It’s a beaut, FTW, it’s a beaut. This holiday season, we’re unwrapping a few presents you won’t find under a tree or in a store. From artworks to artifacts, check out these three city gifts given to Fort Worth through the years.
A disco cowboy hat
This 6-by-16 ft mirrored sculpture debuted New Year’s Eve of 2023 and was commissioned by Sundance Square, where the giant 75-gallon hat resides. It was created by Alvin-based 3-D art studio Smash Design and is based on the actual cowboy hat of Ed Bass, the former chairman of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo + Sundance Square developer. The hat has since become a selfie sensation thanks to its glitzy allure. The entertainment hub funded the permanent sculpture after the cowboy hat drop of 2020, a Texas version of the Times Square Ball, which disappeared after the celebration.
Panther City Fountain
Donated to the city in 2002 by Dr. George Cravens and his family, this 6,000-lb black marble statue snoozes atop a fountain at the Flatiron Building, representing the story of FTW’s nickname, Panther City. The neurosurgeon commissioned Italian sculptor Franco Alessandrini to create the art that also includes two benches.
Bonus: This isn’t the only panther permanently catnapping in Cowtown. A second, bronze panther statue, funded by the Dorothea Leonhardt Fund + created by artist Deran Wright, can be found on the lawn of the Tarrant County Administration Building. It also debuted in 2002.
Palace Theater Light Bulb
This is truly a gift that keeps on giving. This incandescent bulb has been burning since it was first lit in 1908 by a stage door of the Byers Opera House and continued to operate when it transitioned to the Palace Theater. When the theater was set to be demolished in 1972, Fort Worthian George Dato saved the piece of history and cared for it until the 1990s when he donated it to the Stockyards Museum where it continues to shine (sorta) bright as the world’s second oldest continuously burning light bulb.
Walk through the pavilion into the history and culture of the Japanese Garden.
Photo by Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Fort Worth Japanese Garden
Though it may appear randomly placed 6,400+ miles from Japan, the 7.5-acre Japanese Garden — located inside the Fort Worth Botanic Garden — was actually gifted by one of Fort Worth’s sister cities Nagaoka in 1973. Donations included plants and landscaping materials, like an authentic mikoshi — which is a sacred shrine you could see being carried on shoulders during festivals and celebrations.
Residents and tourists can find peace in the garden for the cost of regular admission during its hours of operation.
