Cowtown Coliseum History

Located at 121 E Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, Texas 76164

In 1907, construction broke ground for Cowtown Coliseum, which was originally known as Grand Coliseum. The project cost only $250,000 to build, which today would be around $6.2 million plus labor. After completion in only 88 working days, the Coliseum was finished in 1908, right on time for the grand opening of the Feeders and Breeders show. It was then that the Cowtown Coliseum became the home of the first indoor rodeo. Cowtown Coliseum contributed greatly to the growth of the Fort Worth economy, by bringing in more than $6 million, with 265,276 cattle, 128,934 hogs and 40,160 sheep. 

Fun Facts & Key Points

  • We were the home of the world’s first indoor rodeo in 1918, and part of the Southwest Exposition and Fat Stock Show. 

  • We are currently home of the world’s only year-round rodeo. 

  • The first rodeo to be broadcast on live radio was in 1932 on WBAP. 

  • We are a recorded Texas Historic Landmark recognized by the Texas Historical Commission. 

  • Many famous folks have visited here, including General Pershing, Enrico Caruso, Bob Wills, Doris Day, Bob Hope, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, President Carter and President Roosevelt. 

  • Many commercials, music videos and TV shows have been filmed here. Some of these include movies Pure Country, starring George Strait, and Tough Enough, starring Dennis Quaid. Television series include Dallas, Love at First Sight, Little Women and more. Major news stations such as ESPN, Ride TV, RFD TV and the Cowboy Channel have also been broadcast here. 

Since the beginning...

About ASM Global

ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management—delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 325 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention, and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.

About PBR

PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 800 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, and Canada. In 2022, the organization launched PBR Teams—10 teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship—as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 60 annual events nationwide. PBR events are broadcast on CBS Television Network and Paramount+; Merit Street Media and Merit+; and in Spanish on TUDN. PBR is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company. 

About Stockyards Heritage

Stockyards Heritage Development Co. is a partnership between nationally recognized developer Majestic Realty Co. and Fort Worth’s Hickman Investments. Created with the intention of thoughtfully reimagining the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, the company is dedicated to preserving the National Historic District legacy while elevating it with experiences for locals and visitors from afar. Accomplished through a public/private partnership with the City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the project’s first phase, Mule Alley, broke ground in the fall of 2018 to include the renovation of the destination’s historic, 108-year-old horse and mule barns into a street of curated shops, restaurants, retail, office spaces, and Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection hotel, which since opening in March 2021, has been consistently rated one of Texas’ top hotels by Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, and U.S. News & World Report, among others. Phase II, which was unanimously approved by the City of Fort Worth in June 2024, will encompass an additional $630 Million investment to the district and will include 300,000 square feet of new commercial space, new full-service hotels with 500 rooms, a 295-unit multi-family property, and two or more below-ground parking garages to support Cowtown Coliseum, the Fort Worth Herd, and other area improvements.