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Published on May 23, 2024. Last Updated on March 14, 2026.
If you are looking for a fun and family-friendly destination in Texas, look no further than the Fort Worth Stockyards. This iconic historic district is filled with rich history, cowboy culture, and plenty of activities to keep everyone in the family entertained. From cattle drives to live country music, there is something for everyone to enjoy at this Wild West destination. So without further ado, here are 5 Simple Tips for Visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards.
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Visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards: The details
The Fort Worth Stockyards is a national historic district located in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas. Located at 131 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164, the Stockyards are free to visit and open 24 hours. There are many fun shops to visit, places to eat, live music, live events, and even an ice skating rink during the winter holidays.
Although visiting the Stockyards is free, some attractions like the Cowtown Cattlepen Maze, the Cowtown Coliseum (where you can catch the rodeo), the Stockyards Barnyard Petting Corral, and the Stockyards Museum do charge admission fees. Make sure to check the prices of admission prior to visiting.
However, the Stockyards best event, the Fort Worth Herd twice daily longhorn cattle drive, is absolutely free. The twice daily cattle drive happens at 11:30am and 4:00pm. We caught the 4:00pm cattle drive and the longhorn herd is incredible! If you have never seen a cattle drive, or longhorn cattle, definitely plan your visit to experience the cattle drive.
Our visit to the Forth Worth Stockyards
We visited the Fort Worth Stockyards on a Wednesday afternoon in the fall. We were in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex area to attend a Dallas Cowboy game, the traditional Thanksgiving football game to be exact. Not wanting to travel to Texas the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which is traditionally the busiest travel day in the US, we flew into Texas on Tuesday. This left us with a day of sightseeing in the Dallas Fort Worth area.
Rather than visiting downtown Dallas, we opted to visit Fort Worth. After sleeping in that morning, and a hearty Texas breakfast at a local Arlington restaurant, we drove to the Stockyards arriving around 2pm in the afternoon. We stayed at the Stockyards for about four hours, including our time at Billy Bob’s, before heading to a local Fort Worth restaurant for dinner.
It is important to note that we did not visit all of the museums at the Stockyards. If you and your family plan on visiting a few museums, you may want to extend your visit to a full day or even two days. There are plenty of cute hotels in the Stockyards for an overnight stay.
If you and your family want to stay near the Fort Worth Stockyards, there are some very cute historic hotels in the area like The Stockyards Hotel, Hotel Drover, and Miss Molly’s Hotel. Because we were in town for a Dallas Cowboy game, we opted to stay near AT&T Stadium in Arlington and drive to Fort Worth. But I would have loved to stay at The Stockyards Hotel.
Visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards?
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During our trip to the Stockyards, we visited a lot of the shops and went shopping. Sal bought some leather gloves while Buddy and I enjoyed an original Dr. Pepper from the Longhorn General Store Stockyards Station. I also got a keychain for my travel collection and we splurged on some local farm-to-cone ice cream at MELT. And we window shopped all things western!
Fun Fact! Dr. Pepper is the oldest major soft drink in the US and it hails from Texas – Waco, Texas to be exact.
After that, we walked up to the hill to see the Swift & Co. Building, which is a historical landmark. Next visited the Cowtown Coliseum and enjoyed the Cowboy Hall of Fame before picking a spot to watch the cattle drive. We ended our time at the Stockyards at Billy Bob’s.
Top 5 Tip for Visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards
1. Be prepared to pay for parking
While there is ample parking in and around the Stockyards, however, most parking lots charge for parking. The cost of Stockyards Parking ranges from $5-15/day with the average costs of $7 daily for weekdays and $10 daily for weekends including Fridays.
Pro Tip: Parking at Billy Bob’s is free during the weekdays Monday through Thursday.
When we visited the Stockyards, we did not know about the free parking at Billy Bob’s (which is a bummer since we were there on a Wednesday). So we paid for a daily rate in the Stockyards. In the future, we will visit again on a weekday and park at Billy Bob’s.
2. Do not miss the cattle drive
One of the must-do activities at the Fort Worth Stockyards is witnessing the exciting daily cattle drive that takes place daily at 11:30 am and 4:00 pm. Watch as cowboys on horseback guide a herd of longhorns down Exchange Avenue, providing a glimpse into Texas’ rich cowboy culture and the spirit of the Old West. The cattle drives happen daily except on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. And cattle drive can be canceled due to weather.
The cattle drive is a must see. And best of all, the kids will love it because it is like a parade!
The longhorn cattle are spectacular. If you are not able to visit the Stockyards during a cattle drive, but want to see the herd, you will find them in their pens in the Stockyard. There are two sets of pens, one behind the Observation Deck and the other behind the Livestock Exchange Building.
Pro Tip: For safety reasons, guests cannot sit on the curb or stand in the street during the cattle drive.
Of all the things that we did at the Stockyards, watching the cattle drive was my personal favorite. The longhorns are incredible. It is one thing to see them sitting and hanging out, and another thing to see them all walking together with their majestic crowns. And during the parade, we learned a lot about the rich history of Fort Worth and the cattle drive from the MC.
Fun Fact: You can take a photo on a longhorn cow at the Stockyards.
The Herd Experience
If you want to interact with the longhorns beyond the cattle drive or photo op, check out The Herd Experience. It is a free interactive program for people of all ages ( is perfect for families!) that takes place every weekend inducing Fridays from 1:30-2:30pm. For more information, check out the website.
While we did not take a photo on a longhorn, it was amusing to see the photos in action. And we visited on a Wednesday when The Herd Experience was not offered. Maybe next time!
3. Visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards? Be prepared to walk
The Stockyards district covers several blocks and you will be doing a lot of walking in between sites. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and attractions to explore along the way. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes as you will be on your feet a lot if you want to see everything this vibrant area has to offer.
Pro Tip: If you are buying new shoes for a vacation, make sure to break them by wearing them at home so that they fit comfortably and you don’t get blisters on your vacation.
We visited the stockyards in the winter months, so I brought my ankle boots. These are my go-to travel boots for city travel in the winter as the boots are comfortable and don’t take up too much room in a carry-on. Buddy and Sal wore tennis shoes and our feet were all comfortable.
4. Park your stroller at your own risk
First of all, the Fort Worth Stockyards are family friendly so make sure you bring your kiddos along for the adventure. There are a lot of fun things for littles and elementary aged kids to do and see here. So definitely bring the kiddos.
But, because you will be walking a lot in the Stockyards, you will definitely want to bring a stroller. The good news is that everything in the stockyards historic district is within walking distance. The downside to that is that most of the shops do not allow strollers inside. The stockyards do offer stroller parking outside various shops, but it is park at your own risk. So if you do need to park a stroller, make sure that you do not leave anything valuable on the stroller when shopping.
We visited the Stockyards with Buddy as a teen and he is definitely out of his stroller era.
5. Take the kids to Billy Bob’s Texas
For families looking for live entertainment, a visit to Billy Bob’s Texas is a must. Yes, Billy Bob’s Texas is a honkey tonk, the “World’s Largest Honky Tonk” to be exact. Billy Bob’s Texas is a legendary venue that offers live music, dancing, bull riding, food, gift shops, pool, and more. And it is also a family-friendly entertainment facility meaning that you can visit with the kiddos in tow. Because the venue serves alcohol, kiddos under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult with a valid ID. But kids can visit. Admission varies by day, time, and event, so we recommend checking out the website for current details.
I love Billy Bob’s. In fact, Sal and I once spent a birthday in my 20s dancing the night away on one of spacious dance floors. So when we visited the Fort Worth Stockyards, I knew that we had to take Buddy to visit.
During our visit, we walked around and admired the famous “Wall of Fame” handprints and other decor. We saw a band do a sound check and then Buddy and Sal played a game of pool while I visited the gift shop. On our way out, we stopped by the rodeo area (yes, there is a rodeo arena inside this honkey tonk), but nothing was happening at the time. There is a restaurant and many bars inside but we did not eat during our time there. I am glad Buddy had the chance to experience a honkey tonk.
A Teenager’s Perspective
I think that yes, teens would like visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards. It is a very Texas experience – it captures Texas really well. I did see a lot of teens there with their families so, yes I think it is a great place to visit.
I agree with all of the tips my mom mentioned and I don’t really have anything to add.
You should really look around at the general stores because the theme is really good and they have great architecture. I really liked the old Wild West buildings.
So that is how we spent a (half) day at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Because we were only there for a half day, we did not see and do anything. Below is a list of the things we missed.
What we missed
- All of the Saloons – Filthy McNasty’s Saloon, White Elephant Saloon, Stampede Saloon, Rhinestone Saloon. I mean, we did visit with Buddy who is a teenager and unable to visit saloons, so there’s that.
- Livestock Exchange Building and Stockyards Museum
- Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
- John Wayne an American Experience
- The Herd Experience
What not to miss at the Fort Worth Stockyards?
That really depends on you and what you are interested in seeing. For some, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame might be a must-see. For us, as we are casual fans of rodeo, that was not a must see.
But if there is one thing we recommend not missing at the Fort Worth Stockyards, it is the cattle drive!
Are the Fort Worth Stockyards worth visiting?
In our opinions, yes! It is a great Texas experience for travelers of all ages, especially if you are into rodeo.
In conclusion, exploring the Fort Worth Stockyards is an unforgettable experience that offers something for everyone in your family. From historic cattle drives to lively entertainment venues, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this Western gem. So pack your bags, put on your cowboy boots, and get ready for an adventure-filled day at one of Texas’ most iconic destinations.
Do you have questions about family travel or traveling with teens? Feel free to reach out! We are happy to chat and share our experiences and look forward to connecting with you.
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Are you planning a trip to Texas? Will you be visiting the Fort Worth Stockyards? If so, let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed reading this, check out these blog posts!
- 5 Simple Tips for Exploring the San Antonio Mission Trail
- Attending a Dallas Cowboy Football Game: An Easy Guide for First Timers
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Hello! We are Yvonne & Buddy and we create family travel blogs based on firsthand knowledge and experiences of a destination. Our goal is to inspire teens, parents, and families to share time together engaging in new experiences whether the destination is near or far from home. Come join us on our travels!
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What a fun trip! I love to learn about the cool things in places that are off of people’s radar.
Those long horn cattle are so cool! Wowza! I didn’t know that was one of the breeds in the USA (I only know them from Scotland.) I can totally see why that is your best part of Fort Worth Stockyards, that is awesome!
This looks like a quintessential Texas experience that could be enjoyable for the whole family, thanks!
Spending the day at the Fort Worth Stockyards sounds like fun. I’d love to see the cattle drive too.
The cattle drive looks like a must do activity when visiting Fort Worth Stockyards. Looks like a highlight of your trip.
Visiting Texas is one of the top things on my bucket list – I am looking forward to seeing the cattle drive. Living in a big city as I do, I would just love this and seeing all the cowboys.
I lived in Texas (San Antonio) for over a decade and apparently I missed the memo to take a trip up to Fort Worth Stockyards! I will have to add this to the list of things to do the next time in in Texas. That looks so fun!
Sounds like a place for an authentic experience! Thanks for sharing!