Fort Worth council members confirmed plans to contribute city dollars for the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame’s $19.7 million expansion project.
Council members unanimously adopted a resolution April 22 stating the city will contribute up to $6.5 million for the cowgirl museum’s growth plan — if and when the funds become available.
The resolution comes nearly a week after city officials were first briefed about the expansion plan from representatives for the cowgirl museum during a work session at new City Hall. Some council members weren’t initially sure if the budget could support the initiative.
The National Cowgirl Museum, based in Fort Worth’s Cultural District since 2002, is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to honoring diverse women of the West. The museum’s building is owned and leased by the city.
Before voting on the resolution, council member Macy Hill, who represents the Cultural District, said it is important for the city to contribute to the expansion project since it will enhance one of Fort Worth’s “crown jewels.”
Patricia Riley, executive director of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, expressed gratitude for council members’ support, adding the renovation will drive tourism to Fort Worth.
“Their unanimous vote in support of the museum is a strong acknowledgement of the National Cowgirl Museum’s role in driving the city’s tourism economy and how these unique stories set Fort Worth apart on the national stage,” she told the Report.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame plans to add a 16,000-square-foot westward extension to its existing 34,000-square-foot building. The expansion would include a new entrance that faces Dickies Arena, four new gallery spaces, a 250-guest event venue on the second floor and space dedicated to K-12 programming.
The expansion would also improve access to the existing parking lot, Wylie Dailey, senior project manager for The Projects Group, previously told council members.
Council member Jared Williams, who represents southwest Fort Worth, previously shared both support and concerns about the city’s ability to support the museum’s expansion plan amid growing demands on its budget.
“I have heartburn when we find money for projects mid-year when we’re throttling back on priorities when we’re setting the budget like raising the minimum wage,” Williams said, referring to city management previously declining to support raising the minimum wage for city staff to $20 due to cost prohibitions. The minimum wage rose from $15.45 to $18 per hour in February.
“We made a very hard decision not to do that, because we were concerned about whether or not we’d have funding available for that,” Williams added. “It’s not fair to find money and use the argument that we don’t have money to support our employees who are serving our city.”
Fort Worth will make its contribution to the cowgirl museum once the organization confirms it has two-thirds of the project’s planned construction costs on-hand without the city’s funding.
As of April 15, the cowgirl museum had raised $13.5 million in private donations with plans to continue to fundraise over the coming months.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame expects to break ground on the project in late May, with a grand opening set for November 2026.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.