We found out why Fort Worth in Texas has the nickname 'Cowtown'

It was my toddler's squeal of delight that told me the Texas Longhorn cattle were about to start their stroll down the main street of the famous Fort Worth Stockyards, before the accompanying music had even kicked in.

Clearly our little one was in for a treat, and though the significance of the 'show' was a little lost on her, we quickly decided this was the perfect place to give us that 'western' feeling we were after while on holiday in Texas.

Located just 30-minutes from Dallas, the city of Fort Worth has truly embraced its cowboy heritage. In fact, it proudly holds the nickname of 'Cowtown' - and we found out why.

READ MORE: The unwelcome travel fees costing Aussies thousands on holidays

Fort Worth's claim to the title stems from its history as a major cattle trading centre and a key stop on the Chisholm Trail.

The Chisholm stock trail and wagon route was used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in southern Texas, across the Red River into Indian Territory.

READ MORE: Inside the five-star French-inspired hotel where the late Queen stayed

View gallery

The top destinations for foodie travellers to visit in 2025

Eventually, the entire trail would stretch close to 1300 kilometres from South Texas to Fort Worth, and on through Oklahoma to Kansas.

And that's just one of the interesting facts you'll learn if you find yourself with a few days to spare 'Where the West Begins'.

Where to stay in Fort Worth

The Omni Hotel Fort Worth is ideally located for exploring the city. The upscale high-rise is in downtown, right near Sundance Square and the Fort Worth Convention Center.

There are 614 rooms, including 25 suites, plus a high-end steakhouse, laid-back whiskey bar, wine lounge, and Southern-style restaurant.

The check in lobby is a massive open space, but there's a comfy seating area with a large fire place (it was freezing outside) which ended up coming in super handy.

During the week it can get very busy with a lot of convention attendees staying at the hotel. In our case it was gymnastics championships leaving the lobby a little crowded.

We had arrived a little before check in time, but were told our room was almost available so it would only be a short wait. Sadly, I think they did forget about us, despite the fact I had our toddler running around, and when I went to check almost an hour later our room was indeed ready!

READ MORE: Turns out the Texas capital of Austin is actually a great place for a family holiday

And what a room it was. Our suite, in fact, was called The Resistol - in honour of the historic US cowboy hat-making group. Plenty of cowboy items, including a hat, were incorporated in the room's decor. It was cowboy cool, but not in a cheesy way.

There was a large lounge area and separate bedroom, ideal when travelling with a toddler. The bathroom was also 'Texas huge', including the tub.

Despite a few hiccups, the staff were always incredible helpful and willing to step in and do what they can to help. A big plus.

Big town with small-town vibes

Directly out of the front of the hotel you can catch Molly the Trolley. The free, hop-on, hop-off trolley service in downtown Fort Worth is named after the city's official longhorn mascot, Molley, and offers a convenient way to explore the city.

The trolleys operate on a loop, making it easy to hop on and off at various stops. If you get off at the Renaissance Worthington hotel stop you can tick off plenty of sights on your own little walking tour via Main Street including:

• Tarrant County Courthouse
• The Sid Richardson Museum
• Sundance Square Plaza (They offer live music 7-10pm)
• Take selfie with the giant cowboy hat
• See the Chisholm trail Mural
• Visit the Galleries around Sundance Square

On 4th Street and Commerce, you will pass the beautiful Bass Performance Hall.

Continue on Main Street and check out the markers along the way telling the stories of the city's past. Learn about the Hole-in-the-Wall gang with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, or Cynthia Anne Parker mother of Quanah Parker, leader of the Comanche Nation, known as the last chief of the Kwahadi (Quahada) band, to name a few.

Eventually you'll reach the JFK tribute statute across from the Hilton Hotel. This is the site where US president John F Kennedy gave his last speech before departing to Dallas, where he was shot and killed.

One thing you'll notice while exploring is the beautiful Art Deco architecture. Fort Worth is famous for restoring and re-purposing buildings, bringing them back to life, rather than knocking down and replacing.

Where the 'real cowboy magic' happens

While downtown was full of intrigue we were here for the cowboys! So it was time to visit the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.

Trinity Metro's Orange Line is your best way to move between the Stockyards and Downtown Fort Worth and you can jump on board just outside the Omni Hotel.

The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District is a major draw for visitors, offering a glimpse into the city's cattle trading past with daily cattle drives and rodeos.

As we mentioned at the beginning, the City of Fort Worth has its own herd of Texas Longhorn cattle – one for each decade of Fort Worth's 170-year-plus history - and twice a day at 11:30am and 4pm the cattle drives are considered a "living tribute to Fort Worth's cowboy legacy".

Every detail of the cattle drive, from the saddles and chaps to the boots and hats worn by the drovers, is authentic and historically true. In the American West, drovers were skilled horsemen tasked with moving cattle across vast distances. These days, the Fort Worth Herd drovers still display the same horsemanship and cattle-handling skills.

Of course, just the sight of the animals was enough to send our little one into a spin. So it was for sure a highlight.

If you want to delve into the area's past even further the Historical Guided Walking Tour of the Stockyards is a fantastic way to do so. Tours last around 90 minutes and cost $15 per adult.

We were lucky to have Joel Fuller has our tour guide, who has been with the Stockyards as a guide for over 12 years.

He was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history guiding us through some of the old stables, and giving us an inside look at the Cowtown Coliseum.

The 2,400-seat arena hosts weekly rodeos on Friday and Saturday nights (so highly recommend trying to time your visit with those) as well as other major events, such as the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.

Once a year the area also plays host to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, one of the oldest and largest in the US.

After your tour there are plenty of other things to do. When it comes to shopping, you'll find all the things you'd expect – like Texas treasures and souvenirs – as well as hand-tooled leather saddles, pint-size cowboy hats for kids, vintage candy, and local honey and wine.

There are food options galore as well as live music down Mule Alley. Or you can visit the largest honky tonk in the world, Billy Bob's Texas.

With a massive 10,000 square metres of interior space, there are 30 bars, a stage, a restaurant, shops, convention and events space. While we didn't stay for long with a toddler in tow, even she was stunning by the bright lights (including a bejewelled saddle disco ball) and country tunes.

If you've got the time and appetite for a little more, the Cultural District is also worth a visit.

You can head to the National Cowgirl museum and Hall of Fame and see how women helped shape the west.

Then visit the Amon Carter Museum of American Art or the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, where you'll find pieces from Andy Warhol, Brian Donnelly, known professionally as Kaws, and Mark Rothko.

The writer travelled as a guest of Travel Texas and the Omni Hotel Fort Worth.