The National Cowgirl Museum seeks Fort Worth help for $19.7 million expansion
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District, is expanding.
The organization plans to add a new 16,000 square-foot wing that will move the entrance to the southern side of the building to face Dickies Arena.
The expansion will create four new gallery spaces, expand programming for school children, and allow the second floor to serve as a 250-guest event space.
The whole project is expected to cost $19.7 million, and construction is expected to begin in May, project manager Wylie Dailey told the Fort Worth city council at an April 15 work session. .
The museum so far has raised $13.5 million for the project, and is seeking an additional $6.5 million in support from the city of Fort Worth.
In the 22 years since the museum moved to Fort Worth from Hereford, Texas, it has played an important role in drawing tourists to the city while also supporting its Western culture, executive director Patricia Riley said at the council work session.
While the museum’s name ties it to Cowtown, the women honored within come from an array of backgrounds — from Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to artist Georgia O’Keefe, Riley said.
“Our philosophy is really no matter who you are, the Cowgirl Museum is a place for you,” she said.
Council members at Tuesday’s work session expressed support for the project, although District 6 council member Jared Williams said he had “heartburn” at the thought of allocating funding for projects like the Cowgirl Museum at the expense of other city priorities like raising the minimum wage.
Williams emphasized that he supported the project, but said it was unfair to city employees to prioritize it over raising the minimum wage.
District 7 council member Macy Hill, whose district includes the museum, said the project will have an economic impact beyond the cultural district.
“As you mentioned, it’s not just cowboys and cowgirls. It’s everybody in between,” Hill said.
City staff is recommending the council pass a resolution supporting the project without committing to any funding, city manager Jay Chapa told the council on Tuesday.
Once the city identifies a funding source, staff would come back to council to approve spending the money on the project, Chapa said.
Construction on the expansion is expected to run through August 2026 with the new wing opening in November of that year, project manager Dailey said.
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