gatlin Brothers (entertainment), and for just being Cowboys/Dallas Cowboys…Jay Novacek, Randy White. and Walt Garrison.
And much much more…
Beyond cattle and cowboys, this outstanding tourist trap has much more to offer. As required for any western themed attraction, the cowboys engage in scheduled shoot out a couple times a day. The western town around the stockyards is full of fun bars, breweries and brothels. Naturally, there are plenty of appropriately themed shops with overprized merchandise. Here is my photo montage of fun sites at the stockyard…
Wrap It Up
OK, I think that should give you a good picture of the Fort Worth Stockyards. Is it a tourist trap?…absolutely yes. Is it a great slice of Americana?…great fun for the whole family?…and do I recommend it?….HECK YES. If you do not like the Fort Worth Stockyards, there is just something wrong with you. Have a wonderful day, PT.
I hope you have enjoyed reading “Cattle, Cowboys, and a Lightbulb” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.
Here is a past post about more Texas fun… https://travelingwithpt.com/chicken-sht-bingo/
If you want to plan you own visit to Forth Worth, start here https://www.fortworth.com/the-herd/where-and-when-is-the-cattle-drive/
p.s. Hey! What about the Lightbulb?
That was a test. Did you remember the lightbulb reference? I will not disappoint you. There is a lightbulb. For reasons that were not apparent to me, the museum at the Fort Worth Stockyards is home to this special attraction. Can you imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon the Palace Theater Light Bulb…
It’s the second longest burning bulb in the world, as validated by Guinness Book of World Records. This is worth the price of admission by itself. Mark my word…I will get to Livermore, California, to bring you a post on the LONGEST burning bulb in the world.
