The Stockyards were the western terminus of the great cattle drives from the late 1800s through the 1920s, and the largest livestock market in the United States by 1944. The brick-paved streets, wooden plank sidewalks, and red brick exchange buildings have been preserved as a National Historic District, and most of them still serve their original trades: the Livestock Exchange Building still hosts cattle auctions every Monday, Cowtown Coliseum still hosts professional rodeos, and the saloons along Exchange Avenue are working honky-tonks rather than themed restaurants.
The visitor info centre is on Exchange Avenue and a good starting point. From there, walk the length of Exchange to see the cattle pens, the Cowtown Coliseum, the Stockyards Museum upstairs in the Exchange Building, and the two daily cattle drives. Evenings are when the area really comes alive — Billy Bob's Texas and the strip of bars on Main Street draw locals and tourists in equal numbers.