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57°F / 14°C
(Overcast. Cool.)
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From opera and ballet to trendy nightclubs, Ft. Worth is filled with cultural attractions and entertainment for all.
Music
Bass Hall, on the corner of 4th Street and Calhoun, is home to Fort Worth's premier performing arts organizations and is the venue of choice for top artists from all over the world. Artists from ballet dancers to bagpipers perform here; there is something for every musical and artistic taste. Every four years, the top professional pianists in the world gather for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. A newer jewel in the Cliburn Foundation's crown of jewels is the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, held on campus at Texas Christian University.
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra offers delights for every musical taste, ranging from its regular season with monthly concerts from September through May, through the Pops series, also from September through May, to the Concerts in the Garden at Fort Worth Botanical Gardens every summer for the past ten years. Their regular concerts are presented at Bass Hall.
Theater and Ballet
If classical music's not your thing, visit Casa Manana, the first permanent theater designed for in-the-round performances. Chartered as a non-profit organization in 1958, it now offers a wide variety of entertainment from Broadway musicals to dramas to concerts and children's theater. Or, try the Jubilee Theatre in Sundance Square. African-American performers, writers, and directors are spotlighted here in dramas, comedies, and especially musicals, and use local talent whenever possible.
Snug in the historic Sanger Building at Sundance Square, The Circle Theatre offers an intimate theater experience. Texas playwrights like Horton Foote and Larry L. King, as well as developing playwrights from North Texas, are showcased here as Circle regularly premieres contemporary plays. Fort Worth Theatre, is still the community theater of Fort Worth, presenting four different series and offering not only quality community theater but also commendable projects featuring at-risk youth.
The Fort Worth Dallas Ballet is a thriving joint venture with a board and a full season in each city. The troupe performs regularly at the Bass in Fort Worth and the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas.
Nightlife
At the two live rock clubs, Wreck Room and Aardvark, fans can party with some of the Metroplex's top rock bands without having to drive to Dallas. Of course, no visit to Fort Worth is complete without stopping in at Billy Bob's Texas and The White Elephant. Billy Bob's features live entertainment almost every night by country music's biggest names. The White Elephant, an authentic Old West saloon, is as plain as Billy Bob's is fancy, with a good-sized dance floor and a combination of live and recorded music.
Museums & Galleries
Fort Worth is an art lover's paradise, boasting some of the finest museums and galleries in North America. The Amon G Carter Museum, founded by the pioneer to house his collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, features pre-1940 works by premier 19th-and 20th-century artists. Itself a work of art, The Kimbell Art Museum is home to several unusual collections, featuring European art from 1920 forward and American art since 1940. For a delightful Friday evening, enjoy a light buffet with live music at the Kimbell. One of the oldest art institutions in Texas, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth houses masterworks of post-World War II American and European artists in all media—a collection of more than 2800 pieces.
Parks
A variety of other entertainment options may be found in and around Fort Worth. The Log Cabin Village, for example, is a group of seven restored nineteenth century cabins inside Trinity Park where you will get another one of those living history lessons. Daily demonstrations of pioneer life include candle-dipping, corn grinding, spinning, and weaving. There's a little museum and gift shop, too. Speaking of Trinity Park, it is a must-visit oasis of trees, grass and, of course, water not far from downtown. There are 32 miles of multi-use trails as well as playgrounds, picnic areas, and restrooms. You can find a festival or some sort of celebration here almost any time of year.
For 17 acres of manmade water fun, take the kids to NRH2O, where there are attractions for every age from a water choo-choo to a 65-foot tall water coaster and a breathtaking waterfall drop ride. Concession stands and picnic space are plentiful.
Finally, if racing is your bag, there are two fabulous places less than an hour away for watching the best of the best: Lone Star Park and Texas Motor Speedway. Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, open 313 days a year, features both live and simulcast (from other premier racetracks) thoroughbred horse racing. Some of the top jockeys and trainers in the country work here, where you'll sometimes see purses exceeding USD1 million. Texas Motor Speedway in Roanoke offers a full roster of NASCAR, Indy, hot rod, and Grand Prix racing almost year round. Campgrounds nearby are plentiful, as are RV hookups. You can tour the facility whether there's a race or not.
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