Fort Worth’s National Cowgirl Museum shines bright with $19M expansion

Pat Riley doesn’t believe the historic cowgirls of the American West waited around for someone to tell them what was possible. When they had a vision, they took chances, she said. 

That can-do philosophy remains inspirational to her and was especially resonant as the newer generation of Western women gathered on Wednesday to open the doors on the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame’s $19 million expansion in Fort Worth. 

“For those of us who have the privilege of working in this museum every day, we know what happens inside these walls is about so much more than exhibitions and artifacts,” Riley, who serves as the museum’s director, said. “It’s about honoring women who had the courage to do things differently.” 

The Cowgirl museum’s major project was publicly announced in summer 2025 after the city of Fort Worth committed $6.5 million a few months earlier. However, the expansion had been in the works for years once leaders realized there wasn’t enough space to display the nearly 6,000 objects in the museum’s collection, spokesperson Julie Bryant said. 

The building, located in the heart of the Cultural District, is owned and leased by the city and opened in 2002. The museum was initially established in 1975 in Hereford, Texas.

The expansion, which saw nearly 18,000 square feet added to the facility, includes a Western store, art galleries, an event space that fits up to 250, a fully operational carousel featuring 18 horses, and a new entrance facing Ariat Arena to create synergy with the venue. 

The new exterior features 70 galloping American quarter horses, inspired by the 19th-century chronophotography of horses in motion. 

The expanded wing elevates the Cowgirl museum’s curatorial capabilities to the same level as neighboring institutions, including the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and Kimbell Art Museum, Bryant said. 

“We’re kind of tired of being a hidden gem,” she said. “We’re going to be the diamond coming out of the box.” 

To celebrate the expansion, the nearly-50,000-square-foot cultural institution is presenting three new exhibitions: “The 38,” “Gravity Defied: Trick Riders of The Cowgirl,” and “Velvet Rodeo.” 

“The 38” spotlights the women who formed the Girls Rodeo Association — now the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association — in 1948 through photographs, oral histories and personal items in the first floor’s new Collections Gallery.

“Gravity Defied” — the inaugural exhibition in the photography gallery — features 27 images of some of the “best-of-the-best” trick riders in history, including Hall of Fame honorees. The gallery’s jaw-dropping feature is a giant crystal chandelier in the shape of a horse.

“Velvet Rodeo” shines a light on 18 custom outfits Grammy Award-winning country music star Miranda Lambert wore during her Las Vegas residency, which ran for nearly two years until April 2024. 

Lambert said the wardrobe — donning “tons of sparkles” — was inspired by Elvis Presley and the Western pieces on display at the Cowgirl museum. Displaying her garments is a full-circle moment as she views her 2021 induction into the museum’s Hall of Fame as one of the most important moments of her career, she said at the ribbon-cutting. 

“Velvet Rodeo” is on view in the new second-floor Icons Gallery through fall 2028. 

Museum President Kit Moncrief described the expansion as a place where children will discover their own courage and the women of the West will continue to inspire generations to come. 

“There are moments in the life of an institution that are truly special,” she told guests at the ribbon-cutting. “Moments when we stop, look around, and realize that something we once only imagined has become a reality. Today is one of those moments.” 

If you go

The expanded Cowgirl museum opens to the public starting at noon Nov. 7 — free of charge for the day — following a grand parade, which will feature Hall of Fame honorees, Western riding clubs, the Texas Christian University baseball team and other community organizations. 

What: Cowgirl Grand Parade

When: 11 a.m. Nov. 7; guests encouraged to claim spots starting at 10:30 a.m.

Where: Montgomery Street between Lancaster and Harley avenues; Harley Avenue between Montgomery and Gendy streets; Gendy Street between Lancaster and Harley avenues

Admission: Free

David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected].

The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.