Cowtown Coliseum: The Fort Worth Arena That Gave Rodeo a Roof

What is Cowtown Coliseum?

Cowtown Coliseum stands in the Fort Worth Stockyards, the old livestock market on the north side of the city. It began life as the Grand Coliseum, a show arena designed for cattle breeders, and it became the place where rodeo first moved indoors. According to the Coliseum's own history page, the building opened in 1908, and the first indoor rodeo was held there in 1918 as part of the Southwest Exposition and Fat Stock Show.

A state historical marker calls the site the birthplace of the indoor rodeo, as quoted by The Active Historian. Wikipedia describes the arena as the first indoor arena for rodeos in the United States and says it holds 3,418 seats.

How was the Coliseum built?

Construction began in 1907. The Active Historian reports that excavation and foundation work finished in August 1907 and that the cornerstone was laid on October 3, 1907, in a Masonic ceremony. The Texas Building Company of Fort Worth won the main construction contract, and a Chicago firm handled the steel work.

The Coliseum's own site says the building cost $250,000 and was finished in 88 working days, in time for the National Feeders and Breeders' Fat Stock Show, held March 10 to 17, 1908. It is a Mission Revival building of brick and gray stucco. The history page does not name a builder, so the Active Historian account is the better source for the contractors.

When was the first indoor rodeo held?

Both the Coliseum's site and the historical marker place the first indoor rodeo in 1918 at the Southwest Exposition and Fat Stock Show. The Coliseum's own history section also links the first indoor rodeo to the 1908 opening, so the venue's page is inconsistent on the date. The 1918 date appears in both sources and is the one used here.

The two sources also differ on radio. The Coliseum says the first rodeo broadcast live on radio was in 1932 on WBAP, while the marker as quoted by the Active Historian gives 1923. Without a third source, treat the year as uncertain.

Who performed at the Coliseum?

The stock show was held at the Coliseum annually for 34 years, but the building also drew political and cultural events. Senator Joseph Weldon Bailey held a rally there in March 1908, and former president Theodore Roosevelt spoke there in March 1911. Enrico Caruso performed in 1920, according to the Active Historian.

The Coliseum's site lists other visitors, including General Pershing, Bob Wills, Doris Day, Bob Hope, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley and President Carter, and says films such as Pure Country and Tough Enough and several television programs have shot scenes in the arena. These are the venue's own claims.

From stock show to city landmark

The location of the Stockyards changed names as the city grew. The Active Historian notes that the site was in North Fort Worth until 1909, in Niles City from 1911 to 1923 and in Fort Worth from 1923 onward. The Stock Yards Company sold the Coliseum to the City of Fort Worth in 1936.

The North Fort Worth Historical Society sponsored the historic marker in 1984, and the city restored the building in 1986. The Fort Worth Stockyards were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Coliseum is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark, recognized by the Texas Historical Commission, though the Coliseum's page gives no date for that designation.

Visit Cowtown Coliseum

The Coliseum hosts Stockyards Championship Rodeo on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30, according to its website, which bills it as the only year-round rodeo. Wikipedia adds that the building houses the Bull Riding Hall of Fame and has hosted an indoor football team since 2007. For more stories from cattle country, visit the rodeo section on farm.FM, and read a story about the Fort Worth Stockyards on the same site. A Wikipedia mirror lists further details.