Things to do in Fort Worth
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Joe T Garcia’s
The most famous restaurant in Fort Worth, this fourth-generation place takes up a city block. Dinners (choose between fajitas or a family-style combo plate) in the candlelit walled courtyard are magical, as Mexican-tile fountains bubble among the acres of tropical foliage. On weekends the line (no reservations!) often stretches around the block.
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Kimbell Art Museum
Some art aficionados say this is the country’s best ‘small’ art museum while some say it’s one of the unqualified best. Take your time perusing: the stunning architecture lets in natural light that allows visitors to see paintings from antiquity to the 20th century the way the artists originally intended. European masterpieces include works by Caravaggio, El Greco and Cézanne, and Michelangelo’s first painting, The Torment of St Anthony.
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Esperanza's Panaderia y Café
Breakfasts here are real Mexican - pulled chicken tops the breakfast migas (eggs scrambled with tortilla strips) or you could have machacado (spiced dried beef) with those sunny side ups.
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Stockyards
Western-wear stores and knickknack shops, saloons and steak houses occupy the Old West–era buildings of the Stockyards.
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Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- Fort Worth, USA
- Sights › Other
No, those billions of dollars being printed in front of your very eyes are not the work of counterfeiters living on the lam, Bonnie-and-Clyde style, in Texas. You’ve just stumbled upon one of two places in the nation where ‘In God We Trust’ and Ben Franklin’s face are legally printed on oh-so-hard-to-find paper: the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. This US Treasury facility produces that notorious green stuff over which wars are fought, with which engagement rings purchased, narcotics snorted, bets wagered, waiters tipped and babysitters paid. The bureau suggests allowing 30 minutes to clear security, which lets you know this place is the real deal.
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Modern Museum of Fort Worth
Entering this museum, you round a corner from womblike, concrete galleries to be confronted by a two-story wall of glass looking out at the city skyline. One of the largest gallery spaces for modern art in the world, it houses an incredible number of provocative and mind-expanding works by luminaries such as Mark Rothko and Picasso. Can’t-miss pieces include Anselm Kiefer’s Book with Wings, Martin Puryear’s Ladder for Booker T Washington and Andy Warhol’s eponymous Twenty-Five Colored Marilyns. The museum restaurant, Café Modern, is drop-dead gorgeous, seeming to float on the water of the surrounding reflecting pools.
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Amon Carter Museum
Pre-1945 American art shines at this museum, including iconic works by John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer and Alexander Calder, and an impressive collection of Western artist Frederic Remington’s work. Walking through the exhibits is like taking a visual tour of the US – from Yosemite National Park with Albert Bierstadt to New Mexico with Georgia O’Keeffe. Don’t miss the amazing collection of photographs.
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Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
You definitely won’t go thirsty: the bar inside this old brick building is made for craft-beer-lovers (80 brews on tap). How can you not love a bar whose jam-packed patio is called ‘Half-Acre Hell?’ The waitresses slinging beers in Catholic-schoolgirl outfits are kinda weird, but hey, this is a funky old place that flips the bird to political correctness – if the old-fashioned cigarette machine is any indication.
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Sundance Square
One of the best pedestrian downtowns in the nation? Seriously…in Texas? The point is, it’s a passel of fun (and not much hassle) to hang out in the 14-block Sundance Square, near Main and 3rd Sts. Colorful architecture, art galleries and a host of bars and restaurants make this one supremely strollable, friendly ’hood. Bonus: parking garages are free after 5pm and on weekends.
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National Cowgirl Museum
The National Cowgirl Museum rides high with state-of-the-art exhibits. Mount a slow-mo electronic bucking bronc and video magic makes it look like you're in a fast-action rodeo. Four small theaters focus on different personalities - one is about Jessie in Pixar's Toy Story - but the museum overall is more rugged-frontiers-woman than about anything 'girly.'
reviewed
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National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame
- Fort Worth, USA
- Sights › Other
Not just for girls, this airy, impressive museum explores the myth and the reality of cowgirls in American culture. From rhinestone costumes to rare film footage, this is a fun and educational ride: by the time you walk out, you’ll have a whole new appreciation for these tough and sassy ladies. If you’re cowgirl enough, film yourself riding the bucking bronc.
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Bass Performance Hall
The stunning, acoustically dazzling Bass Performance Hall recalls a classic European opera house, with over 2000 seats beneath a dome of painted sky. Along with touring artists, it’s also home to the Fort Worth Symphony, the Fort Worth Opera and the Texas Ballet, plus plenty of touring shows.
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Grapevine Vintage Railroad
FromGrapevine Vintage Railroad you can catch an hour-long 'Trinity River' tourist train ride, but the scenery's dismal. It's more fun - and free - to gather with the others by the roundhouse a few minutes before scheduled departure, put your penny on the track and pick it up after you watch the steam locomotive smash it.
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Billy Bob’s Texas
The 100,000-sq-ft building that is now the world’s largest honky-tonk, called Billy Bob’s, was once a barn housing prize cattle during the Fort Worth Stock Show. After the stock show moved to the Will Rogers Memorial Center, the barn became a department store so big that the stock keepers wore roller skates.
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Texas Motor Speedway
Have yourself a NASCAR experience at Texas Motor Speedway. The annual stock-car race is in November, but year-round you can ride along at more than 150mph (four laps $125) or go to driving school (10 laps $345) with Team Texas. The speedway is 20 miles north of downtown, on I-35 W.
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Grace
Yep, even modest Fort Worthians occasionally strut their stuff, and there’s no better place to do it than at Grace, where local luminaries hold court (and martinis) on the couch-strewn outdoor patio. In the stunning dining room, a seasonal menu features, say, sweet-corn ravioli and diver scallops on potato cakes.
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Lonesome Dove Western Bistro
At Tim Love’s mod-Western dining experience, even the chefs wear cowboy hats. Start with a jalapeño–cucumber margarita, move on to a lamb-belly BLT or a roasted garlic-stuffed beef tenderloin, and keep your eyes peeled for a Dallas Cowboy or a country star feasting on the seared-ostrich nachos.
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ML Leddy’s
Ah, that smell of leather that unmistakably says ‘new boots.’ Check out the bank ledgers, which contain the foot measurements of rock stars and presidents. If you still don’t feel like kicking up your heels, the selection of hats, buckles and clothes might fit the bill.
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Reata
The proprietors also own their own cattle ranch, so the sizable steaks are worth their weight. But you might also try the Texas specialties such as tenderloin tamales, jalapeño-cheddar grits and the $49.95 billionaire margarita made with vintage 1942 tequila.
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Saint-Emilion
Perfect for capping off a day at the museums, this quaint Cultural District charmer serves rustic French food. The ‘menu classique’ dinner includes appetizer, main and dessert; try the lamb chops with French herbs and the fresh raspberry tarte.
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Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
This is totally Texan fine dining, featuring products from local farms and ranches: pepper-crusted buffalo tenderloin, ‘oysters Texasfeller’ and a local Texas cheese plate grace the interesting menu. Try the tres leches crème brûlée.
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Carshon’s Deli
Since 1928, Fort Worth’s only kosher deli has served up classic New York sandwiches (what do you want, chopped liver?). Half the fun’s in watching local movers and shakers make and break deals in between bites of corned beef on rye.
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Spiral Diner & Bakery
One of the most inventive organic vegan restaurants in the South, this retro-feel diner actually draws sheepish meat eaters who rave about blue plate specials like a fig-and-fennel sandwich. All-you-can-eat pancakes on Sundays.
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Pearls Dance Hall
On the edge of the stockyards, this raucous old brothel once owned by Buffalo Bill Cody is an atmospheric place to hear traditional country music with an edge. Texas luminaries like Dale Watson are known to rock out here.
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Fort Worth Zoo
- Fort Worth, USA
- Sights › Other
A highly regarded American zoo, the Fort Worth Zoo has about 5000 inhabitants representing 650 species, including many endangered species. Check out the Komodo dragons and the Great Barrier Reef exhibit.
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