The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame - Fort Worth, Texas Tribute to Cowgirls

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located at 1720 Gendy Street in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in June 2002, though the Museum was originally founded in 1975 in Hereford, Texas. This interactive state of the art museum honors the women of the American West and their ideals of independence and self-reliance. It houses interactive exhibits, a research library, a rare photography collection, three theaters, and a gift shop.

The Rotunda and Hall of Fame are located on the first floor of the Museum. The Hall of Fame is dedicated to the contributions and impact of western women living from the mid-1800s to the present. Since 1975, the accomplishments of 190 women have been celebrated in the Hall of Fame.

Upon entering the rotunda, there are 12 optical glass-tiled murals, which are called Lifetiles. These Lifetiles portray a variety of images of cowgirl portraits and cowgirls working. They are like movies on the wall that change when someone walks by them.

The rotunda also houses the Spirit Trail, which consists in etched glass stars representing medallions for the Honorees of the Museum. For further information on the lives of the Honorees, visitors can proceed to the second floor to the touch-screen electronic yearbooks.

In the center of the gallery is the arena, which has three large screens. Visitors can watch a number of the most amazing rides in history. There is a display case by the arena exhibiting two famous saddles belonging to Sheila Welch and Julie Krone. There is also a unique display of rodeo fashions on a rotating rack, so that each rodeo outfit can be viewed. This unique showcase is manipulated by a flat-panel touch-screen, which presents the details and information about the outfit including information on the rodeo celebrity.

Another unique feature in the gallery is the interactive bronc riding. Visitors riding the bronc at a slow pace are videoed. This footage is then sped up and digitally incorporated into footage from the old-style rodeo to make a movie of the visitor riding rodeo-style.

Other exhibits in the gallery include interviews with famous cowgirls, rodeo memorabilia, Wild West poster, Wild West costumes, classic and unique images of the Wild West shows, and cases depicting the history of the rodeo and its development.

The Kinship with the Land gallery contains a wall-sized panoramic projection that depicts images of the open land and the relation between the cowgirls with the rugged conditions of the land. In this gallery, there are also display cases that showcase different artifacts ranging from the cowgirl gear to children's ranch memorabilia. There are also a number of screens illustrating women at work and children growing up on the ranch. There is also the Connie Reeves Discovery Corral that is devoted to honoring the woman who pushed her students to strive for independence and confidence. In this section of the Museum, there are a number of activities and games for people of all ages, such as dressing in pioneer costume or building a fort western-style.

The gallery called Claiming the Spotlight contains larger than life images of celebrities who have played the role of cowgirls, as well as Hollywood memorabilia.

The Research Library is located on the second floor. The library is open during the weekdays and collections can be studied by appointment only.

The Museum also provides a number of educational programs and offers school tours. For booking tours, all calls are to be made to (817)255-9440 or (888)225-9300 ext. 440. The Museum also offers different types of membership.

The Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9.30am to 5pm and from 11:45am to 5pm on Sunday. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. Since the Museum hours are subject to change, it is recommended to call the Museum at (817)336-4475 or (800) 476-3263. Currently, an admission price for adults is $8 and $7 for seniors and children between the ages of 3 and 12. There is no admission charge for members of the National Cowgirl Museum and children 2 years old and under with a paid adult admission. Available on the website is an admission coupon, which provides a discount for the Museum.