Tarrant: Cowboy History, Gardens and Trails

In Tarrant County, western history, architecture and waterside landscapes come together. The county’s western heritage sits alongside the Cultural District; cowboys and cattle drives are part of its historical story. Since at least 1856, a regular stagecoach service ran through Tarrant County, carrying mail and passengers from the East to 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 rail shipping points in Kansas. The Texas & Pacific Railroad reached Tarrant County and Fort Worth in 1876; the Fort Worth Union Stock Yards began operating in 1887.

History and Architecture

The Tarrant County Courthouse was completed in 1895 and built from pink granite from Central Texas. The Fairmount-Southside Historic District offers a different scale: it includes more than 1,200 historic homes, commercial buildings and other structures. The district covers nearly 375 acres and about 100 city blocks. These figures make clear that it is not a single building, but an extensive ensemble.

The Texas Spring Palace was built in 1889 near the site of its marker to host an annual exhibition of Texas agricultural products. The two-story wooden building featured influences from Oriental and Moorish styles. Bird’s Fort, meanwhile, was the first attempt at Anglo-American settlement in what is now Tarrant County. A historic Bird’s Fort marker was relocated to River Legacy Parks in 2003.

Water, Trails and Gardens

The south side of Grapevine Lake lies in Tarrant County, in Grapevine, Trophy Club and Southlake. Murrell Park has day-use facilities, access to a boat ramp, primitive camping options and picnic areas. Activities listed there include hiking, mountain biking, boating and fishing. These offer a range of ways to enjoy the outdoors, from a walk to activities on the water.

Other green spaces offer different experiences, too: waterfowl can be found in winter at the lake on the Clear Fork Loop. River Legacy Parks in Arlington offers hiking and biking trails along the Trinity River. The Fort Worth Japanese Garden is a 7.5-acre traditional stroll garden. Paths wind through the landscape and around ponds; expert-led tours explore its design, history, and plant and animal life.

Things to Do in Fort Worth

The Fort Worth Water Gardens bring several water features together in a compact space: these include waterfalls, the Quiet Pool, the Aerated Pool and the Active Pool, which drops into a 38-foot-deep basin. The site invites quiet meditation; swimming and wading are not allowed. Check the current rules before your visit.

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History includes attractions such as DinoLabs, DinoDig, Innovation Studios, the TCU Children’s Gallery, Energy Blast and the Cattle Raisers Museum. DinoLabs and DinoDig feature dinosaur skeletons from North Texas and a recreated excavation site. Since exhibits can change, it’s worth checking the current offerings before your visit.

Forest Park includes the Fort Worth Zoo and Log Cabin Village. A five-mile ride on the Forest Park Miniature Railroad also travels through the park and along the Trinity River. At Log Cabin Village, historic buildings offer a glimpse of life on the North Texas frontier in the 19th century; historical interpreters portray the way of life of people who lived and settled in the area during the mid-to-late 19th century.

Discover more destinations: Edgecliff Village, Southlake, Forest Hill, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Benbrook, Haltom City, Blue Mound, Mansfield, White Settlement, Everman, Grapevine, Haslet, Fort Worth, Colleyville, Arlington, Bedford, Euless, Azle.

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