NATIONAL COWGIRL MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame - It's Never Just a Horse Exhibition: Current The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame reopened its second floor after completing a $5.5 million renovation that began in early 2018. As the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the West who have displayed extraordinary courage in their trailblazing efforts, the extensive renovation continues to explore the special bond among the horse, women, and the West, as viewed through the lens of many Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honorees. Western Design Room - This immersive room allows the visitor to interact with the Museum’s extensive collection by digitally creating their own boot, shirt or horse which is then projected onto a wall. Bucking Bronc Room - Test your bronc riding skills on the renovated bronc ride by saddling up! You will be superimposed into real rodeo footage, and you can email or text your clip.   Museum Architecture World-class teams designed and constructed the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame – entirely appropriate for the stories contained inside. Designed by David M. Schwarz, the exterior style is cowgirl — from wild-rose finials and bas-relief sculpture panels to a Richard Haas mural and hand carved panels. Central spaces, indoors and outdoors, allow for after-hour events under the Texas stars. In 2015, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame began renovations of the galleries and public spaces. The renovation was completed in two phases, starting with the first floor. Renovations of the first floor were completed in July 2015, which included the Grand Rotunda mobile, the Anne W. Marion Gallery, and the Hitting the Mark: Cowgirls and Wild West Shows Gallery which highlights those women who were immensely popular during the heyday of wild west shows, like Annie Oakley. The $5.5 million renovation of its second floor began in early 2018 and was reopened in March of 2019. The second floor contains the Kit Moncrief Galleries, of which the It's Never Just a Horse™ exhibition examines the partnership between people and horses, particularly the Museum's Honorees. The interior spaces were designed by the Paris architect firm, Projectiles. Two immersion rooms, the Western Design Room and the Bucking Bronc Room complete the second floor experience, including an interactive project table created exclusively for the Museum by Ideum.   About the Museum MISSION STATEMENT: The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience and independence that helped shape the West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire. WHAT: The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the West, and from around the world who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneer spirit in their trailblazing efforts. It includes interactive exhibit galleries that feature artifacts of the permanent collection, a traveling exhibit gallery, two theaters, gift shop, a research library and archives, and a NEW second floor. Currently, the museum's archives house more than 4000 artifacts and information about more than 750 remarkable women. WHEN: Started in 1975, in the basement of the Deaf Smith County Library in Hereford, Texas, the Museum and Hall of Fame moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1994 to plan for and build a new permanent home. WHERE: The 33,000 square-foot National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is found on the Will Rogers Memorial Complex located in the heart of Fort Worth's Cultural District, which is also home to the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and the Amon Carter Museum. WHO: The 238 National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honorees include pioneers, artists, writers, entertainers, humanitarians, business women, educators, ranchers and rodeo cowgirls including: Sacagawea, principal guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition; painter Georgia O'Keeffe; potter Maria Martinez; writer Laura Ingalls Wilder; sharpshooter Annie Oakley; Enid Justin, who created the multi-million dollar Nocona Boot Company; Hollywood icon Dale Evans and U. S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.   WEBSITE