Stockyards National Historic District

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The Stockyards National Historic District, formally known as the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, is a preserved Western-heritage destination located in Fort Worth, Texas, approximately 30 miles west of Dallas. A section of 98 acres that encompasses most of the Stockyards has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, an honor reflecting its unique place as a livestock center renowned throughout the Lone Star State. The district is a terrific place to celebrate the romance of the American West, covering 15 square blocks and home to hotels, restaurants, shops, and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Once the commercial heart of the cattle industry in the American Southwest, the Stockyards today draw visitors from around the world seeking an authentic encounter with Texas frontier culture, cowboy history, and a living Western tradition that has survived into the twenty-first century.

History and Origins

The story of the Fort Worth Stockyards begins in 1866 when Fort Worth became an essential stop along the Chisholm Trail — a vital route for cattle drives that guided herds from Texas ranches to markets up north. Cowboys and cattle alike would pass through Fort Worth, making it a natural hub for trade and commerce. Things really took off in 1876 when the Texas and Pacific Railway arrived in Fort Worth. Suddenly, cattle could be transported quickly and efficiently to faraway markets by rail, cutting down travel time by weeks or even months.

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. The Union Stockyards Company lacked the funds to buy enough cattle to attract local ranchers, so President Mike C. Hurley invited wealthy Boston capitalist Greenleif Simpson to Fort Worth in hopes he would invest. Simpson arrived and found the pens full of cattle; he decided Fort Worth represented a good market and made plans to invest. Little did he know, the pens didn't normally hold that much cattle; he'd simply arrived on the heels of heavy rains and a railroad strike. On April 27, 1893, Simpson bought the Union Stockyards for $133,333.33 and changed the name to the Fort Worth Stockyards Company.

Simpson invited other investors to join him, including his Boston neighbor, Louville V. Niles, whose primary business was meatpacking. They soon realized that instead of shipping the cattle off to other markets to be processed, they'd be much better off building meat packing plants nearby so they could keep the business in the city. The investors began working to attract major packers to Fort Worth, and by about 1900, they had persuaded both Armour & Co. and Swift & Co. to build plants near the Stockyards. Armour and Swift held a coin toss to decide who would get which tract of land; Armour won the toss and chose the northern site, and construction began in 1902. That same year, construction started on the pens, the barns, and the new Livestock Exchange Building, which housed the many livestock commission companies, telegraph offices, railroad offices and other support businesses.

The investors struggled because of the financial panic of 1893 and other problems, but in 1896 the company began a fat-stock show that has survived to the present as one of the largest livestock shows in the nation, the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. Immigrants came from Central Europe to work in the plants and settled in a community that stockyard officials incorporated in 1902 under the name North Fort Worth. The Stockyards became so successful that in 1911 they became their own town, Niles City, with a property value of $30 million, and in 1923 it was annexed into Fort Worth.

By 1907, the district handled over a million cattle annually, solidifying its position as one of the largest livestock markets in the U.S. The Stockyards became the largest livestock trading center in the Southwest, and during World War I, its Horse and Mule Barns were the largest equine market in the U.S. During World War II, the Fort Worth Stockyards processed 5,277,496 head of livestock, making 1944 the peak year of the entire operation.

Decline and Preservation

The decline of the Stockyards soon began with the decline of the railroad. After World War II, newly paved roads gave rise to the trucking industry, with lower costs and greater flexibility than the railroads. This meant the market moved to the shipper instead of the meat packer, and smaller local livestock auctions and feedlots started drawing business away from central locations like the Stockyards. Armour was the first to close his Fort Worth plant in 1962; Swift hung on until 1971. By 1986, Stockyards sales reached an all-time low of 57,181 animals.

In 1976, Charlie and Sue McCafferty founded the North Fort Worth Historical Society to preserve Fort Worth's livestock heritage. This new venture helped establish the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historical District and bring about the restoration of landmarks including the Livestock Exchange Building, the Coliseum, and the former Swift & Co. headquarters. In 1989, the North Fort Worth Historical Society opened the Stockyards Museum in the historic Exchange Building. Today, the museum hosts thousands of visitors from all over the world each year and is constantly growing its facilities and its collection.

The registered district covers approximately 98 acres in northern Fort Worth, bounded roughly by Exchange Avenue to the south, Northeast 28th Street to the north, and North Main Street to the west. It includes an inventory of 46 contributing buildings — such as livestock pens, barns, the Stock Exchange Building (constructed 1902), and the Cowtown Coliseum (built 1908) — along with one contributing structure, exemplified by a cattle chute, all of which are protected from adverse alterations under National Register guidelines. Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks within the district include the entrance sign, the Livestock Exchange Building, and the Thannisch Block Building housing the Stockyards Hotel.

Landmarks and Attractions

The district's principal corridor is Exchange Avenue, a weathered brick thoroughfare lined with historic storefronts, saloons, and Western-wear outfitters that has served as the commercial spine of the Stockyards since the early twentieth century.

Cowtown Coliseum

In 1907, construction broke ground for Cowtown Coliseum, which was originally known as Grand Coliseum. The project cost only $250,000 to build. After completion in only 88 working days, the Coliseum was finished in 1908, right on time for the grand opening of the Feeders and Breeders show. It was then that the Cowtown Coliseum became the home of the first indoor rodeo. Cowtown Coliseum also houses the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame as well as the Bull Riding Hall of Fame. Two Presidents of the United States have spoken at the Coliseum — Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 and Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s. The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) held their very first event in April 1993 at Cowtown Coliseum, and in late December 1993 the venue was the first stop of the 1994 inaugural season of the PBR's Bud Light Cup Series.

The Fort Worth Herd and Cattle Drive

In 1991, the Fort Worth Herd — a twice-daily cattle drive — was introduced, giving visitors a glimpse of what life might have been like during the Stockyards' prime. Cowboys on horseback drive a herd of Texas Longhorns down Exchange Avenue twice a day in a spectacle that is as educational as it is entertaining. As a visitor to the Stockyards, you have the opportunity to see the world's only twice-daily cattle drive. The cattle drives take place at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day.

Billy Bob's Texas

Billy Bob's Texas is the world's largest honky-tonk, with nearly three acres under one roof. Aside from the Texas-sized dance floor, visitors will also discover the full restaurant and a rodeo area active every Friday and Saturday. Billy Bob's has been a cornerstone of Stockyards nightlife since opening in 1981 and has hosted an enormous roster of country music performers over the decades.

Livestock Exchange Building

Built in 1902 as the commercial hub of the entire operation, the Livestock Exchange Building is a two-story Spanish-style structure that once housed cattle commission companies, telegraph offices, and railroad agencies under one roof. The reorganized Fort Worth Stock Yards Company spent $125,000 for the two-story Spanish-style exchange building and constructed brick-floored pens with a capacity of 24,500 animals. Today the building houses the Stockyards Museum and remains one of the most photographed structures in the district.

Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame

Along N. Main Street, visitors can explore the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, which celebrates rodeo and Western heritage. The museum honors professional rodeo athletes, working cowboys, and others who have contributed to the preservation of Western culture in Texas and beyond.

Modern Redevelopment

Located near downtown Fort Worth and a part of the National Historic District, the Fort Worth Stockyards has become one of the state's most popular attractions with more than 9 million annual visitors from across the globe and local guests who are often introduced to the Stockyards history and heritage for the first time but return again and again.

The $175 million redevelopment of Mule Alley was a partnership project by the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Majestic Realty Co., and the Hickman Companies, to renovate the Stockyards' historic mule barns into retail shops, restaurants, and offices. The first phase of development, Mule Alley, was completed in 2021 and includes a refurbished 180,000 square feet of legendary Horse and Mule Barns with tenants that include Simplifi, The American Paint Horse Association, PBR, Second Rodeo Brewing, and more.

The Hotel Drover was the first new building built in the Stockyards after the announcement of the redevelopment of the area. It opened on March 22, 2021, and is Tarrant County's third Autograph Collection Hotel by Marriott, featuring 200 rooms of different plans. Phase II, which was unanimously approved by the City of Fort Worth in June 2024, will encompass an additional $630 million investment to the district and will include 300,000 square feet of new commercial space, new full-service hotels with 500 rooms, a 295-unit multi-family property, and two or more below-ground parking garages to support Cowtown Coliseum, the Fort Worth Herd, and other area improvements.

The Stockyards welcomes guests of all ages with more than 40 restaurants and bars, 50 unique shops, and 20 must-see attractions. Visitors can enjoy historic tours, museums, rodeos, live music, and more — all set against a rich, authentic Western backdrop.

Getting There from Dallas

From downtown Dallas, it is about a 45-minute drive along I-30; take Exit 15C. Alternatively, take the TRE westbound train to Fort Worth Central Station, followed by the Trinity Metro Orange Line northbound to the Stockyards. Molly the Trolley is free and runs from downtown Fort Worth to the Stockyards. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad continues to operate a heritage railway service between the Stockyards and Grapevine-Main Street Station in Grapevine, Texas. The railroad operates an authentic 1896-era steam locomotive and also performs occasional holiday excursions throughout the year.