Cattle Ranching, Trails, and City History
The western heritage of Tarrant County stands alongside the Cultural District. Cowboys and cattle drives shape its historical story: By at least 1856, a regular stagecoach service ran through Tarrant County, carrying mail and passengers from the East to the frontier forts and the West Coast. From the end of the Civil War through the late 1870s, millions of cattle were driven through the county to railroad shipping points in Kansas. The Texas & Pacific Railroad reached Tarrant County and Fort Worth in 1876.
The early stockyards also speak to Fort Worth’s role: All the county’s known early stockyards and meatpacking plants were located in the city, primarily on the North Side. The Fort Worth Union Stock Yards began operating in 1887. Together, these milestones offer several perspectives on the story—from transporting passengers and mail to cattle ranching and its markets.
The Tarrant County Courthouse was completed in 1895 and built from pink granite from Central Texas. Another historic building was the Texas Spring Palace, a two-story wooden structure incorporating Oriental and Moorish influences. It was built in 1889 near the marker site to host an annual exhibition of Texas agricultural products. The Fairmount-Southside Historic District represents another scale: It includes more than 1,200 historic homes, commercial buildings, and other structures, and spans nearly 375 acres and about 100 blocks.
Bird’s Fort was the first attempt at Anglo-American settlement in what is now Tarrant County. The Bird’s Fort Treaty was signed on September 29, 1843. A historic Bird’s Fort marker was moved to River Legacy Parks in 2003. The area’s history thus brings together early settlement attempts and a memorial marker at its present location.
Water, Trails, and Gardens
The south side of Grapevine Lake lies in Tarrant County in Grapevine, Trophy Club, and Southlake. At the lake, Murrell Park offers day-use facilities, access to a boat ramp, basic camping, and picnic areas. Hiking, mountain biking, boating, and fishing are also among the activities available there. Visitors can enjoy different ways to spend time outdoors at the lake—from a picnic break to activities on the water or on land.
River Legacy Parks in Arlington offers hiking and biking trails along the Trinity River. In Fort Worth, water comes together with landscaped gardens in a different way: The Fort Worth Japanese Garden is a 7.5-acre traditional stroll garden. Paths wind through a variety of landscapes and around ponds; expert-led tours explore its design, history, and plant and animal life.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens also showcase water. The site includes waterfalls, a Quiet Pool, an Aerated Pool, and an Active Pool that drops into a 38-foot-deep basin. The gardens invite quiet meditation; swimming and wading are not allowed. Check the latest advisories before your visit.
Museums and Park Experiences
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History features DinoLabs, DinoDig, Innovation Studios, the TCU Children’s Gallery, Energy Blast, and the Cattle Raisers Museum, among other attractions. DinoLabs and DinoDig include dinosaur skeletons from North Texas and a recreated dig site. Exhibits may change; if you are interested in a particular area, check in advance to see which exhibits are available.
At Log Cabin Village, historical interpreters demonstrate the way of life of the people who lived and settled in this area in the mid-to-late 19th century. The historic buildings also offer a glimpse of life on the 19th-century North Texas frontier. Fort Worth Zoo and Log Cabin Village are located in Forest Park. A five-mile ride on the Forest Park Miniature Railroad also travels through the park and along the Trinity River. History can be combined with a ride through the park, while other explorations turn the focus to gardens, architecture, or trails by the river.
Discover more destinations: Fort Worth, Grapevine, Haslet, Arlington, Bedford, Euless, Azle, Southlake, Forest Hill, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Benbrook, Haltom City, Blue Mound, Mansfield, White Settlement, Everman, Colleyville, Edgecliff Village.
For the broader travel overview: Texas.
