Sid Richardson Museum, Fort Worth, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Sid Richardson Museum is a small art museum at 309 Main Street in Sundance Square, in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. It shows Western paintings by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, collected by the Texas oilman Sid Richardson. It is one of the quickest ways to see how the American West was pictured in art, and it sits in the middle of the city's most walkable district.

The story behind it

Sid Richardson was a Fort Worth oilman who bought Western paintings in the 1940s, and his collection of Remington and Russell works became the core of the museum that carries his name. The museum is run by the Sid Richardson Foundation and sits on Main Street, in the heart of Sundance Square.

The district around it has its own Wild West story. Sundance Square takes its name from Harry Longabaugh, the Sundance Kid. Around 1900 he and other members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch spent time in Fort Worth, which was then a rowdy railroad and cattle town. Just south of today's square lay Hell's Half Acre, the saloon and gambling district that drew cowboys, rail workers and outlaws. The best known souvenir of that visit is the "Fort Worth Five" photograph of the gang, taken in a local studio in 1900. Detectives later used the picture to help track the men down.

What to look for

• Look for the Remington paintings of cowboys, soldiers and Native Americans, including his moody night scenes lit by moon or fire.
• Look for Charles M. Russell's paintings, which are full of storytelling and often show life on the open range with a touch of humor.
• Notice how both artists use light and weather to set a mood, so a quiet scene can still feel tense.
• Step back outside and look up and down Main Street, where the brick buildings of Sundance Square give you a feel for the old downtown.

Tips for your visit

• Plan about an hour inside. It is a compact museum, so you can enjoy it without a long commitment.
• Check current opening hours and admission details before you go.
• Combine it with a walk around Sundance Square, where the plaza, restaurants and shops are all within a few blocks. The castle-like Knights of Pythias Building at Third and Main is close by.
• Go in the morning or on a weekday if you like a quieter gallery, then spend the evening outside when the square is lively.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Fort Worth is a good fit if you like your history with some suspense. You reach this part of downtown on foot as one stop on a longer route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Ghost Hunt in Fort Worth takes you through the streets around Main Street after a spookier theme. The app guides you from place to place, tells you the story of each stop and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.

Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses in Fort Worth is made for families with young detectives. Children walk the downtown streets, hear about the places they pass and solve puzzles along the way, so the walk feels like a game. One ticket covers the whole group.