Fort Worth Meacham International Airport
Where the West begins
Located five miles north of central Fort Worth, Texas, the airport is home to two aviation museums and is just minutes from the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, an exhibit dedicated to John Wayne, and a world-famous honky-tonk.
Fort Worth was established in 1849 as a U.S. Army outpost to protect frontier settlers. The civilian community surrounding the fort remained when the fort closed in 1853, and the town of Fort Worth was born. After the Civil War, the Chisholm Trail brought hundreds of cowboys to town as they drove cattle to the Kansas railheads. Growing rapidly to serve the cowboys, the town became infamous in the Wild West, often called “Hell’s Half Acre.” The arrival of the railroad in 1876 changed Fort Worth from a trail stop to the goal of the cattle drives. Vast stockyards were built and the city boomed. In the early twentieth century, major meat packing companies came to town and in 1917 oil was discovered nearby. By 1920, Fort Worth had numerous oil refineries, and the city continued its rapid growth through the rest of the century.
Meacham International Airport
Today’s Meacham International Airport began as a U.S. Army airfield in 1914. After World War I, the city purchased the airfield and renamed it “Meacham Field,” in honor of a former mayor. The first scheduled airline flight in Texas departed from Meacham Field for Oklahoma City in 1928. In 1929, two Fort Worth pilots, Reg Robinson and James Kelly, took off from Meacham Field and flew over the city for more than seven days, setting a new world flight endurance record, which was surpassed a month later.
Meacham Field saw significant growth in the 1930s with the arrival of airlines and airmail routes, and by 1936 the airport had paved runways and a new terminal.
During World War II, Meacham Field was used as a stopover for military aircraft flying from factories in the East to the Pacific coast.
Airline operations moved from Meacham Field to a new airport, Amon Carter Field, in 1953. Since then, the airport has been used exclusively for general aviation. It was renamed Fort Worth Meacham International Airport in 1995.
Meacham is a Class D airport lying under the Class B airspace of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). As with many airports with the word “international” in their name, this one doesn’t have any scheduled international flights; however, it does provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection services. It has two runways: 16/34 and 17/35. Being nearly parallel, the shorter runway is usually dedicated to flight training.
Meacham’s facilities include two full-service FBOs—Modern Aviation and Texas Jet—several aircraft maintenance companies, flight schools, charter companies, two aviation museums, and an Enterprise car rental branch. It’s just a 2.5-mile drive to the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District, the former livestock market that’s been redeveloped into a tourist destination with numerous entertainment and shopping venues that capitalize on the Cowtown image of Fort Worth. Many restaurants, nightclubs (including Billy Bob’s Texas), and hotels are located there.
Fort Worth Aviation Museum
Located on the edge of the airport, the Fort Worth Aviation Museum has an outdoor collection of 24 military aircraft and galleries detailing the history of aviation in the North Texas region.During World War II, Meacham Field was used as a stopover for military aircraft flying from factories in the East to the Pacific coast.
Vintage Flying Museum
The Vintage Flying Museum markets itself as a “working museum,” where visitors can see what it takes to keep vintage aircraft flying. Most of the museum’s aircraft fly regularly at airshows. One interesting aircraft on display is the Piasecki H–21 Workhorse/Shawnee, an American helicopter built in the 1950s.
Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District
Mosey through the Stockyards National Historic District for a taste of the American West. Be there for the daily cattle drives and the weekend rodeos. The district features several notable buildings, including the Cowtown Coliseum—site of the first indoor rodeo—the Livestock Exchange Building, the Stockyards Hotel, and White Elephant Saloon.
Cowtown Coliseum
The Cowtown Coliseum is a 2,400-seat arena that was built in 1908 as the first indoor arena for rodeos. The Stockyards Championship Rodeo is held there almost every Friday and Saturday, plus occasional concerts and sporting events.
John Wayne: An American Experience
“John Wayne: An American Experience” details the actor’s life from his childhood and 50-year film career to his status as a national icon. It displays more than 400 of Wayne’s personal items, movie props, and costumes.
Billy Bob’s Texas
Billy Bob's Texas is a famous country music venue, promoted as the “world's largest honky-tonk.” In addition to hosting country music artists, activities include bull-riding, line dancing lessons, pool tables, and even a volleyball league. The Honky Tonk Kitchen serves authentic Western cuisine, primarily barbecue and steaks, but with a few vegetarian options.
Fort Worth Water Gardens
Sci-fi movie fans may want to visit the Fort Worth Water Gardens at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The concrete multi-level fountain was a location in the 1976 movie Logans’ Run.
