When planning your family reunion, you’ll want a city with plenty of activities, numerous lodging options and a dining selection that’s second-to-none. No location better fulfills that wish list than Fort Worth, a North Texas city with an authentic cowboy and culinary culture. Part of the larger Dallas-Fort Worth region, the city contains enough hotels, restaurants and attractions to engage your group for weeks, and it’s minutes away from the amenities in America’s fourth-largest metro area. The Fort Worth CVB can offer you assistance in organizing an unforgettable Texas family reunion. Complete with a welcome greeting and a souvenir for each member of your family.

Fort Worth Activities

Established as an army outpost in 1849, For Worth is surrounded by history. Your group can walk into the Old West in the Stockyards National Historic District. Many buildings remain from the 19th century, when ranchers and Chisholm Trail pioneers passed through the district for supplies before venturing north into Indian territory on their way to Abilene, Kansas. The area is now an entertainment hub, with restaurants such as Riscky’s Barbecue serving hand-rubbed ribs and saloons perfect for adult evenings. For a frontier experience, visitors can still witness a cattle drive on East Exchange Avenue or buy authentic leather boots at M.L. Leddy’s.

Groups with an appetite for art and science can indulge in the city’s many museums. The Kimbell Art Museum houses hundreds of Roman sculptures, Chinese ceramics and French paintings, and art historians are on-hand for private tours. For more contemporary work, The Modern has exhibits of pop art, and multimedia art and minimalism. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is home to interactive exhibits designed for younger visitors; they can excavate ancient bones at the DinoLab, simulate an earthquake in Energy Blast and run their own ranch at the Cattle Raisers Museum. At the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, your group can learn about the incredible women who contributed to ranching and Western culture.

Want to spend some time outdoors? The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is 10,000 square feet of explorative conservatory space. An elevated  boardwalk with 13 interactive stations guides visitors through a native Texas forest, while guests can find serenity in the Japanese or tropical gardens. Group members of all ages will enjoy the Fort Worth Zoo, home to Raptor Canyon, Parrot Paradise and a recreation of the Australian Outback. The zoo’s premier attraction is Texas Wild!, an eight-acre recreation of an 1890s Texas town with animals from the state’s six geographic regions. Another top exhibit is the MOLA, Museum of Living Art. The zoo is ideal for picnics.

At Six Flags Over Texas, you can save Gotham on Batman: The Ride or experience Titan, the tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster in the Lone Star State. The theme park offers group rates and private areas for reunion meetups and meals. Group rates are also offered at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. One of the largest stadiums in the NFL, this state-of-the-art venue features massive video screens, diverse concessions and private boxes for rent. Whether your group wants to watch America’s Team or a rock concert, AT&T Stadium can cater to your group.

Dining in Fort Worth

Keeping your family well-fed is key to a successful reunion, and Fort Worth’s cowboy heritage makes it a hotspot for Tex-Mex cuisine and barbecue. You can sample the former at Revolver Taco Lounge and Joe T. Garcia’s, which specializes in enchiladas and chicken or beef fajitas, and the latter at Woodshed Smokehouse or Cooper’s Old Time Pit. Many barbecue joints welcome large groups and often serve family-style meals of ribs, cornbread and mixed greens. In addition to these specialties, Fort Worth covers the entire culinary spectrum, with acclaimed Italian, seafood and steak options.

Where Can We Stay?

After a long day of fun, your group will want accommodations that are comfortable and affordable.  There are over 100 hotels in Fort Worth ranging from budget to luxury, and a variety of campgrounds and RV sites round out the lodging selection. For groups that want plenty of room and on-property reunion space, there are three main hotel areas: Sundance Square, the Stockyards and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Area. Sundance Square, the heart of downtown Fort Worth, features hotels that are steps away from numerous dining and shopping options. For groups who want to minimize car rental and prefer an urban environment, this is an unbeatable home base. Hotels in this area include Sheraton, Hilton, Omni Embassy Suites Worthington, Holiday Express and Courtyard. If you want easy access to nightlife and barbecue, plan on staying in the National Stockyards Historic District. The Hyatt Place Stockyards and Courtyard Marriott Stockyards are steps away from the district’s attractions, while Fossil Creek, Radisson Fossil Creek, Holiday Inn Express, and La Quinta Inn & Suites are all nearby.  The DFW Airport area in nearby Grapevine is perfect for groups who want a short commute. The DFW Marriott South and Holiday Inn DFW South have easy access to DFW International Airport, Six Flags Over Texas, AT&T Stadium and public transit for the metro area.

Getting to Fort Worth

Fort Worth’s central location makes traveling simple from anywhere in the U.S. Oklahoma City, Austin, San Antonio and Houston are all within a four-hour drive, and New Orleans, Kansas City and Memphis can be reached in eight. Visitors can access the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area from the north and south on I-35 and the east and west on I-20, and an interstate system makes transportation within the entire region convenient. Family members who wish to fly to Texas can use Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub for American, United and Spirit Airlines.

Western wonders, easy accessibility and a welcoming bureau should all make Fort Worth a top candidate for your next family reunion.