Things To Do With Kids At The Fort Worth Stockyards

Texas is known for a variety of things including BBQ, football, bluebonnets, the Alamo, cowboys and the Fort Worth Stockyards.  We love taking our out-of-town family to Fort Worth, but you may be wondering if there are things to do with kids at the Fort Worth Stockyards?  The answer is yes! 

A Little History

The Fort Worth Stockyards, a family-friendly attraction about 50 minutes from Dallas, was built on the site of the original Cowtown stockyards.  Between 1866 and 1890, more than four million cattle came through Fort Worth. When the railroad arrived in 1876, Fort Worth and the Stockyards station became a major shipping point for livestock.

Today, the Fort Worth Stockyards is a large tourist attraction, with entertainment, shopping, food, hotels and so much more!  But there’s no doubt that from the original brick walkways to the wooden corrals, every inch of the Stockyards has been preserved to tell the true history of Texas’s famous livestock industry.

Things To Do With Kids At The Fort Worth Stockyards

Cowtown Cattlepen Maze

The Cowtown Cattlepen Maze is a 5,400 square foot labyrinth of wooden walls. We visited the Fort Worth Stockyards four children (ages 17-6), and this was their favorite thing to do! It took about 10-20 minutes to complete, and your ticket allows you to go through several times.  (There is an observation deck for parents to watch and guide.)
Tickets are $6.00 – Tuesday is half-price admission day! (Mention Code Word: Cowtown to receive the special rate or show this offer on your phone to the Maze attendant in order to receive the discount.)

Petting Zoo

Lift your spirits by petting an assortment of cute creatures, from goats and sheep to more exotic animals such as camels and occasionally, a kangaroo. For a small fee, you can feed the animals providing a memorable and charmingly close encounter.   
Entry to the Petting Zoo is $3 per person (any age)
A cup of feed is $3 (if you wish to feed the animals)

Rodeo

The Fort Worth Stockyards is home to the world’s only year-round indoor rodeo, taking place every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30pm in the historic Cowtown Coliseum.  The show features bull riding, tie down roping, team roping, barrel racing, bronc riding and break away roping. Plus calf and mutton scrambles for the kids!
For ticket information, click here.

Cattle Drive

The Old West comes to life before your eyes during the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive presented by the Fort Worth Herd. Real Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns down East Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards National Historic District every day at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. (check the Facebook page for updates during inclement weather). Every detail of the cattle drive—from the saddles and chaps to the boots and hats – is authentic and historically true.

Grapevine Vintage Railroad Train Ride

We took the Trinity River Excursion, which starts in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. Passengers ride along the rails on the historic Cotton Belt Route for 22 minutes before returning to the Stockyards Depot. This excursion is perfect for families with small children or those who just want to get the experience of riding on a train.

Other fun kid-friendly things to do in the stockyards include a visit to the Candy Barrel, dining at a variety of restaurants, going to Billy Bob’s, getting a balloon animals (normally across from the maze), walking around the newly remodeled Mule Alley, finding the above “hidden” creek and so much more!