Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post! Today, I want to tell you about the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. I got to visit this museum as a child and was so excited to go back to see all the renovations they had made since. Let’s get started!
Museum Mission Statement: “The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience and independence that helped shape the West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire. The Museum proudly celebrates living and deceased Honorees who represent diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures.”
Museum History
In 1975, the museum began in Hereford, Texas in the basement of the Deaf Smith County Library.
In 1994, the museum moved to Fort Worth, Texas to its permanent location. The current museum is 33,000 square feet and the hall of fame has 247 honorees and counting!
Alice Walton Cowgirl Park opened in 2019. The park contains several statues and a beautiful mosaic! I wish I had been able to spend more time outside, but it was raining super hard on the day I visited…
I loved the architecture of the building a well. The statues were poignant and well-placed leading you to the entrance from Alice Walton Cowgirl Park.
Exhibitions
There are several exhibitions at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame – I included a few photos from some of my favorites. You’ll have to go visit the museum to see the rest!
Hitting the Mark: Cowgirls and Wild West Shows Gallery
Studying the history of Wild West shows is one of my favorite things to do! So, I loved that the first gallery you enter talks about Wild West shows and cowgirls. You can see items from the 101 Ranch Wild West Show, Annie Oakley, other famous rodeo cowgirls and more. I literally could have spent all day in this gallery.
I think it goes without saying that cowgirls always have great style! I loved seeing the cowgirl’s clothes from the different eras of rodeo and Wild West shows. The colors and designs are so fun and unique to the cowgirl who wore them.
Now, I just need to figure out where I can find a matching outfit.
Kit Moncrief Galleries
The Kit Moncrief Galleries are on the second floor of the museum. I loved seeing all of the trophies, saddles, programs, tack, hats and more. Check out some of the items below!
Another thing I loved about this gallery was the interactive screens that were strategically placed between exhibit cases. The screens allowed you to dig deeper into the history of the items in the cases. For example, I clicked on a trophy won by Vera McGinnis and the screen showed multiple angles of the trophy and photos that were in the museum’s archive. How cool is that?!
The outside walls of the room are a video projection of horses which was super cool. The entire atmosphere of the space was very peaceful.
Interactive Exhibitions
There were several interactive exhibitions throughout the museum which were so fun! There were photo ops, a bucking bronc simulator and a place to design your own horse. Check out the photo booth I jumped in – can you find me in the photo on the left?
Concluding Thoughts
Visiting the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame was a dream come true for me! I have been saying for years how badly I wanted to go back and visit again. I hope you’ll go visit and learn about the history of cowgirls!
Make sure to follow the National Cowgirl Museum on social media! They post cool photos and fun history – I always learn something new from them!
Happy traveling, friend! I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂
Visit
1720 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107
TRAVEL TIP: This museum sits in Fort Worth’s Cultural District which contains several other museums. So, you could potentially visit a lot of museums if you have an entire day.
The Active Historian 
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