Weatherford

About Weatherford

Peaches, cutting horses and a limestone courthouse define Weatherford, a ranching town 30 miles west of Fort Worth that calls itself both the Peach Capital of Texas and the Cutting Horse Capital of the World. Its brick downtown square still hums with antique shops, cafes and Saturday crowds.

Founded in 1856 as the seat of Parker County, the town grew as a frontier supply point and later a railroad stop. The ornate courthouse from the 1880s rises above the square, and nearby streets hold Victorian homes and old commercial buildings. Broadway star Mary Martin and actor Larry Hagman were both born here, and a bronze Peter Pan honors Martin outside the public library.

Visitors come for the Parker County Peach Festival in July, the monthly First Monday Trade Days, and two very different gardens: the formal, artist-built Chandor Gardens and the sprawling Clark Gardens Botanical Park west of town. Museums on local and Latin American culture round out a relaxed day trip from Dallas-Fort Worth.