There are many Fort Worth hotels to choose from. Which one you choose probably depends on why you are going to Fort Worth, and how much money you are willing to spend.

Our focus is on vacations, so we look at hotels in Fort Worth that would be great for vacationers. This usually means that the hotels need to be close to Fort Worth attractions.

Our favorite Fort Worth hotels below are all close to things to do in Fort Worth to avoid having to drive around too much. 

Fort Worth Hotels

Stockyards Hotel

If you’re planning to visit the Fort Worth Stockyards and you would like to stay as close as possible to the Stockyards, you have two great choices to consider.

The Stockyards Hotel is just a few yards inside the entrance to the Stockyards. That’s about as close to the action as you can get!

This is an older hotel that gives you that “old west” feeling, which is fantastic considering that you are in the Stockyards. Despite being older, the hotel is still well-maintained.

The rooms are clean and comfortable, and their staff are very friendly. The Stockyards Hotel is definitely worth considering.

Hyatt Place Fort Worth Historic Stockyards

The Hyatt Place Ft. Worth Historic Stockyards is the other hotel that is also right in the Stockyards. It is located behind the Stockyards Visitors Center.

The hotel is fairly new and in great shape. The rooms are comfortable and the staff are also very friendly.

The Hyatt Place has a nice pool, which is great on a hot day in Fort Worth. It’s very handy to go cool off in the pool for a little while before continuing your day’s activities in the Stockyards.

The more economical La Quinta Inn and Suites Fort Worth North and Hilton Garden Inn Fort Worth North are both only a short drive from the Stockyards.

Renaissance Worthington Hotel

If you’d like to stay in downtown Fort Worth and be near Sundance Square, I like the Renaissance Worthington Hotel.

It is more expensive, but it is a very beautiful and comfortable hotel. The hotel staff give excellent customer service.

The hotel has a great indoor pool, a hot tub, and fitness center.

A great bonus with the Renaissance Worthington is the great views of Fort Worth, especially if you stay on one of the higher floors.

Springhill Suites Fort Worth University

To stay near the Fort Worth Zoo, I like the Springhill Suites Fort Worth University.

The staff are great and the rooms are clean. The free breakfast is very good too.

The hotel also has a very nice outdoor pool and a fitness center.

The kitchenettes are useful is you need to make a snack for the kids without heading out to a restaurant.

If you’re looking for something a little more economical and that is also close to the Fort Worth Zoo, take a look at the Fairfield Inn Fort Worth University Drive.

These hotels give you some nice choices, but if you would look to look at more hotels before deciding, here is a list of other great hotels in Fort Worth.

Among the things to do in Fort Worth Texas are a few fun things that truly bring the “Texas experience”.

For this reason my family and I especially like to take our out-of-state visitors on a trip to Fort Worth.

Our favorite Fort Worth attractions are the Fort Worth Stockyards, Billy Bob’s (a honky tonk bar), the Fort Worth Zoo, and Sundance Square.

Here’s more about them… 

Things To Do In Fort Worth Texas

Fort Worth Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards was the first place we ever visited in Fort Worth. I like to go back there from time to time.

We saw our first rodeo ever in the Cowtown Coliseum in the Stockyards! We also saw a Wild West show and a mock gunfight! My kids enjoyed the CowKid Roundup a lot. The Stockyards Station has many shops and restaurants where we hang out if it gets real hot outside.

If I had to pick only one of the things to do in Fort Worth Texas, the Fort Worth Stockyards would be my pick!

Billy Bob’s

Billy Bob’s must be the most famous bar in Texas. It is known as the world’s largest honky tonk bar, and is quite an experience.

There is live bull riding every Friday and Saturday. There are also regular music concerts where famous Country stars, like Willie Nelson, The Bellamy Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Lee Ann Womack, and many others have played before.

They also have a great dance floor, and if you don’t know how to dance, there are free dance lessons on Thursday evenings.

Don’t miss out on Billy Bob’s, but as my experience has taught me, try to go without the kids!

Fort Worth Zoo

The Fort Worth Zoo is another of the fun things to do in Fort Worth Texas that my whole family enjoys.

They have several great animal exhibitions, like the World of Primates, Cheetos Cheetahs, Meerkat Mounds (think “Timone” in The Lion King), and several more. You can even do overnights and hold kids’ birthday parties there!

Zoos always seem to be a hit, especially with the kids. The Fort Worth Zoo is no exception. My family and I love to go!

Sundance Square

Sundance Square is downtown Fort Worth’s shopping and entertainment area.

I find the shopping to be quite casual, and there are many different types of stores in Sundance Square in Fort Worth. There is also great entertainment. I like the street acts. The kids like them too. You can also catch a movie, go dancing, listen to live music, and so on.

We all enjoy Sundance Square and like to go there!

Be sure to take a camera or camcorder along on your visit to Fort Worth!

My family and I love going to the Fort Worth Stockyards!

Our first visit to the Stock Yards was in 2001 when we took my parents there who were visiting from out of state. They still speak of that great day!

Since then, we have been back to the Fort Worth Stockyards several times.

Most recently, we took visitors from England to experience a bit of the “old West”. 

What Is The Fort Worth Stockyards?

In the days of the old West, cattle ranchers used to take their cattle to the Fort Worth Stock Yards to sell them. It was an important cattle market place! This brought a lot of people to Fort Worth, like cowboys, horse traders, cattlemen, bankers, etc. It sure was a bustling place!

In 1976 the Fort Worth Stockyards was designated a historical district. Today it is set up to show the old way of life to the thousands of visitors that go there every year, including us!

What Do We Do In The Stock Yards?

We usually go for a day, which means we’ve driven for 3 hours when we get there. Everyone then needs to go to the restroom. So we first head to Stockyards Station where there are restrooms, restaurants, and stores.

After the restroom break, I like to go to the Visitor’s Center to find out about the events of that day. Luckily, most of the events or shows are free!

Here are some of our favorite events from our last trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards…

Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive

The Stockyards keeps a small herd of cattle that is used for events. One such event is the Cattle Drive that takes place twice a day.

The Cattle Drive starts at Stockyards Station and goes down Exchange Ave. This is quite a thrill for anyone who has never seen a Longhorn before!

Legends of Texas Gunfight Show

The Legends of Texas Gunfight show, held in the Stockyards Station, is a fun depiction of a cowboy gunfight, kinda like you’d see in a cowboy movie. My kids loved it!

The cowboys fire their guns during the show (not real bullets, of course), which could scare small kids if they haven’t been warned. I didn’t hear any kids crying during the show though.

Fort Worth Herd CowKid Roundup

My kids really enjoyed the CowKid Roundup!

Using bales of hay with plastic cow heads mounted on one end, cowboys taught them how to “rope”, i.e. catch a cow with a rope. I’m not sure than any of the kids would’ve been hired as cowboys afterwards (it’s harder than it looks), but they all had a lot of fun.

Afterwards, the cowboys and a cowgirl told us all about Longhorns and the daily life of cowboys from that era. I thought it was very interesting.

Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show

Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show takes place in the Cowtown Coliseum. It is a re-enactment of the original show that toured the country almost 100 years ago.

Among other things, the show includes trick horse riding, trick shooting, some excellent trick roping, and an act where Pawnee Bill cuts through straws and paper, held by a partner, using a bull whip.

On the way into the show, I bought a show program for $2, which automatically entered me in a draw to win a pair of cowboy boots. As luck would have it, my number was drawn!

Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo

When we took my parents to the Fort Worth Stockyards, we also saw the Rodeo. These take place on Friday & Saturday evenings.

Among all the usual rodeo events, they also had events specifically for kids from the audience. My oldest son, who was 5 at the time, had great fun trying to catch the sheep!

This was the first rodeo that I had ever been to, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Other Things To Do In The Stockyards

I mentioned the Stockyards Station earlier, where there are several restaurants. We haven’t eaten at all of them, but we’ve had some great meals at some of them.

There are also several stores in the Stockyards Station and along Exchange Ave. Here you can buy cowboy hats, boots, and all kind of other touristy items.

Across the road from Stockyards Station is a mechanical bull that kids can ride for a few dollars.

Next to the mechanical bull is the Cattlepen Maze that also costs a few dollars.

Another interesting place to visit in the Fort Worth Stockyards is the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum, which pays tribute to many of the top Texas cowgirls and cowboys.

The Fort Worth Stockyards is a great place to visit. I’m sure that we’ll be going there again!

There’s no doubt about it — RV camping fans love the Lone Star State!

There are many great places to go RV camping in Texas!

Here are ten great reasons to pack up the RV and take a family vacation to Texas: 

1. RV Camping to Abilene – This north Texas town played a big part in frontier days, and it offers visitors the chance to experience the Lone Star State during the days of cowboys and cattle drives. Be sure to visit Frontier Texas, where multimedia experiences will teach your kids about the people and places that contributed to the development of Texas.

2. Austin for RVers – Looking for an urban destination with plenty of place to play outdoors? Go no further than Austin, where a string of lakes along the Colorado River march right into the middle of town. Fish, camp and hike at Lake Austin, Lake Travis or any of the four other lakes within easy driving distance of the city.

3. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area – A pink granite dome in the heart of Texas? That’s right — Enchanted Rock State Natural Area boasts a four-hundred foot granite dome that’s perfect for hiking and rock climbing. A day use area, this park doesn’t have RV camping facilities, but nearby facilities such as Fredericksburg RV Park offer comfortable camping.

4. Galveston Family RV Vacation – With fantastically fun places like Moody Gardens waiting to entertain your family, it’s time for an RV road trip to Galveston. Don’t miss the Battleship TEXAS, the Seaport Museum and the great RV campground at Galveston Island State Park.

5. Goliad State Park and Historic Sites – Park your RV at this state park northwest of Corpus Christi and then immerse yourself in Texas history. Ruins of an 18th century mission, the birthplace of General Zaragoza and the Mission Espiritu Santo State Historic Site are just three of the fascinating places to visit near the Victorian town of Goliad.

6. Lake Mineral Wells State Park – In an area once known for its healing mineral waters, this state park is popular with hikers, bikers and equestrians, thanks to a scenic twenty mile trailway. Just forty five minutes from downtown Fort Worth, the park welcomes RV campers with full-service campsites and nice amenities.

7. Port Isabel – Right across the Queen Isabella Causeway from Padre Island, the city of Port Isabel is an historic treasure. Port Isabel Lighthouse can be explored and photographed to your heart’s content, and the Treasures of the Gulf Museum and Port Isabel Historic Museum are a short walk away.

8. San Antonio for RV Campers – The City of San Antonio, TX is filled with cultural, historic and just plain fun attractions for the entire family. Why not park your RV at one of the many area campgrounds and then spend your vacation enjoying the city’s Paseo del Rio Riverwalk, historic treasures like The Alamo and a walk on the wild side at the San Antonio Zoo?

9. Seminole Canyon State Historic Park – An incredibly rugged setting near the US/Mexico border is home to some of the best preserved pictographs in the world. Take a guided tour into the canyon to explore ancient cave art, and take advantage of convenient RV camping on-site.

10. Toledo Bend Reservoir/Lake Sam Rayburn – Two top bass fishing lakes sit side-by-side on the Texas/Louisiana border. Toledo Bend Reservoir is surrounded by the unspoiled beauty of the Sabine National Forest and Lake Sam Rayburn cuts right through the middle of Angelina National Forest. If you’re looking for a spot to make an extended fishing and RV camping trip to Texas, these two lakes fill the bill!