Off-site meeting venues in Fort Worth are abundant, and the latest on the scene will have people talking if not shrieking.
In March, the Fort Worth Zoo unveiled the Museum of Living Art, a $19 million indoor-outdoor herpetarium that houses more than 260 amphibian and reptile species, representing about 4,000 animals. It is the only one of its kind in the world, impressive not just for the animal collection but also for its architecture and building design.
The zoo is perfect for groups as small as 75 or as large as 1,100, casual to black tie. (Snakeskin boots might not be appropriate.)
In November the Fort Worth Museum of Science opened an $80 million addition. Full of technological gizmos, the museum has private event space for groups of up to 4,100.
A few of the many other options in Fort Worth include:
American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum. Up to 700 people can dine and dance under the wings of a DC-3. www.crsmithmuseum.org
Grapevine Vintage Railroad. The vintage train travels along the historic Cotton Belt Route between Grapevine and the Fort Worth Stockyards and accommodates up to 420. www.gvrr.com
Texas Motor Speedway. Team Texas customizes its stockcar driving school for corporate events. www.texasmotorspeedway.com
Circle R Ranch. The family-owned ranch has hosted special events for more than 35 years for parties up to 10,000. www.circlerranch.org
Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. As many as 1,200 can gather, socialize and learn about Texas cowboy greats. www.texascowboyhalloffame.com
Billy Bob’s Texas. Boot-scoot over to Billy Bob’s, billed as the world’s largest honky-tonk. At 127,000 square feet, it can accommodate up to 5,000 people as well as live, indoor bull riding. Roping contests and pig or armadillo races make for Texas-style team building. www.billybobstexas.com
Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant. The mom-and-pop restaurant opened in 1935 with seating for 16. Now it seats 1,000 in its restaurant and on its vast patio. A local institution, it won the James Beard Award for Excellence. www.joets.com
Bass Performance Hall and Maddox-Muse Center. This crown jewel provides an array of beautiful spaces, including the Van Cliburn Recital Hall, for events from 30 to 2,000. www.basshall.com
