Sundance Square – the beating heart of Fort Worthby Marilyn Loeser Fort Worth, Texas — the Wild West, stockyards and cattle drives. But Fort Worth is also fine dining, opulent hotels and boutique shopping.
Case in point: Sundance Square, the very heart of this city rich in legend and lore. The area — named for the Sundance Kid — was known as Hell's Half Acre when it was frequented by its namesake along with Butch Cassidy, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and other legendary figures. Today it is home to anyone wanting to kick back, have a great meal, do a little shopping and just have a good time.  During the great cattle drives of the late 1800's, Fort Worth was a major stop on the Chisholm Trail. Cowboys visited downtown Fort Worth for {place longhorn photo here}
 Today the streets are lined in lights and the sidewalks do not roll up at 5 like other cities of this size. Instead as the sun sets, lights trimming the historic building are lit and music and laughter drifts on a warm Texas breeze as residents and visitors stroll along in search of a new restaurant to try.
 Most of the buildings date from the turn of the 20th century and are beautifully restored including Knights of Pythias Hall built in 1901, the Land Title Building built in 1889 and the Jett Building — which features the Chisholm Trail Mural painted by Richard Haas — was built in 1907.
Performance CenterThe Bass Performance Center, 555 Commerce Street, is a celebrated feature of Sundance Square. The $65 million world-class facility is home to the Fort Worth Symphony, the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, the Fort Worth Opera, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and Cliburn Concerts. It also hosts special productions of Casa Mañana Musicals, and presents Performing Arts Fort Worth's "Hall Series", a popular array of eclectic entertainment.  Built entirely with private funds, the performance hall’s footprint is one city block, featuring an 80-foot diameter Great Dome and two 48-foot tall angels sculpted by Marton Varo from Texas limestone that grace the Grand Facade.
Since the Hall opened in May 1998, the angels have become cultural icons of the Dallas / Fort Worth area. The Hall itself is renowned for its superb acoustics, exceptional sight lines and ambience on level with the great halls of the world. Just across the street from the Bass Performance Hall is the Maddox-Muse Center featuring the Van Cliburn Recital Hall and the McDavid Studio. Circle Theatre is another performance center located in Sundance Square. Best known for its premieres of contemporary plays by today's outstanding playwrights, the theatre presents a year-round season of live theatre. The Theatre is located in the basement of the historic Sanger Building, 230 W. 4th Street. Art Milan Gallery 505 Houston Street is a fine art gallery representing local, national and international artists. More than 600 pieces of original artwork are on display including oils, acrylics, watercolors, mixed media and sculptures as well as fine art reproductions and serigraphs.
Thomas Kinkade has a Sundance Square gallery featuring his light-infused paintings at 302 Main Street. The gallery carries Kinkade's work exclusively and offers one of the most extensive collections, including originals, limited edition reproductions and gift items. It is also one of the few galleries in the world owned by Kinkade's company.  Another must-see is the Sid Richardson Museum 309 Main Street. One of the finest and most focused collections of Western art in America, the museum features paintings by Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell and other artists.
The works reflect both the art and reality of the American West and are from the collection of legendary Texas oilman and philanthropist, Sid W. Richardson (1891-1959). Since its opening in 1982, the Museum has been one of Sundance Square’s top attractions, drawing more than 50,000 visitors a year from all over the world. Admission is free and the gift shop offers western and museum pieces. HistoryFire Station No.1 at Second and Commerce streets is the home of “150 Years of Fort Worth.” The exhibit traces Fort Worth's development from its beginning as a frontier outpost in 1849 to present day. Created by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the exhibit features a scale model of the original Fort Worth, the uniform and writing desk of Maj. Gen. William Jenkins Worth, Fort Worth's namesake and best of all, a bucking bronco that provides a photo opportunity for guests. Sundance Square is a delightful example of downtown revitalization and should be on your list of places to see while in Fort Worth. If you go: A great place to stay is Courtyard by Marriott Fort Worth Downtown Blackstone Hotel, 601 Main Street. The 23 story 1929 art deco hotel is a local landmark and is an easy walk to shops, restaurants, museums and the Convention Center. {place hotel photo here}
For more information about the hotel, check the website at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dfwms-courtyard-fort-worth-downtown-blackstone or call (817) 885-8700 The famous Fort Worth Stockyards is only 10 minutes from Sundance Square. For more information about Sundance Square, check the website at http://www.sundancesquare.com or call (817) 255-5700 For more information about Fort Worth, check the website at fortworth.com or call (800) 433-5747. | 