Established in 1980, the Cattle Raisers Museum offers a peek into the lives of cowboys and cattle barons in the Old West. After shutting down its digs on Fort Worth’s Seventh Street in 2007, the museum took a two-year hiatus and reopened inside the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in late 2009. With 10,000 square feet of space in its new facility, the Cattle Raisers Museum has an array of interesting tales and interactive exhibits that make it one of the most kid-friendly museums in Cowtown.
The museum boasts a collection of hundreds of rare photographs, as well as saddles, spurs, hats, and other artifacts that celebrate the heritage and history of the Texas cowboy. The museum also has the largest collection of branding irons—more than 1,200—in the world. Though they aren’t all on display at once, guests can still gaze upon hundreds of selected irons that hang from the ceiling, including a few from famous ranch owners such as Nolan Ryan.
At the Ride-Along Roundup exhibit, aspiring cattle drivers can hop on fake horses in front of a video screen and gather virtual steers. The Cattle Car Theater runs films that tell the tale of Texas’ role in the evolution of the livestock industry. Kids will be totally engrossed—or grossed out—when they learn where their Jell-O comes from as they gaze upon a light-up steer that highlights the by-products of cattle.