Consider these local landmarks our Hollywood signs

We’ve all been there: Someone’s trying to give you directions by describing 10 lefts, 20 rights, and a jumble of cardinal directions. Isn’t it easier to just point out a landmark?

That’s exactly what we’re doing. We have 16 of the most recognizable Fort Worth landmarks — from the Livestock Exchange Building to the Tarrant County Courthouse. Not only are these local icons easy to remember, but they’ll also get you where you need to go in a jiffy.

Will Rogers Memorial Center

3401 W. Lancaster Ave.
Nearby: Dickies Arena, Casa Mañana

Originally opened in 1937, the 120-acre entertainment complex was designed by Wyatt Hedrick of Herman Koeppe and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Coliseum will undergo $8.5 million in renovations later this year.

Montgomery Plaza

2600 W. Seventh St.
Nearby: Trinity Park, Firefighters Memorial

In 1928, retail and mail-order company Montgomery Ward built one of its nine regional centers near the Trinity River. Constructed by Thomas Sneed Byrne, the eight-story, U-shaped building is Mission Revival style with a curved parapet and arching windows. It is now a bustling retail, restaurant, and residential center.

Fort Worth Convention Center

1201 Houston St.
Nearby: Omni Fort Worth, Water Gardens

The convention center was built in 1968 and was purchased by the city from Tarrant County in 1997. The first phase of the major renovation project is underway and includes straightening Commerce Street.

Texas & Pacific Warehouse

300 W. Lancaster Ave.
Nearby: T&P Station, Water Gardens

Constructed in 1931, the Texas & Pacific Warehouse downtown is a local Highly Significant Endangered Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was designed by Wyatt C. Hedrick in the Zig-Zag Moderne and is Art Deco style.

Knights of Pythias Building

315 Main St.
Nearby: Sundance Square, Tarrant County Courthouse

The first Pythian Castle Hill was built in 1881 — after a tragic fire, it was rebuilt in 1901 and served as the city’s first coin-operated laundry + first offset printing press. It’s now a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and houses Haltom’s Jewelers.

Livestock Exchange Building

131 E. Exchange Ave.
Nearby: Stockyards Station, Mule Alley, Billy Bob’s Texas

This adobe-style building, once known as “The Wall Street of the West,” was built in 1902 and served as a center for cattle traders. The North Fort Worth Historical Society Museum is now inside the building and the Fort Worth Herd cattle pens are just behind it.

Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House

1110 Penn St.
Nearby: First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, Fort Worth Masonic Temple

This Victorian-style house was built in 1899 and features red sandstone. The Junior League of Fort Worth bought it in 1979, and it was later acquired by Historic Fort Worth, Inc., which hosts tours.

Burk Burnett Building

500 Main St.
Nearby: Sundance Square, Tarrant County Courthouse

The neoclassical building was erected in 1914 and was once the tallest building in the city with 12 floors. It was originally occupied by the State National Bank and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Flatiron Building

1000 Houston St.
Nearby: Hyde Park, Convention Center

When it was built in 1907, it was one of the city’s first steel-frame buildings + the tallest in North Texas. If you look closely, you can see panther heads carved into the side of the building that commemorates our city’s nickname “Panther City.”

Tarrant County Courthouse

100 E. Weatherford St.
Nearby: Sundance Square, Heritage Park, Paddock Park

The courthouse was built for an estimated $400,000 in 1893-1895 to resemble the state capitol with pink Texas granite. The building houses the Tarrant County clerk’s office, probate and county courts at law, a law library, and the Tarrant County facilities management department.

Thistle Hill

1509 Pennsylvania Ave.
Nearby: Cook Children’s Hospital

This Georgian-style mansion was built in 1903 and was the city’s first designated landmark in 1978. The home once held lavish dinners and parties for the city’s powerful and elite. It was restored in 1912 and listed on the National Register. Cook Children’s Hospital purchased the building in 2022 for special events.

Log Cabin Village

2100 Log Cabin Village Ln.
Nearby: Fort Worth Zoo

The village is home to a museum dedicated to the preservation of both architecture and the way of life during the 1800s. The six log cabins were moved to the village site and restored in the 1950s and early 1960s. The buildings were later donated to the city to preserve the log structures that were rapidly disappearing from Texas architecture.

Van Zandt Cottage

2933 Farm House Way
Nearby: Trinity Park

Built between 1850 and 1860, the historic home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Log Cabin Village. It is the oldest home in town on its original foundation and was one of the early homes of Confederate Major K.M Van Zandt.

Bryce Building

909 Throckmorton St.
Nearby: Sundance Square

The Renaissance Revival-style office building was constructed in 1910 and is known for its odd five-sided shape. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and currently houses a law firm.

JFK Tribute

916 Main St.
Nearby: General Worth Square

Dedicated May 29, 2012, the JFK Tribute stands as a memorial to the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy. The grounds — located outside what was once the Texas Hotel — are where President Kennedy made his last public speech to thousands of Fort Worthians. The tribute is comprised of an 8-foot-tall bronze statue of the president, sculpted by the late Texas artist Lawrence Ludtke.

Heritage Trails

Various locations
Nearby: Sundance Square + Downtown

Take a stroll through downtown and discover the people and events that shaped Fort Worth’s rich history. Stopping points on the trail celebrate everything from the city’s diverse architecture to the first streetcars and Hell’s Half Acre.