National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame: Cowgirl history in Fort Worth, Texas

Annie Oakley may be the most famous cowgirl ever! You’ll find her story, along with many others, in the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

I grew up with horses, rode gymkhana and participated in horseshows. So, when it comes to my favorite gallery at the National Cowgirl Museum it was hands down Hitting the Mark: Cowgirls and Wild West Shows exhibit.

The best part? Meeting Annie Oakley–really. The hall of fame uses Pepper’s Ghost cutting-edge technology to merge historic photos with a stand-in model.

So, there she is–face-to-face telling you her story.

Annie Oakley grew up in Ohio, dirt poor, using her shooting skills to help feed her siblings. Her first competition earned her a husband, well-known marksman, Frank Buttle. She beat him, scoring 25 hits out of 25 shots! Being a smart man, he married her before she could get away.

Annie tried out for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (see the poster on the display) in Kentucky in 1885. She was hired on the spot. The promoter, seeing her potential to entertain crowds, ordered $7000 worth of printing about her.

Female performers were wildly popular with the Wild West Show crowds. Most of the cowgirls had worked on the family ranch, and used their skills to have experiences unparalled by women of the time.

They travelled the world. They had professional well-paid jobs. They established new clothing styles, taking traditional cowboy clothing and designing and sewing their own costumes.

When it comes to early female trailblazers, this national western heritage museum does a great job of telling their stories.

What’s in the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame?

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is a 33,000 square foot facility on the Will Rogers Memorial Complex in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s a cowboy heritage museum honoring cowgirls, as well as a Hall of Fame.

• 1st floor – contains visiting exhibits as well as the Grand Rotunda mobile, the Anne W. Marion Gallery, and Hitting the Mark: Cowgirls and Wild West Shows Gallery.
• 2nd floor – contains the Kit Moncrief Galleries, the Western Design Room and the Bucking Bronc Room, along with an interactive project table created for the museum. It allows visitors to select patterns and textures from the museum collection and design objects such as boots, shirts, or even horses.

The cowgirl museum has two floors, both of which have been extensively renovated by world-class teams.

Throughout this western heritage museum, you’ll find the stories of cowgirls in history, right up to today’s cowgirls inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Station No. 1 on the Outlaw Trail: Old West Outlaws

https://www.amazon.com/Station-No-Outlaw-Trail-Outlaws-ebook/dp/B08G6J9V7W?pd_rd_w=OyVdQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.081392b0-c07f-4fc2-8965-84d15d431f0d&pf_rd_p=081392b0-c07f-4fc2-8965-84d15d431f0d&pf_rd_r=722328Y76ZQ717BN5YYV&pd_rd_wg=aPO2M&pd_rd_r=b48f9a1f-927a-4e65-8670-2b4082585c60&pd_rd_i=B08G6J9V7W&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=snowmaga-20&linkId=f67d95ec46424f68fd2f70cf82f5e019&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Badlands and Outlaws

https://www.amazon.com/Badlands-Outlaws-Old-West-Book-ebook/dp/B00NKUSVHQ?crid=1WAG8Q9CJKL3Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3C_XEkcTQ1PjwpbVq1PQLHnWZX3ivha5XZ1tQyZvQd50vHhLTPplsk2m36ghvh5USHS2qRVa7JGKmtRH3gA60ngs2qDi1Nu2m7XhcgzfkcLnng-boKQd0DkekBtdL0dueDlZgzqmkab_9Qmaam6kX7yb6R8nz12CcaLMuHLKTQ8EoR7wWBLqY8OsYVh12aQp9Hntxydyu2iImm9h-shj8lBdna31kHe-xOJ8qYJ7khg.Ec3slgCdRLu9xu1P9SSQyHY8w-y9g_cWDZHdVb3cJyQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=badlands+and+outlaws&qid=1733610306&sprefix=badlands+and+outlaws%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=snowmaga-20&linkId=e4d5c733aa9c6df4686d13b91dd33720&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Kidnapped by Outlaws (Sequel to Badlands and Outlaws)

https://www.amazon.com/Kidnapped-Outlaws-Old-West-Book-ebook/dp/B00OADBFKW?crid=31XORBCADL2ZO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Nk7aWaXVlsbODSHzhcgNGr0Gfqz0HyLSrsvDymhxzqjGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.6ySDjTxE_BWAXUPXubbSMOhsnjgX_Eqp6WimLnjvKrw&dib_tag=se&keywords=AKSOMITIS&qid=1726088282&s=digital-text&sprefix=aksomitis%2Cdigital-text%2C129&sr=1-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=snowmaga-20&linkId=45623d051ca1f88dea77456687cef5fa&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

My first tip — get to this part of Fort Worth early in the day to avoid Fort Worth’s heavy traffic! There’s ample paid parking available in the City of Fort Worth lots in the Cultural District, although we found it a little tough to find the right parking lot to not walk a mile. However, the parking attendants were amazing at pointing the way.

If you’re roadtripping, you’ll also want to visit the other museums in the complex. We did the Cowgirl Museum first, so got a discount on our tickets to the other Forth Worth attractions.

• Cattle Raisers Museum
• Omni Theater IMAX Dome
• Fort Worth Museum School – contains Forth Worth Children’s Museum, DinoLabs & DinoDig, Energy Blast, and Innovation Studios (6000 sq ft of learning space).

Who Should Visit the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame?

This western heritage museum is a great place for girls to see what women can achieve in an industry that’s always been predominately male.

From cowgirl history, through the actresses who portrayed women in the old west, to today’s cowgirls, there are many amazing stories.

Of course, the whole family will enjoy the galleries, as they’re full of glitz and glamor and high-tech attractions.

We spent a couple of hours visiting, but certainly longer would have been better to read all of the information provided on cowgirls.

The museum is handicapped accessible with an elevator between floors.

How Do You Visit the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame?

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located at 1720 Gendy Street in the Cultural District of Fort Worth, Texas, about one mile north of I-30.

Get opening days and admission costs at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame website.

Get the latest news about what’s happening at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour of the cowgirl museum with CBS Texas on YouTube.

Find More Museum Reviews for Texas

Check out more reviews of museum attractions in Texas on guide2museums.com.

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#cowboys #cowgirls #HallOfFame #history #I20 #I30 #I35 #museums #oldWest #Texas #travel #US_ #westerns

#TIL something about the word "parlous."

I already knew "parlous" as a form of the word "perilous" associated with English spoken in the western and mid-western USA. Most likely, I got that from Western films or maybe cartoons of Yosemite Sam & Bugs Bunny. Who knows. The phrase that sticks in my head is: "I'm parlous thirsty, ma'am."

But today, I learned that "parlous" was used in #MiddleEnglish, so possibly as far back as the 1100s! 😮 Def not the #OldWest!

#etymology
#language
#linguistics

A weathered sign welcomes visitors to the historic ghost town of Ballarat, an old mining town near Death Valley, California.

#BuyIntoArt #DeathValley #GhostTown #California #historic #mining #Ballarat #DesertAdventures #OldWest #AbandonedPlaces #TravelPhotography #ExploreCalifornia

https://jrtphotography.com/featured/ballarat-ghost-town-outside-death-valley-california-7-bw-john-twynam.html

Inside the Cattle Raisers Museum: Fort Worth, Texas

Visit Fort Worth, Texas, to explore all aspects of raising cattle in the Southwest United States. The Cattle Raisers Museum, located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, shows how cattle ranching shaped the economy, culture, and landscapes of Texas and at least 20 other states.

Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits

I lived on a cattle ranch for many years — in fact, a few of my books for YA readers are about driving cattle in the old west.

So, I found all the history interesting — but the I’m in What display jumped out as my favorite.

It was full of fascinating pieces of information!

Beef at the grocery store, of course, is the main thing we get from cattle.

Its essential nutrients include protein, iron, B-vitamins and others.

More than 2/3 of beef at the store meet government guidelines for lean.

However, there’s a lot more as I learned. Uses can be edible by-products or inedible by-products or medical by-products. How many by-product uses can you name?

Beef by-products are found in hospitals and drug stores. Where? Collagen from beef hides is used in medical applications for such things as wound dressings, burn ointments, surgical sutures, and tissue regeneration. Ground beef-derived materials are also used for biomedical research, dental fillings, and some orthopedic products like bone screws. Wow! Who knew?

As well, medical by-products include more than 100 individual drugs!

Got allergies or are diabetic? Insulin, vaccines, and allergy medications have traditionally used beef by-products. Indeed, it takes the pancreases from 26 cattle to provide enough insulin to keep one diabetic person alive for a year.

Beef by-products are also used in firecrackers! Indeed, beef collagen-based casings or binders can replace or supplement traditional materials like white clay or paper tubes. Why? They provide moisture resistance and durability, so they protect the firecracker’s explosive powders until ignition.

When you’re washing your face, you may be using another important beef by-product. It’s called beef tallow, which is rendered from beef fat. This ingredient moisturizes and nourishes the skin with natural vitamins like A, D, E, and K. It also contains natural antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that reduce skin irritation and promote clearer skin.

Beef fats yield oleo stock and oleo oil used for margarine and shortening. Oleo stearin is used in making chewing gum and some candies.

Gelatin produced from bones and skins is used in marshmallows, ice cream, canned meats, and gelatin desserts!

And here are a few more uses:

• Stearick acid, used in making rubber for tires that are more durable, is derived from beef tallow
• Beef tallow contributes to producing lubricants found in hydraulic brake fluids and antifreeze
• Beef tallow is converted into sodium tallowate and used in many traditional laundry soaps and detergents
• Leather from the hide of cattle is used to make many types of sporting goods from footballs to ball gloves
• Collagen is used in various sports strings and bindings, like tennis racket strings and bowstrings, due to their strong and flexible properties
• Products such as adhesives and greases derived from beef fat may be used in equipment maintenance or assembly
• Camel hair artists’ brushes are actually made from the fine hair found in the ears and tails of beef cattle
• Bones, horns, and hooves are used to produce buttons, bone china, piano keys, glues, fertilizer, gelatin for photographic film, paper, wallpaper, sandpaper, combs, toothbrushes and violin string

How many uses did you list? This is just a starter list, so you may have found lots of the additional ones listed on this PDF from Iowa State Extension and Outreach.

What’s in the Cattle Raisers Museum?

The Cattle Raisers Museum occupies around 10,000 square feet. It’s located on the second floor of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in the Cultural District.

Visitors explore history in three main chronological sections:

• 1690 to 1890: Origins of Texas ranching and the first cattle drives of the 1850s. This section includes how cattle were introduced by Spanish settlers and era of vaqueros (cowboy or cattle herder)
• 1890 to 1950: The gradual end of raising cattle on the open range due to barbed wire fences, railroads, and Ft. Worth’s transformation into a cattle market and meatpacking center
• 1950 to the present: Modern ranching practices and technologies

There are interactive galleries with video storytelling and holograms that I found very engaging. After all, I haven’t met many animated talking cattle! Artifacts include things like saddles, spurs, western hats, tools, and rare photographs. Floor-to-ceiling informational panels provide tons of information.

Linda’s Road Trip Tips

When you visit the Cattle Raisers Museum, try to leave enough time to visit the other travel attractions in Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

• Four additional world renowned museums including the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Amon Carer Museum of American Art
• Will Rogers Memorial Center: Historic home to the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, as well as other events
• Fort Worth Botanic Garden
• Fort Work Zoo

We did the Cowgirl Museum and the Science and History Museum, which gave us a discount for doing both on the same day.

If you want to rest your feet between visiting the museums, stop at the Exhibit Cafe in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The Texas 2 Step plate was tasty!

Who Should Visit the Cattle Raisers Museum?

The Cattle Raisers Museum will be of interest to anyone involved in ranching or farming, past or present. It’s also a great place to get an understanding of how the cattle industry has impacted the history of the Southwest.

We spent an hour going through the museum, but I was already familiar with a lot of the history. If it’s your first Texas visit or if you know little about ranching, allow at least double that time.

While there are some fun interactives, kids 10+ will likely find the museum more interesting than younger children.

The museum is wheelchair and handicapped accessible. There are some wheelchairs available for guests on a first-come, first-served basis.

How Do You Visit the Cattle Raisers Museum?

The Cattle Raisers Museum is easy to find in Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

Street Address: 1600 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, Texas, on the 2nd Floor of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

The museum is open year-round, but you can check days and hours open on the Cattle Raisers Museum website.

Keep up-to-date with what’s happening at the museum with the Cattle Raisers Museum Facebook page.

Take a virtual tour with this Cattle Raisers Museum video on YouTube.

Plan your visit with Google maps.

More Texas Museum Reviews

Check out more of our reviews for museums in Texas.

More History Museums

• Inside the Cattle Raisers Museum: Fort Worth, Texas

• Plains of Abraham Museum & Battlefield Park: Quebec City

• Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto Review

• Amazing Giant Bison, Beaver, Mammoths & More: Yukon Beringia Museum in Whitehorse

• Royal Saskatchewan Museum & World’s Largest T-Rex Dinosaur

• Fick Fossil & History Museum: Buffalo Bill to Prehistoric Fish in Oakley, Kansas

• Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum: Simi Valley, California

• Morro Bay Maritime Museum: Morro Bay, California

• National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame: Cowgirl history in Fort Worth, Texas

• Bell Barn Museum: Historic Round Barn in Indian Head, Sskatchewan

• Naranjo Museum: Dinosaurs & Fossils in Lufkin, Texas

• Texas Seaport Museum: Gulf Coast History in Galveston, Texas

• Levine Museum of the New South: Charlotte, North Carolina

• Jefferson Historical Museum in Big Cypress Bayou: Jefferson, Texas

• Museum of the Fur Trade: Chadron, Nebraska

• Mystic Seaport Museum: Historic Seafaring Village in Mystic, Connecticut

• Range Riders Museum: Old West Lives Again in Miles City, Montana

#cowboys #history #lifestyles #museums #oldWest #pioneers #Texas #travel #US_