Fort Worth Convention Center Arena hosts final event before renovation
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Say goodbye to 1201 Houston St. After nearly six decades of concerts, conventions and sporting events, the Fort Worth Convention Center’s historic arena hosted its final event Sept. 20.
The dome arena opened in 1968 as the Tarrant County Convention Center before the city of Fort Worth purchased it in 1997. Over the decades, the arena hosted regional and national conventions, trade shows, corporate meetings, sporting events, concerts and consumer shows.
The dome will be demolished in early 2027 as part of a major renovation of the convention center. The first phase of renovations was completed in fall 2025 after the city spent $95 million to add 76,794 square feet to the facility. Construction on that phase began in August 2023.
The city is expected to begin the next phase, a $606 million renovation, in early 2027.
On Feb. 3, Andra Bennett, the marketing communications manager for the city of Fort Worth, announced plans for a four-story structure that will include “flexible spaces and Texas-inspired design” allowing Fort Worth to host larger conventions or two large events simultaneously. Once complete, the expanded and modernized facility will feature 257,268 square feet of exhibit hall space, 60,917 square feet of meeting room space, 74,033 square feet of ballroom space and 16 loading docks.
The design team is building a towerlike structure inspired by tower architectural elements throughout Fort Worth, said Mitch Whitten, the president and CEO of Visit Fort Worth, a nonprofit that drives economic development by promoting tourism.
Inspirations for the structure include the train station at the south end of Main Street, the Tarrant County Courthouse at the north end, Pioneer Tower at the Will Rogers Memorial Center and the Public Market Building, he said. The tower will allow visitors to look over downtown Fort Worth and toward the courthouse, which Whitten described as “a real connection to the city.” Whitten said the design is important because “the citizenry of Fort Worth will be able to then look into the convention center and see what’s happening and see what their investment is doing in bringing to their city.”
In early 1967, five local architecture firms formed an association to design the $5.5 million facility — equivalent to about $53.1 million in 2026 — as part of an urban renewal project: Preston M. Geren, Herman E. Cox, Morris Parker, Hueppelhueser & White and Wilson, Patterson, Sowden, Dunlap & Epperly.
The project transformed an area once known as Hell’s Half Acre. During the late 19th century, the area was known for crime and was frequented by cowboys driving cattle along the Chisholm Trail. It was filled with saloons, gambling parlors and brothels. When the Tarrant County Convention Center opened in 1968, the area began to transform into a hub for business and tourism.
Over the decades, the center became a major Fort Worth venue, hosting some of the biggest names in music.
Elvis Presley played three sold-out shows in 1974 and returned in 1976. On May 3, 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings began their first U.S. tour there. Led Zeppelin performed there in 1975 and 1977. The Rolling Stones drew crowds around downtown Fort Worth during their 1981 tour. U2 performed Nov. 23, 1987 and filmed part of its tour documentary inside the arena. Other notable performers include Aerosmith, Bob Dylan and B.B. King.
For nearly 60 years, the dome has been part of Fort Worth’s landscape, hosting conventions, concerts and other events on land that had already undergone a dramatic transformation.
The building that helped reshape the area around 1201 Houston St. will soon give way to an expanded convention center, marking the start of a new chapter in downtown Fort Worth.