Best Things to Do Near NAS JRB Fort Worth

Welcome to Fort Worth. If you have orders to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, you are headed to a city that wears its Western roots proudly and makes it easy to feel at home. A PCS, short for Permanent Change of Station, is the military's term for a move to a new duty station. Once the boxes are unpacked, the next question is usually the fun one: what is there to do around here?

NAS JRB Fort Worth is a joint reserve base, which means Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and National Guard units all train and fly out of the same installation. The base sits on the west side of Fort Worth, right on the shore of Lake Worth. That spot puts you minutes from trails, museums, and the lake itself, and a short drive from downtown. If you are still getting a feel for the region as a whole, our guide to why Dallas-Fort Worth is an ideal destination for military members and veterans covers the bigger picture.

Here are the places worth your first few weekends.

Fort Worth Stockyards

Start with the Stockyards. It is the reason people call Fort Worth "Cowtown," and it is about 15 minutes northeast of the base.

Twice a day, at 11:30 AM and 4:00 PM, drovers on horseback walk a herd of Texas Longhorns down East Exchange Avenue. The cattle drive is free to watch, it happens every day, and it never really gets old. Line up along the brick street a few minutes early and you will have a front-row view.

The Stockyards is also home to Billy Bob's Texas, known as the world's largest honky tonk. It covers around 100,000 square feet and packs in live bull riding, a huge dance floor, and big-name country acts on a regular basis. Even if you do not dance, it is worth walking through once just to take in the scale of the place.

If you want the full Western experience, Cowtown Coliseum hosts a rodeo every Friday and Saturday night. The building has more than 100 years of rodeo history behind it, so you are watching bull riding and barrel racing in the same arena where cowboys competed generations ago.

Airfield Falls Trailhead

Airfield Falls might be the best-kept secret near the base, and it is practically next door. The trailhead sits in Westworth Village, the small city that borders NAS JRB Fort Worth, so you can be on the trail within minutes of leaving the gate.

The short walk leads to Fort Worth's only natural waterfall. It is not a giant cascade, but it is a real waterfall in the middle of a major Texas city, and kids love splashing around near it after a rain. The paved walking and biking trails connect into the larger Trinity Trails system, which stretches for miles along the Trinity River, so runners and cyclists can go as far as their legs allow.

There is a fitting detail for an aviation base too. Near the trailhead you will find a display built from salvaged parts of a decommissioned McDonnell Douglas C-9 aircraft, a nod to the flying history all around this corner of the city.

The Cultural District

Less than ten minutes east of the base, Fort Worth's Cultural District gathers several of the best museums in Texas into a few walkable blocks.

The Kimbell Art Museum holds a world-class collection, and the building itself, designed by architect Louis Kahn, draws visitors on its own. Next door, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art focuses on American photography and Western art, and admission there is free. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is the go-to stop with kids; it has hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, and an Omni IMAX theater that can eat up a whole rainy afternoon. Round it out with the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, which tells the stories of the women who shaped the American West.

Many of these museums offer reduced rates for service members, so ask about military discounts at the ticket counter before you pay full price.

Fort Worth Zoo and Botanic Garden

The Fort Worth Zoo is regularly ranked among the best zoos in the country, and it earns it. More than 7,000 animals live there, in habitats like Elephant Springs and Texas Wild!, which showcases the animals native to your new home state. A practical tip for families: admission is half price on Wednesdays, which makes it an easy midweek outing during summer break.

Nearby, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden covers more than 100 acres and holds the title of oldest botanic garden in Texas. The highlight is the 7.5-acre Japanese Garden, with koi ponds, arched bridges, and cherry trees that put on a show each spring. It is a calm, quiet place to walk after a long week, and it costs far less than most paid attractions.

Lake Worth and the Outdoors

The base sits right on Lake Worth, so the water is part of daily life here. Fishing, kayaking, and boating are all close at hand.

On the north side of the lake, the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge protects more than 3,000 acres of forest, prairie, and wetland. It has miles of hiking trails and a resident herd of native bison, which is not something most duty stations can offer within a 20-minute drive.

Downtown, the Fort Worth Water Gardens make a good add-on to any city trip. Architect Philip Johnson designed the park as a series of terraced pools and channels, and walking down into the main active pool feels like stepping inside a sculpture.

Day Trips and Nearby Towns

Once you have covered Fort Worth itself, a few nearby communities are worth a weekend look, and they often come up when families start house hunting.

Aledo and the rest of Parker County sit west of the base, an easy 20 to 25 minute drive against most traffic. Weatherford, a little farther west, is the Parker County seat and keeps a historic courthouse square at its center. Granbury, about 45 minutes southwest, wraps shops, restaurants, and a live theater around its own town square near Lake Granbury. All three trade big-city pace for small-town character while staying within commuting range of the base.

If you are starting to think about where to live rather than just where to visit, our guide to the best neighborhoods near NAS JRB Fort Worth breaks down the housing side of the move.

Settling In with Local Help

Fort Worth gives you a lot to look forward to: cattle drives, waterfalls, world-class museums, and a lake outside the gate. The city has welcomed military aviation for generations, and it shows in how easily new families find their footing here.

If you want help with the housing side of your PCS, Nick Getzendanner is a real estate broker, licensed mortgage loan originator, and Marine Corps veteran based in the Fort Worth area. He has helped military families through the same move you are making now, and he knows the neighborhoods, commutes, and communities in this guide firsthand. You can reach out to Nick Getzendanner, a VeteranPCS agent in Fort Worth, with questions about the area whenever you are ready.

Nick Getzendanner
Fort Worth, TX
Veteran
Energy Realty Group

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