Stockyards Museum, Fort Worth

About Stockyards Museum

The Stockyards Museum documents the history of the Fort Worth Stockyards and the north side of Fort Worth through exhibits, artifacts, and photographs. Visitors explore the Native American connections to the region, the Chisholm Trail cattle drives, the livestock market operations, and the Swift and Armour Packing plants that shaped "Cowtown." The museum's growing collection illustrates how Fort Worth became a major cattle shipping point after the railroad arrived in 1876 and how the Union Stockyards went into full operation around 1889. Between 1866 and 1890, more than four million head of cattle were trailed through Fort Worth. The North Fort Worth Historical Society, chartered in 1976, operates the museum and preserves the area's livestock and meat packing heritage. The museum is located inside the Historic Livestock Exchange Building in Fort Worth, Texas, and staffed by volunteers. The facility charges admission and publishes its hours online.