A Fabulous Northstar Day Trip: Fort Worth’s Cultural District
With everything going on in the beautiful, master-planned community of Northstar, located just north of Fort Worth, it is sometimes hard to keep track of all the cool things that are happening only a few miles away. That’s understandable. Everyone is busy.
The first of our new Northstar residents are meeting with their builders to finalize all the quality finishes in their new home. Plus, the coming months will bring a dazzling array of new things to do. The community will have multiple pools and playgrounds, as well as a splash pad, a soccer field, and an indoor amenity center with game rooms and event space. Plus, residents can also look forward to 10 miles of walking and biking paths which run along Northstar Parkway.
One of the best parts of living in Northstar is its location. As the website notes: “It’s in the middle of EVERYTHING!” This makes the community a great launching pad for fabulous day trips. One destination stands out because there is nothing else like it in Texas and the Southwest. It is the Cultural District of Fort Worth and it is a mere 20-minutes from Northstar. The museums of this district are world class, on a par with those in cities like New York and Paris.
A Brief (But Fascinating) History of the Cultural District of Fort Worth
It’s hard to believe that the land where the city of Fort Worth grew into its current majesty was once regularly trampled by millions of cattle. They were being driven north, along the Chisholm Trail, to Kansas for their eventual shipment to the eastern and western markets of the United States. The freeway that now enables millions of commuters into the city is the “Chisholm Parkway” and was a part of that legendary trail.
According to the Visit Fort Worth website, “Fort Worth’s Cultural District has a history dating back to the earliest days of our city. When the fort was established in 1849, the area was open prairie land often visited by Native Americans because of the nearby Trinity River. The first important settler activity in the area was by K.M. van Zandt, an early community leader. He had a farm which included all the land now constituting the Cultural District. The Van Zandt farm cottage still stands at its original location along Crestline Road on the eastern edge of today’s Cultural District.”
The website further notes that “In the Fort Worth Cultural District, you can walk to six world class museums in a beautiful, park-like setting. The Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Cattle Raisers Museum present diverse and significant collections and exhibitions of works and artifacts from America and around the world.”
Founded by one of the most prominent citizens of Fort Worth, Amon Carter, Sr., this collection “celebrates the breadth and depth of American art, from early daguerreotypes to site-specific installations by contemporary artists. The museum was founded around Carter’s extensive collection of works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, but it has since expanded to encompass artworks by thousands of artists that display the creativity and complexity of American art.”
There are also constantly changing exhibits of work of artists from around the world. Families from Northstar will find this to be a glorious place and there is no charge for admission. Click here to plan your visit.
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
As with many museums, the pandemic has temporarily changed the visiting hours of this must-see museum, but there is still plenty to do. As concern about COVID fades, this amazing place will be serving families again. Check the museum website for updates on school activities, distance tours and other fun activities and continue at the facility. Permanent exhibits include “History of Medicine,” “Your Body,” “IBM Calculators and Computers,” “Rocks and Fossils,” “Texas History” and “Man and His Possessions.”
Words are inadequate when describing the Kimbell Art Museum. It is nothing short of stunning. According to its website, the museum officially opened on October 4, 1972. The Kimbell Art Foundation, which owns and operates the Museum, was established in 1936 by Kay and Velma Kimbell. Early on, the Foundation collected mostly British and French portraits of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. By the time Mr. Kimbell died in April 1964, the collection had grown to 260 paintings and 86 other works of art, including such singular paintings as Hals’s Rommel-Pot Player, Gainsborough’s Portrait of a Woman, Vigée Le Brun’s Self-Portrait, and Leighton’s Portrait of May Sartoris. Motivated by his wish “to encourage art in Fort Worth and Texas,” Mr. Kimbell left his estate to the Foundation, charging it with the creation of a museum. Mr. Kimbell had made clear his desire that the future museum be “of the first class,” and to further that aim, within a week of his death, his widow, Velma, contributed her share of the community property to the Foundation.
The museum remains open during the pandemic with safety protocols in place. Since there is no admission charge, this is another excellent family-friendly stop on a day trip to the Fort Worth Cultural District.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
This amazing museum, known to its millions of supporters and visitors as “The Modern,” has expanded the definition of an art museum to include paintings, lectures, photography and film. The permanent exhibits and those that are on display for a limited time represent a contemporary artists mecca.
According to its website, ‘The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is an art museum of post-World War II art in Fort Worth, with a collection of international modern and contemporary art. Founded in 1892, The Modern is located in the city’s cultural district in a building designed by architect Tadao Ando which opened to the public in 2002.
There is something new happening constantly at this museum and, because of this, it is a good idea to click on the website (link above) to see what’s in store for you. The museum is open for visitors during the pandemic and has safety protocols in place.
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
It is altogether fitting that a city (Fort Worth) with a moniker of “Cowtown” should be home to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Its website notes that this is “the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the West, and from around the world who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneer spirit in their trailblazing efforts. It includes interactive exhibit galleries that feature artifacts of the permanent collection, a traveling exhibit gallery, two theaters, giftshop, a research library and archives, and a NEW second floor. Currently, the museum’s archives house more than 4000 artifacts and information about more than 750 remarkable women.
This is another of the family-friendly stops on a day trip from Northstar. The facility is open during the pandemic and the fun will have cowgirls (of all ages) singing “whoopee ti yi yo!”
Not far from the legendary Chisholm Trail, the history of the independent spirit of cattle raisers is on display. This museum originally opened in 1981 in downtown Fort Worth with the purpose of developing greater public awareness of and appreciation for our ranching heritage.
In 2017, the Cattle Raisers Museum completed a renovation to enhance its focus on the history of the Texas and Southwestern cattle raisers and reinforce the message that ranchers are committed to doing the right thing by their neighbors, by their land, and by cattle and wildlife. New technologically advanced exhibits, interactive chronological timelines, natural resource stewardship videos and never-before-seen artifacts improve the Museum’s ability to “keep the legacy alive” with the next generation.
The Cattle Raisers Museum has temporarily suspended its visiting hours during the pandemic. However, it will resume when health concerns have dissipated.
Follow the Northstar
A trip to the amazing Cultural District of Fort Worth is just one of hundreds of family-friendly activities easily accessible for residents of Northstar. The master-planned community is perfectly located – just north of Fort Worth – for entertainment, dining, sporting events and shopping. Follow the Northstar to find a home you will love. Click here to set up a visit.
