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Dallas Fort Worth
Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas have been combined into on massive urban concentration, which is named the DFW Metroplex with a population of over four million in the Region. The two cities are, however, very different halves of a whole. Dallas, it's soaring glass-sided skyscrapers seemingly growing like mushrooms out of the prairie, is full of glitz and glamour. Its urban landscape is vigorous and classy, its citizens enjoying the good things in life from fashionable clothing to flashy cars. This thriving city is the ninth largest city in the United States, having grown from a frontier outpost with 20 streets in 1841 to a centre for big business and big banking, helped along a little by "black gold", the oil that was discovered 100 miles (161km) east of the city in 1930.
The western part of the Metroplex is Fort Worth and it is the gateway to the Wild West. Having started out as "Cowtown", a base for cattle drives, Fort Worth still reflects a laid-back and slightly "cowpoke" attitude, although surprisingly it has also developed into a cultural centre with world-class museums and a thriving performing arts sector.
Old City Park
Dallas is a piece of American history, which has been preserved in a living museum and has thirteen acres of woodland to the south of the Old City Park. This historical village consists of 38 buildings and houses, including a working farm, elegant Victorian homes, a school, church and a bank that is alleged to have been robbed by Bonnie and Clyde, all dating from between 1840 and 1910. All the structures in this recreated turn-of-the-century village have been collected from various locations in and around Dallas, and restored and re-assembled here.
Address: 1717 Gano Street, Dallas; Telephone: Ticket office: (214) 428 5448; Main office: (214) 421 5141; Website: www.oldcitypark.org; Opening time: Old City Park is open year round Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday noon to 4pm (closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day); Admission: $7 (adults), $4 (children). For an additional $3 there is an audio tour of the museum
Sixth Floor Museum
John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 in Dallas Texas and the shooting took place from the sixth floor of a book depository, which is now the Sixth Floor Museum. Most chilling of the exhibits is the window area in the former Texas School Book Depository building from where sniper Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the fatal shots at the 35th President's motorcade. The museum also documents Kennedy's life and legacy, featuring more than 20,000 artefacts and a large amount of archival material. A granite marker at the corner of Houston and Main Streets outside shows where Kennedy was assassinated and a memorial stands in nearby John F. Kennedy Plaza. Visitors to the museum can also view the Zapruder film of the assassination.
Address: 411 Elm Street, Dealey Plaza, Dallas; Telephone: (214) 747 6660; Website: www.jfk.org; Opening time: Daily 9am to 6pm; closed Christmas Day; Admission: $10 (adults), $9 (children 6-18). Audio tours are available for an additional $3
Fort Worth Stockyards
The magic of the Wild West is an enchanting experience at the Fort Worth Stockyards. The district encompasses 15 blocks packed full of exciting “Cowtown” attractions, from rodeos to cattle drives, country music shows, shops selling genuine cowboy gear, saloons and Texan diners, and the 'Tarantula Train' steam railway on which regular re-enactments of a train robbery are performed. The Stockyard District is also the venue for several annual festivals and western events and home to the world-famous Billy Bob's Honky Tonk.
Address: 121 E Exchange Avenue, Fort Worth; Telephone: (817) 626 7921; Website: www.fortworthstockyards.org; Opening time: Daily cattle drives at 11am and 4.30pm. Various other events at different times
Cattle Raisers Museum
The unique Cattle Raisers Museum is ideal for exploring the origins of the cowboy and the cattle ranching industry in Texas. Use has been made of talking mannequins, interactive exhibits, authentic artefacts and theatre presentations to bring alive the legends and lore of the Wild West, from Texas Rangers to rustlers. The museum also contains the largest collection of branding irons in the world.
Address: 1301 West Seventh Street, Fort Worth; Telephone: (817) 332 8551; Website: www.cattleraisersmuseum.org; Opening time: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; Admission: $3 (adults), $2 (seniors and youths)
Fort Worth Zoo
Boasting more than five thousand animals in their natural habitat, the Forth Worth Zoo is one of the top five zoos in the US, home to natural environments like the Koala Outback, Asian Falls and the Raptor Canyon. A recently opened new eight-acre section called Texas Wild takes visitors on a journey through the state to see indigenous animals like swift foxes, ocelots and white-tailed deer, including some endangered species. This section includes a mock-up of a Texas town with a restaurant, store, saloon and jailhouse. Another popular diversion here is the chance to try managing a computer-simulated ranch.
Address: Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth; Telephone: (817) 759 7555; Website: www.fortworthzoo.com; Opening time: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm (summer); daily 10am to 4pm (winter); Admission: $9.75 (adults), $7.25 (children). Half price on Wednesdays
