A Tranquil Oasis Of Cascading Waters Offer Serenity Amidst Fort Worth's Urban Beauty

Nothing hits the spot quite like a day out in a big, bustling city, especially when said city is Fort Worth, a teeming Texas metropolis that's brimming with cowboy charm. Known for its heart-pumping live rodeos, daily cattle drives, and world-class, activity-filled museums located in the Cultural District, Fort Worth is exactly the sort of high-energy town where weary visitors could use a breather. When you're craving a break from your busy Fort Worth itinerary, venture over to Fort Worth Water Gardens, a calm oasis of cascading waters that promises serenity amidst the city's urban beauty.

Located downtown, next to the Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth Water Gardens has been an iconic destination since 1974. The gardens, which were designed by New York architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, comprise a complex of pools, fountains, and distinctive water features that flow over striking concrete architecture. Soaring oak and cypress trees dapple the gardens, and bluebirds, mockingbirds, and grackles flit about overhead, lulling visitors with a reflective and nature-filled space in the heart of Fort Worth's urban sprawl. "Being in the quiet garden is calming. You wouldn't know there's a major street outside," assures a visitor writing on TripAdvisor.

Ironically, this soothing patch of Fort Worth has quite a notorious history. Fort Worth Water Gardens was built on land formerly known as Hell's Half Acre. Around the turn of the 20th century, legendary cowboys like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Wyatt Earp frequented the area's saloons and brothels, and engaged in gambling and gunfights. Today's placid setting betrays nothing of this debauched Wild West.

Even with plentiful natural elements like water and trees, Fort Worth Water Gardens has a distinctly different feel than pastoral Texas escapes like the world-famous botanical gardens in San Antonio. Here, flumes roar and pools idle against dramatic, hulking concrete walls and basins. This juxtaposition of flowing nature and angular architecture lends the area an otherworldly feel that explains its selection as a cinematic backdrop. Movie buffs on the hunt for filming locations you can actually visit might recognize Fort Worth Water Gardens from the sci-fi film "Logan's Run," or from the 1980 TV movie "The Lathe of Heaven."  

Of the gardens' four primary sections, the Active Pool is the reigning showstopper. Water tumbles over walls from a height of 38 feet into a deep basin surrounded by enormous stepping stones that visitors can explore. At the Aerating Pool, a chorus of sprinklers sprays a refreshing upward mist. Still and glassy, the Quiet Pool is ringed by soaring cypress trees and a thick seating ledge. The Mountain, a 20-foot climbing wall, is the sole waterless attraction, encouraging visitors to scamper upward toward a stage and sprawling lawn. Swimming isn't allowed in the pools, but their misty spray is a refreshing treat on a scorching Fort Worth day.

Fort Worth Water Gardens is free to visit and is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The area is easy to reach, too, just a half-hour drive west on Interstate 30 from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. If you'd like to book the gardens for a special event, you're in luck — this spectacular water world is available to rent. Just contact the gardens for pricing and reservations.