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For a long time, the stockyards were the destination of the rancher’s cattle herds. Now there are still livestock pens but the area is mostly a shrine to the western cowboy way of life. There are cowboy museums, genuine western shops, a rodeo arena, Wild West saloons and lots of historical buildings in the tradition of the old west. Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District is two miles from downtown Fort Worth. This is a prime cultural attraction in the Dallas - Fort Worth area so plan to spend some of your Texas vacation soaking up the real spirit of the old west. The museum has an art collection from Europe, Africa, Asia and around the world. View prehistoric Latin-American ceramics or work by famous artists like Van Gogh, Gauguin and Monet including paintings, sketches and drawings. The works cover many eras from the ancient to modern times. There's an outdoor sculpture garden, a re-created six-room Mediterranean villa, outdoor music performances, two restaurants and a Museum Store. The Orinoco - Secrets of the River rainforest exhibit features birds and animals native to the rainforest environment and includes a 40-foot waterfall. A colony of Black-footed penguins shares the South Africa exhibit with turtles, frogs and other animals from the area. You can see all kinds of birds at the Mundo Maya exhibit such as hummingbirds, storks and eagles. Then, of course, there are the aquariums. The largest one, Continental Shelf tunnel, gives you a great panoramic view of a coral reef and the marine creatures that live there. The Dragons from Down aquarium has an underwater camera that gives you a close-up look at Leafy seadragons and other marine life. Ten more smaller aquariums feature a variety of fish from around the world. The Mesquite Championship Rodeo is a world-class rodeo with top performers in the sport competing against each other. This is a fun event for the whole family with all the traditional exciting rodeo events likebull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, cowgirl barrel racing and chuckwagon races. They also have kids events like the Mutton Bustin' where kids can enter a drawing to be one of eight contestants who will see how long they can ride an actual sheep. Kids can also participate in the Calf Scramble where several calves are set loose in the arena and the kids all scramble around trying to catch them. Sounds like a lot of fun. Return from Dallas Things To Do to Midwest Vacation Spots Return from Dallas Things To Do to 1001 Vacation Ideas |
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