I’m excited to share our recent visit to the Fort Worth Stockyards and cattle drive. We kept talking about visiting for months – years even! – and finally got a chance to go while my dad was visiting. Sadly, Adam couldn’t join us because there was a serious maintenance issue at our house. (We missed you!) But I still managed to have a great time and make some fun memories with my dad and my son Andrew.
History of the Fort Worth Daily Cattle Drive
Before we headed out to Fort Worth, I did a little reading about the history of the Fort Worth Stockyards. Here’s a snippet from their official website:
Between 1866 and 1890, drovers trailed more than four million head of cattle through Fort Worth. The city soon became known as “Cowtown.”
When the railroad arrived in 1876, Fort Worth became a major shipping point for livestock, so the city built the Union Stockyards, two and a half miles north of the Tarrant County Courthouse, in 1887. (Source)
The stockyards are wonderfully built to feel authentic to the original structures. The whole area looks like the set of a western movie. I often forget that I live in Texas because Dallas feels like any other city. But that’s one reason I love Fort Worth so much – it feels western. It’s much more relaxed and down-to-earth.
It’s Giving John Wayne
We arrived at the stockyards with just enough time to get front row for the “world’s only twice daily cattle drive” morning walk. I was glad to have an excuse to wear my Akubra I bought on my most recent trip to Australia. And Andrew wore the Ariat cowboy hat we bought for him in Austin a few months back. Our family loves a good hat. I was thrilled with an excuse to dress us up a bit.
We weren’t the only people in cowboy hats! There were drovers in full western attire riding through the street on horseback. A few western characters were also milling around, like a sheriff and deputy. More on them later. I was nervous that the enormous cattle might be aggressive, but the staff assured the crowd that the cattle are very tame. Still, it was nice to have some extra drovers all around!
Cattle Drive in Fort Worth
Despite their giant horns, the cattle acted like gentle giants. They puttered from their holding pen and down the street together. It was incredible to see such huge creatures up close. We were just a few feet away from them as they walked past. I think I was so surprised because the only time I’ve seen such large creatures was at bull riding events at the rodeo. I took a full video of the cattle drive, from our perspective. You can watch that on my YouTube channel HERE. And while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel!
A Note For Parents
My dad and I expected Andrew to love seeing the horses, cowboys, and cattle. Instead, my little one seemed almost scared. I think he was overwhelmed by the number of people, the noise, and the animals. It’s worth considering your child’s preferences if you’re on the fence about taking them – the whole experience can be too much for a more sensory-affected child. Because of his nervousness, Andrew stayed in his Wonderfold Wagon with the top on for most of the cattle drive.
Stockyards Shootout Show
There was a faux gunfight show right after the cattle drive. My dad wanted to watch, but I knew it would be too much for Andrew. He’s not a fan of loud noises! And gosh, those guns were LOUD! From what I could hear, the shootout was between the western characters I mentioned earlier, like the sheriff, deputy, and an outlaw. I heard lots of laughs from the crowd, so I’m sure it was lighthearted. To other parents – you might want to call the stockyards for information or look up a YouTube video of the show before you attend to make sure you’re comfortable with it.
Texas Ranger Badge
While my dad watched the show, Andrew and I went to the General Store for a snack – popcorn for him and a strawberry shortcake for me. We also found a cute little Texas Ranger badge with “Andy” engraved on it. I had to get it! I loved getting personalized trinkets as a kid. They might be cheesy, but they sure are cute.
Andy wore his new badge the rest of the day. Between the badge and his cowboy hat, he looked ready to join the drovers on their next ride. And yes, I now notice that he’s wearing a Union Jack sweater that kinda breaks the immersion. I’ll make a wardrobe note for next time ; )
Fort Worth Stockyards Restaurants
There are a few different restaurants located at the stockyards complex. Most of them seemed to be BBQ and sandwiches. There was a candy shop that we explored, but Andy specifically wanted a cookie. Lucky for him, there’s a Toll House cookie shop on the property. Each of us ordered a special cookie – M&M for Andrew, oatmeal raisin for my dad, and chocolate chip with pecans for me. It was, of course, delicious.
We sat down in the cookie shop for a little break. My dad and I chatted with another family in the shop, and it was nice to have a casual conversation with strangers. I feel like I’ve forgotten how to make small talk in the last two years that we’ve been at home.
Petting Zoo
Our last stop was the petting zoo. If there’s one thing my child loves, it’s the petting zoo. There are few things in this life that delight Andrew more than having a farm animal eat oats from his outstretched hand. He squeals with delight every single time a goat approaches him. It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. My dad couldn’t get enough of Andy’s reaction to the goats, llamas, cows, and sheep. They both took care to make sure all the animals got a turn. Even the tiniest babies got a few oats from Andrew.
Seeing him so happy at the petting zoo renewed that little part of me that dreams of owning a farm one day. I also love animals and would love to have a herd of goats running around my yard. And chickens to feed! And perhaps even some rescue horses. Maybe one day!
Overall Impression
We loved our trip out to the Fort Worth Stockyards. I think it would be best to make a full-day visit from Dallas to Fort Worth. Start with the cattle drive at 11:30 am, then spend the afternoon wandering around the stockyards until the rodeo in the evening. We weren’t able to see the rodeo on the day of our visit, but it’s top of our list for the next time we visit Fort Worth.
You can watch the full vlog of our visit HERE or click the image above.