Will Rogers Center in Fort Worth's Cultural District
I’ve been told that the phrase, “Cowboys and Culture,” was coined by the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors’ Bureau as a motto to sell the city. I’ve recently learned of just how well that phrase fits an important place in Fort Worth. Back in 1936 the Will Rogers Memorial Center was constructed as part of Fort Worth’s celebration of the Texas Centennial. It was named for Will Rogers because he was a close friend of Amon Carter and had died the year before in a plane crash. In 1935-6 other structures were built as part of the celebration including the original Casa Manana and large parking lots to accommodate the attendees. Today, all those structures are gone; even though Casa Manana is still there, it’s a completely different building. And in their place, some of the finest museums in the country have been built including the Kimbell, the Amon Carter, the Modern, the Museum of Science and History and the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, all seats of culture in our city. And what’s at the center of all this culture? That’s right, the Will Rogers Memorial Center with its almost continuous parade of horse and cattle shows and rodeos, still representing the traditions of the old west cowboy. So, it’s not just a motto to sell Fort Worth; we have the culture of museums and theater literally surrounding the cowboy lifestyle right in the heart of our city. We call it the Cultural District, but now you know it represents so much more!
