National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Kimbell Art Museum
Fort Worth Museum of Science and Industry
Stockyards National Historic District
- Celebrating the indomitable frontierswoman spirit—and modern-day gals with moxie to spare—the 33,000-square-foot National Cowgirl Museum gives 181 pioneers, artists, writers, entertainers, humanitarians, businesswomen, educators, ranchers, and rodeo cowgirls their due. Hall of Fame inductees include painter Georgia O’Keefe, Sacajawea, sharpshooter Annie Oakley, Hollywood icon Dale Evans, and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Event facilities include its Rotunda, Flexible Exhibit Gallery, “Spirit of the Cowgirl” Theater, and Museum Gift Shop. www.cowgirl.net
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Kimbell Art Museum
- Located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, directly opposite the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern’s architecturally stunning structure seems to float on water, with 40-foot-high glass windows offering expansive views of the museum’s large reflecting pond, outdoor sculpture and grounds. Interior spaces, flooded by natural light, provide ample circulation space. Event facilities include the Grand Lobby and Cafe Modern, the Sculpture Garden, the Modern Auditorium, and the galleries. Next to the Modern Art Museum is the Kimbell (www.kimbellart.org) designed by American architectural giant Louis I. Kahn. Although the Kimbell doesn’t rent out special event space, its wide-ranging collection ranges from antiquity to the 20th century, along with a substantial Asian, Mesoamerican, Mediterranean, and African art collection. www.themodern.org
Fort Worth Museum of Science and Industry
- Planners can rent facilities ranging from the Center for Science Learning and various exhibit galleries on up to a buyout of the entire museum. Other highlights include the Charlie Mary Noble Planetarium and the IMAX-enabled Omni Theater. This fall the museum will break ground on a new $65 million, 133,000-square-foot building. www.fwmuseum.org
Stockyards National Historic District
- It would be a hangin’ offense if you brought a group to Fort Worth and didn’t visit the Stockyards National Historic District, which boasts 25 retail shops, an art gallery, a vintage railroad, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and, most notably, the Fort Worth Herd, the only daily Longhorn Cattle drive in the U.S. The 15-square-block area also boasts plenty of boot-scootin’ nightlife options. www.fortworthstockyards.org