If you're looking for a chance to dress like a cowboy, do a little line dancing, or ride the mechanical bull, then Fort Worth, the "place where the West begins," is your city.

Fort Worth was founded in 1849 and was the last major stop along the Chisholm Trail. Soldiers, settlers, cattle herders, and even outlaws (such as the Sundance Kid) spent quality time here. When the railroad arrived in the late 1800s, Fort Worth became a major livestock shipping center.

Nowhere is the city's heritage more evident than at the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. This area is still home to cowboys on horseback, as well as historic hotels and the city's top nightlife (it's where you'll find Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky-tonk). South of the Stockyards lies another historic site, Sundance Square. Also a cowboy hangout, this 20-block, redbrick-paved area has been transformed into an upscale dining, shopping, and entertainment district.

Fort Worth may be proud of its western heritage, but this city of a half-million residents also has a cultural bent. Here you'll find the small Kimbell Art Museum, which showcases varied art from around the world, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and the Amon Carter Museum, with its world-class collection of Western art.