Discover the Best of Grapevine, Fort Worth, and Dallas
Historic Grapevine—Aged to Perfection
Grapevine, Texas, is the premier go-to destination when planning a trip to North Texas! Nestled between Dallas and Fort Worth, Grapevine provides visitors a convenient escape from the big city. Step back in time in Grapevine’s historic downtown and visit the shops, wineries, restaurants, and artisans. Hop aboard the Grapevine Vintage Railroad or unwind at one of Grapevine’s many winery/tasting rooms. Play 81 holes of golf or take advantage of 8,000-plus acres of recreation on Lake Grapevine. Grapevine has something for everyone.
Grapevine’s Main Street entertainment district is fortunate to have the brilliantly restored Palace Arts Center, which includes the fully restored Palace and Lancaster Theatres. The Palace Theatre, built in 1940, houses the Grapevine Opry, one of the best country and western music reviews this side of Nashville. The Palace and Lancaster Theatres anchor historic downtown Grapevine’s bustling entertainment scene, which includes live music on evenings and weekends.
Texas is the fifth-largest wine-producing state in the US, and Grapevine has served as a trendsetter with award-winning wineries and winemakers. Stop by one of the many wineries located in Grapevine.
Step back in time to the nineteenth century on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s excursion train pulled by an 1896 steam locomotive, No. 2248. It has four enclosed circa 1925 passenger coaches and two circa 1927 open-air patio cars/touring coaches. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad makes round-trip excursions from Grapevine’s Cotton Belt Railroad Depot to Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards Station.
Grapevine offers abundant shopping to satisfy even the most seasoned shopper. Discover an extraordinary selection of unique gift ideas in Historic Downtown Grapevine where you can find antiques, arts and crafts, galleries, wine, gourmet foods, home furnishings, boutiques, and handcrafted items. Finish off your shopping experience at the Grapevine Mills mall with its huge expanse of stores, discount outlets, and restaurants.
Fort Worth—A Mix of Cowboys and Culture
In its youth, Fort Worth was a rough-and-tumble frontier town, home to the brave and the brawling. Today, Fort Worth is the one of the largest cities in Texas and the 17th largest city in the US. It has transformed into a destination shaped by its revitalized downtown, its world-renowned cultural arts district, its beautifully preserved Western-heritage sites, and its major-league attractions.
A visit to Fort Worth is not complete without seeing the famed Stockyards National Historic District. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it looks much the same today as it did 100 years ago. Catch the Fort Worth Herd, the world’s only daily cattle drive, on its twice-daily drive down Exchange Avenue. The authentically restored Grapevine Vintage Railroad carries visitors into Stockyards Station, where the former hog and sheep pens have turned into a shopping and dining marketplace.
Rodeo action and Wild West shows take place year-round in the Cowtown Coliseum, home of the world’s original indoor rodeo in 1918. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, located in the Stockyards’ original mule barns, feature the Sterquell Wagon Collection of over 60 authentic lifestyle wagons and honors the top cowboys and cowgirls in Texas.
Downtown Fort Worth is a success story few cities can boast. Glittering skyscrapers form a ring around Sundance Square, Fort Worth’s heralded shopping and entertainment district now restored to its original Victorian beauty. Also located in Sundance Square is the Sid Richardson Museum, a museum that showcases 39 paintings and bronzes by Western greats Frederic Remington and Charles Russell.
Located just 2.5 miles west of downtown is the Fort Worth Cultural District. The Kimbell Art Museum—recognized as “America’s best small museum”—is now home to Michelangelo’s first painting, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art garners worldwide renown for its collection of Western and American masterpieces. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas’ oldest museum (founded in 1892), maintains one of the foremost collections of post-war art in the central United States.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors women who embody the spirit of the American West, such as painter Georgia O’Keeffe, Western sharpshooter Annie Oakley, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. It is the only museum of its kind in the world.
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History’s brand new $80 million facility is now open. Renowned as an architectural marvel, the museum features experiences such as the Cattle Raisers Museum, the Fort Worth Children’s Museum, the Noble Planetarium, DinoLabs and DinoDig, Energy Blast, and an Omni IMAX Theater.
The Fort Worth Zoo, consistently ranked as one of America’s best zoos, is renowned for its popular Texas Wild! exhibit, a major addition to the zoo showcasing the diversity of Texas wildlife and terrain, sits on eight acres and features 200 native animals and a replica of an 1890s Texas town. In March 2010, the Fort Worth Zoo opened the most elite herpetarium in the nation, known as the Museum of Living Art (MOLA). And if you want to see how Texans make billions, then visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s Western Currency Facility, one of only two US locations that print paper currency.
Dallas—Live Large, Think Big
There’s a style to Dallas that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s a place where old Western tradition merges with a new urban culture. Posh restaurants serve up distinct cuisines in diverse neighborhoods and boutiques carry everything from cowboy boots to designer shoes. Join the roar of the crowd cheering on one of its many teams or stroll through the city’s internationally renowned Dallas Arts District. Whatever you’re looking for, it’s all here to tap into. And when the sun goes down in this Texas town, cool jazz flows out of hot nightspots and couples two-step into the evening at the country bars.
Pull up a chair at one of Dallas’ many restaurants that serve everything from Tex-Mex to sushi. Innovative chefs are known for their savory dishes and international menus that appeal to every taste.
Discover a mecca for style populated with names like Chanel, Hermes, and Bottega Veneta. Local stores deliver a head-turning shopping experience full of the latest fashion trends. For something more eclectic, browse the hip boutiques found in the Knox-Henderson, Uptown, and Bishop Arts neighborhoods. Find additional shopping at NorthPark Center, West Village, and Galleria Dallas, plus classic favorites like the Neiman Marcus flagship store and Highland Park Village.
Wander through the Dallas Arts District, the nation’s largest urban arts district. You’ll be among distinguished museums housing classic collections and local galleries showcasing emerging artists.
Take a moment to reflect on the presidency of John F. Kennedy at the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, or tour the fascinating exhibits at the Women’s Museum in Fair Park or the Frontiers of Flight Museum near Love Field.
Live large outdoors with a visit to the Dallas Arboretum, Katy Hike and Bike Trail, White Rock Lake, the Trinity River Audubon Center, the Texas Discovery Gardens, and the Cedar Ridge Preserve.
With so many options, it’s no wonder they call Dallas the “Big D.”