The Fort Worth Stockyards was like the Times Square of Fort Worth. This area was totally packed, and it had many shops, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. I found street parking for free right away, but it could definitely be difficult to locate. Many visitors parked in lots for a fee. At 11:30 AM and at 4:00 PM, there was a free show for about five (5) minutes with a cattle drive. People lined up for the cattle drive at a much earlier time in order to get a good spot to witness this show. Many things in this area are expensive to buy, but this area was a major tourist destination. I felt safe in this area, and it was free to visit.

Went to the PBR Showcase on Thursday evening. Tickets were priced at $185. BUT the add on fees and taxes cost us $317!! What? That is very deceptive. Shameful to gouge the public that way. The authorities should be notified. Those add-ons were over 71% of the posted ticket prices. Bad PR for the stockyards. Also, the PBR Showcase needed some more entertaining showmanship to keep the kids involved. It was just an overdose of bullriding with no fun acts in between. Someone needs to enhance this event with some showmanship.

A interesting place full of history, make sure you book in advance to see the rodeo an experience not to be missed. Get there early as it gets busy and car parking can be a problem. Also car parking charge is only via an app $10. The cattle run is twice a day and the best photo opportunity is from the car park by the pen where they keep the Longhorns, the main street side walk gets crowded quickly. They also have a fun shoot out by actors after the cattle run worth watching. Plenty of food and gift shops as you would expect. Don't bother with the very over rated and over priced John Wayne museum.

This is probably a marmite kind of town. Some folks will hate that it has all been staged just for the tourists and very fake, whilst others (like me) will adore the character and fun time of the place and let themselves be absorbed back to cowbody country for the day. I particularly loved the longhorn balloons and wished I was a child again and could buy myself a pair. I had to make do instead with being able to sit on one of the longhorn cows for a great fun photo. I also got myself hooked up with the bad boys and put on a Wanted poster. Again a good laugh and photo opp. There is an absoute plethora of shops. I did the small museum too but wasn't too much of interest there (other than the gift shop). I also made sure I got a good spot on the corner for the Longhorn Parade - which is more of a thrill than you think. It was certainly much better than the so called parade of the Peabody Ducks in Memphis, and you can go to the pens and see all the cows beforehand. All in all, a really great day out. I just wished I'd had even more time here.

Everything about the Stockyards is fun. Odd that it's a tourist trap that is totally genuine. Be cautious of the way over-priced new places that are trying to be Dallas/LA/NYC to take advantage of growing tourism at the Stockyards, but at least they genuinely reflect a real culture. MAJOR HIDDEN GEM: Check out the Herd Experience, Fri-Sat, 1:30 PM behind the Stock Exchange. No admission charge! 45-60 minutes of informative, entertaining cowboys giving real history of cattle drives that built Ft. Worth.

We were spending the day in Fort Worth, and definitely wanted to see the cattle drive. It happens two times a day, 11:30 AM and 4pm. Somehow, we got it in our head that it was at 4:30 PM, so when we left a store we found out we had missed it as it only lasts about five minutes. But if you go to the stockyards building and follow the signs, you can go back to the pens where they keep the Longhorns and you can watch them stroll around and eat. Maybe not as exciting as watching them walk down the street, but it was a great experience to be able to see them in person. The pens also have an upper deck, so you can get a view from a higher vantage point.

Not walkable from Fort Worth, the parking being $11+ is a bit excessive although admission is free so it sort of makes up for it. It's packed full of shops, bars, restaurants and the like playing on the historic setting but you need not use them - a couple of hours simply to take in the surroundings and watch the cattle drive is more than enough. Worth noting that to facilitate the cattle drive, they close the road about ten minutes before, so if you want to make it in time for that, don't leave it too late!

Exceeded all expectations, what a fun historic district. There's only one main street and about a block in either direction but there is so much to do for everyone in the family. We enjoyed the cattle drive. Even with large crowds on eclipse weekend, there was plenty of room to see the bulls and cows walk down the street. The massive horns were within reach of the first row of visitors. If you miss the cattle drive, you can see the herd in their paddock. There is horseriding (and riding a cow for a picture), a maze, a stage coach and wagon, a mechanical bull and many stores and restaurants. There is also a rodeo arena, and a couple of Western themed museums. Very family friendly. There is also a functioning historic train station, and the train pulls right into the middle of what looks like a shopping mall. The vibe was more adult in the evening, with a number of bars and honkytonks. While the area felt safe, I was kind of surprised that main street is still a street for vehicle traffic. Especially when it's crowded, making the area a walking zone might be a good idea. There is plenty of parking, but it was all paid parking when we visited.

My husband and I visited yesterday and while it is very touristy the main reason we had a good time was we took the tour which only cost $15 each. Our tour guide Doug was awesome and knew so much about Fort Worth and the history of the stock yards. His love of his city was evident. Take the tour!!

Great place for kids and adults! Free ride on saddled steer ($10 to get off :-) ). Watch gun fight and take action pic with characters. Horse rides and maze. Evening rodeo is a must. Boutiques for boots & hats to look the cowboy/cowgirl part. Lots of opportunities for adult partying in evening and wonderful restaurants with downtown ambiance--live music & dancing at several. Really neat place