The Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) is a American public entertainment, sports and livestock complex located in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. It is named for American humorist and writer

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

. It is a popular location for the hosting of specialized equestrian and livestock shows, including the annual Fort Worth Stock Show, the annual

National Reined Cow Horse Association The National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) is an equestrian organization in Pilot Point, Texas, United States, that began by promoting and staging Working cow horse events. History The National Reined Cow Horse Association (formerly k ...

Snaffle Bit Futurity, the World Championship Paint Horse Show, and three major events of the

National Cutting Horse Association The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) is a non-profit equestrian organization headquartered in the United States. Their primary purpose is to promote and sponsor Cutting (sport), cutting events.Fort Worth Texans The Fort Worth Texans were a professional ice hockey team based in Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth, Texas. The Texans started playing in 1967 as the Fort Worth Wings, a minor league affiliate for the Detroit Red Wings. The team were part of the Cen ...

ice hockey team, and it hosted a

PBR PBR may refer to: Science and technology * Pusey-Barrett-Rudolph theorem about the reality of quantum states Computing, electronics, electrics * Partition boot record, of a computer hard drive * Passive bistatic radar * Pebble-bed reactor, a ...

Bud Light Cup Series The Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) was the first tour and in its first year was the only tour of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). When other tours were created, it became the major league tour of the PBR. Background This series ran from 1994 thro ...

(later

Built Ford Tough Series The Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) was the Premier Series tour name of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) competitions from 2003 through 2017. Inaugural season (2003) The BFTS kicked off its tour on November 16, 2002, with the Mohegan Sun Invita ...

) event annually from 1995 through 2004. Events at the WRMC attract over two million visitors annually. The complex contains the following facilities: * Will Rogers Coliseum (5,652 seats) * Will Rogers Auditorium (2,856 seats) * Will Rogers Equestrian Center * Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall * James L. & Eunice West Arena * John Justin Arena * W. R. Watt Arena The Memorial Center was built in 1936 and designed by

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Wyatt C. Hedrick, who employed the Moderne (Art Deco) style. Also in 1936, Amon G. Carter commissioned Electra Waggoner Biggs to create the statue '' Riding into the Sunset'', a tribute to Will Rogers and his horse Soapsuds. Over a decade later, in 1947, the work was unveiled at the Center. On March 22, 2016, the complex was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum was the home of the

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (formally the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show) is the oldest continuously running livestock show and rodeo. It has been held annually in Fort Worth, Texas, since 1896, traditionally in mid-January thro ...

for many years. The rodeo is sanctioned by the

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the N ...

(PRCA).

Dickies Arena Dickies Arena is a 14,000-seat multipurpose arena, located within the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The venue hosted a public ribbon cutting on October 26, 2019. The first event held was a Twenty One Pilots concert on Novemb ...

, which opened in November 2019, is located adjacent to the complex. The 14,000-seat venue has hosted the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo since 2020, as well as concerts and early-round games in the

2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the ...

; however, Will Rogers Memorial Center continues to operate as an equestrian arena in Fort Worth.

Gallery

File:Coliseum, Memorial Tower, and Auditorium (20106176).jpg, Postcard of Will Rogers Coliseum, Memorial Pioneer Tower and Will Rogers Auditorium, undated File:WillRogersColiseumINTERIOR.JPG, Interior of Will Rogers Coliseum, 2016 File:Will Rogers Memorial Center June 2016 21 (Will Rogers Coliseum).jpg, Exterior of Will Rogers Coliseum, 2016

References

External links

Will Rogers Memorial CenterWill Rogers Memorial Center Calendar of Events
*

{{TCU Horned Frogs basketball navbox Art Deco architecture in Texas Equestrian venues in the United States Ice hockey venues in the United States Sports venues in Fort Worth, Texas Buildings and structures completed in 1936 TCU Horned Frogs basketball Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Fort Worth, Texas Sports venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas College basketball venues in the United States Basketball venues in Texas Rodeo venues in the United States Cultural depictions of Will Rogers

Gallery

See also

References

External links