{"id":424959,"date":"2026-09-03T11:34:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/424959\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T11:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:34:26","slug":"downtown-fort-worth-prepares-to-say-goodbye-to-landmark-arena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/424959\/","title":{"rendered":"Downtown Fort Worth prepares to say goodbye to landmark arena"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like a lot of places where rock \u2018n\u2019 roll memories are made, the Fort Worth Convention Center arena<\/a> doesn\u2019t look like much in the cold light of day.<\/p>\n

Inside, without the music and the people and the energy, it\u2019s just a stark, hollow dome with a cement floor, corrugated walls and 10,400 empty blue seats underneath the \u201cflying saucer\u201d roof that\u2019s been a feature of the downtown landscape since 1968 \u2014 when the complex was known as the Tarrant County Convention Center.<\/p>\n

\"A A look inside the Fort Worth Convention Center arena on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 in Fort Worth. The space will be demolished to make way for an expansion of the convention center. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

But standing where the stage normally is, gazing out across the expanse, it\u2019s easy to imagine Elvis shaking his hips in roughly the same spot, or of Mick Jagger or Bono or Paul McCartney or Eddie Van Halen or B.B. King or Bob Dylan \u2026 or any of the long list of greats<\/a> who have played that room over the decades. They helped make the arena the closest thing Fort Worth has had to a Madison Square Garden or a Hollywood Bowl in terms of cultural impact.<\/p>\n

\"Elvis Elvis Presley in concert at the Tarrant County Convention Center on June 4, 1976. Fort Worth Star-Telegram University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections\/Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection \"Bob Bob Dylan in concert at the Tarrant County Convention Center on November 24, 1978, in Fort Worth. Rodger Mallison Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection\/UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections <\/p>\n

Unlike those legendary venues, though, the Fort Worth Convention Center arena\u2019s days are numbered. That iconic circular roof will soon be imploded and the building demolished to make room for a new ballroom and additional exhibit hall space, part of a $700 million convention center renovation project<\/a> funded by hotel occupancy and venue tax collections and a portion of shared revenue from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.<\/p>\n

Time has passed the space-age relic of the swinging 1960s by, city officials say. Dickies Arena, with its luxury suites and modern amenities<\/a>, now has the right of first refusal for concerts and sporting events. That left the old convention center arena underutilized.<\/p>\n

\"The The Tarrant County Convention Center under construction, Jan. 14, 1968. The complex helped regenerate an area formerly known as Hell’s Half Acre owing to its saloons and brothels. Fort Worth Star-Telegram University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections\/Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection <\/p>\n

Mike Crum, the city\u2019s deputy director of public events, said the facility needed to evolve for Fort Worth to compete with places like Oklahoma City, Nashville and Charlotte for large-scale convention business.<\/p>\n

Officials considered renovating the arena, Crum said, but found it more practical to knock it down and make room for something new.<\/p>\n

The city is hosting a free farewell celebration for the arena on Sept. 20, giving people a chance to say goodbye to a building that hosted such indelible events as graduations, athletic competitions and baptisms in addition to concerts.<\/p>\n

Gina Castillo, operations supervisor for the convention center, has mixed feelings about the arena\u2019s demise. The renovated space will better meet the demands of today\u2019s event planners and attendees, she said. But Castillo isn\u2019t immune to nostalgia.<\/p>\n

\"Andra Andra Bennett, Public Events Communications Coordinator, and Gina Castillo, Field Operations Supervisor, look at an old time off calendar that was used by the Fort Worth Convention Center staff. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

She and her late husband saw their favorite band, U2, for the first time at the convention center in November 1987, when the group played there back-to-back nights on their Joshua Tree tour<\/a>. Some years later, Castillo had the honor of walking the venue\u2019s stage as a graduate when she earned her associate\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Castillo began working at the convention center in 1998. Since then, she\u2019s overseen operations for shows by the likes of Elton John, Cher, KISS, Miley Cyrus, Kid Rock and many other artists.<\/p>\n

\"Bono, Bono, lead singer of U2, seen performing in a cowboy hat at the Tarrant County Convention Center on Nov. 23, 1987, in Fort Worth. Mickey Torres Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection\/UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections <\/p>\n

\u201cCher was awesome,\u201d Castillo said, describing the singer as \u201cdown to earth\u201d and relatable. Elton John traveled with his own furniture and rugs to adorn his dressing room area, Castillo recalled. That included tables to display dozens and dozens of pairs of sunglasses the musician would choose from for his show.<\/p>\n

Castillo said that she sometimes got starstruck early on, but as time passed, she realized entertainers are just people. And what Castillo enjoys most, she said, is meeting people, from the highest-profile musicians to the everyday folks who work behind the scenes of a concert or event production.<\/p>\n

\"A A capacity crowd at the Tarrant County Convention Center waiting to see Elvis Presley perform on June 4, 1976. Fort Worth Star-Telegram University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections\/Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection Former congressman\u2019s personal, family ties to the convention center<\/p>\n

While cleaning out a storage area in the arena\u2019s basement, city employees came across a trove of artifacts, some of which will be displayed during the farewell party in September.<\/p>\n

One item, an arena booking log from 1970, shows an eclectic clientele.<\/p>\n

\"Fort Fort Worth Convention Center’s records show performances and conventions scheduled in 1970, on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 in Fort Worth. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram \"ZZ ZZ Top members (bassist Dusty Hill, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist and guitarist Billy Gibbons) in concert at the Tarrant County Convention Center on Jan. 1, 1978. Fort Worth Star-Telegram University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections\/Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection <\/p>\n

The venue hosted an American Legion event on July 24, 1970, followed by Grand Funk Railroad on Aug. 6. Hee Haw performers were there on Aug. 16, with Led Zeppelin appearing six days later. The next month, it was Lawrence Welk for the easy listening crowd.<\/p>\n

The cost to book the arena in those days was a whopping $1,000 a night, though that was discounted to $688 for the American Legion veterans.<\/p>\n

Fort Worth native Pete Geren, a former congressman and secretary of the Army, is of the generation that perhaps has some of the fondest memories of the arena. His grandfather and father \u2014 Preston M. Geren Sr., and Preston M. Geren Jr. \u2014 were also part of a team of architects who designed the building. Pete Geren said it was a point of civic pride for both men.<\/p>\n

\"Rolling Rolling Stones fans line up to buy tickets for the Rolling Stones concert outside of the Tarrant County Convention Center on Sept. 25, 1981, in Fort Worth. Jerry W. Hoefer Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection\/UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections \"Van Van Halen fans wait in line to buy concert tickets outside of the Tarrant County Convention Center on Sept. 18, 1986, in Fort Worth. Joe Giron Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection\/UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections <\/p>\n

Geren, who today leads the Fort Worth school district\u2019s board of managers<\/a>, saw the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan at the convention center as a young man in the early 1970s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe energy of the Rolling Stones, it just rocked the house,\u201d Geren remembered.<\/p>\n

Beyond music, Geren pointed out that the arena held some unforgettable sporting events, including Golden Gloves and championship boxing matches, hockey games (it was home to minor league teams up until the 2010s) and even the 1992 Davis Cup tennis tournament, where a U.S. team led by Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras defeated the Swiss team in the finals.<\/p>\n

\"Olympic Olympic Torch being carried by Ray Tinnin of Houston, accompanied by David Vigil of San Francisco, in front of the Fort Worth Convention Center in 1984. Joe Giron University of Texas at Arlington Special Collections\/Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection <\/p>\n

Geren said the convention center was part of a larger effort to revitalize downtown Fort Worth in the 1960s after it was partly abandoned by commercial tenants in the previous decade. The area where the convention center stands today was known long ago as Hell\u2019s Half Acre for its saloons and brothels, and Geren remembered it being a somewhat neglected part of town until the convention center was built.<\/p>\n

The building injected new life into southeast downtown, Geren said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great part of the history of Fort Worth,\u201d he said. \u201cBut what\u2019s going to take its place is bigger and better, and a better fit for the needs of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerre Tracy, the executive director of Historic Fort Worth<\/a>, doesn\u2019t necessarily agree.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people say we are \u2018Funky Town,\u2019 and that\u2019s pretty darn funky,\u201d Tracy said of the existing structure.<\/p>\n

\"Steven Steven Tyler, Aerosmith lead singer at right, in concert at the Tarrant County Convention Center on June 21, 1977. Pictured at left is Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton. Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection\/UT Arlington Libraries Special Collections <\/p>\n

She knows it\u2019s too late to do anything now, but Tracy said she wished the city would have considered designating the convention center arena as a historic landmark and keeping the exterior and roof intact. She also expressed disappointment that the city didn\u2019t involve Historic Fort Worth in the final decision about the arena\u2019s fate.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who don\u2019t understand tradition, who live in a beige world, don\u2019t understand funky,\u201d said Tracy. \u201cIt makes me sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

City will host wake before saying goodbye to its iconic arena<\/p>\n

Tracy isn\u2019t alone in feeling somewhat melancholy. Over the years, the convention center arena has hosted a who\u2019s who of music luminaries, the kind of acts people tell their kids and grandkids about years after seeing them. That includes the aforementioned artists as well as AC\/DC, ZZ Top, Metallica, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond and Ozzy Osbourne, just to name a few.<\/p>\n

Andra Bennett, spokesperson for the city\u2019s Public Events department, said she expected some of the fans who saw those performances, along with some of those who experienced other momentous occasions at the convention center, to stop by Sept. 20 to pay their final respects.<\/p>\n

\"A A photograph of Bob Hope performing in 1968 during the grand opening of the convention center dubbed \u201cAction Spectacular\u201d, on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 in Fort Worth. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram \"Old Old tickets from shows dating back to the 1970s at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 in Fort Worth. Abigail Dollins Fort Worth Star-Telegram <\/p>\n

In addition to the historical displays and remembrances, Bennett said, there will be music courtesy of local band Emerald City<\/a> and games and activities for children.<\/p>\n

Geren said he\u2019d be there for one last glimpse at what his father and grandfather helped create \u2014 a place where some of his most cherished personal memories were made.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sentimental about it,\u201d he said, later adding: \u201cIt gave Fort Worth a lot of experiences we never would have had.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This story was originally published September 3, 2026 at 4:34 AM.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Matt Adams<\/a><\/p>\n

Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n

Matt Adams is a news reporter covering Fort Worth, Tarrant County and surrounding areas. He previously wrote about aviation and travel and enjoys a good weekend road trip. Matt joined the Star-Telegram in January 2025.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Like a lot of places where rock \u2018n\u2019 roll memories are made, the Fort Worth Convention Center arena…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424960,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[116,118,117],"class_list":["post-424959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-worth","tag-fort-worth","tag-fort-worth-headlines","tag-fort-worth-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}