National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

Make a point of visiting the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame (1720 Gendy St., 817/336-4475, www.cowgirl.net [1], Tues.–Sun. 10 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Mon.–Sat., $10 adults, $8 children 3–12 and seniors), one of the most recent additions to Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

Housed in a 33,000-square-foot building designed to mirror Fort Worth’s historic Cowtown structures, the museum showcases the important role women played in the American West.

Its origins date to 1975 in the Panhandle community of Hereford, where the small National Cowgirl Hall of Fame honored pioneers, artists, writers, tribal leaders, social activists, and modern ranchers and rodeo cowgirls. These attributes became the basis for the current facility.

Visually stunning in its design and layout, the museum’s interior is a dazzling spectacle of open spaces, bright colors, and a 45-foot-high domed rotunda housing the impressive Hall of Fame honoree exhibits, which display changing images on glass screens.

Although the museum makes a point of celebrating the heroines it honors, there’s also a lot of fun to be had. Check out the media and fashion displays, and be sure to stop by the simulated bronco-riding exhibit, where visitors are filmed. The resulting digital movie clips are available on the museum’s website.