This Fort Worth Cultural District landmark is getting an $8.5 million renovation

Fort Worth’s iconic Will Rogers Coliseum is getting an $8.5 million makeover.

The Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday voted to use American Rescue Act funds to renovate the concourse, restrooms, grand lobby and Backstage Club of the 1936 art deco masterpiece.

The Coliseum hosts 30 equestrian events a year over an average of 260 days, according to the city’s Public Events Department. The shows generated an economic impact of $74.2 million in 2021, the department said in a statement.

“Will Rogers is a premier equestrian facility that welcomes horse lovers from around the globe,” Billy Smith, executive director of the Fort Worth-based American Paint Horse Association, said in the statement. “As a longtime client, we’re pleased to know the historic Coliseum will represent Fort Worth as a Best-in-Class asset and draw even more visitors here.”

The concourse was last renovated in the 1970s. Plans include new floors, ceiling tiles, lights, restroom fixtures, signage and decorations that will complement the architectural detail, the department said.

Amon G. Carter, the self-made millionaire and civic booster, commissioned the Will Rogers Center for the Frontier Celebration during the Texas Centennial. The center is in the heart of the Cultural District at 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., across from the Kimbell Art Museum.

“The Coliseum grand lobby and concourse create an important first impression,” Kevin Kemp, the center’s general manager, said in the statement. “When visitors arrive, we want them to experience the grandeur of the structure that Amon G. Carter envisioned and built years ago.”

The Backstage Club overlooks the arena from the second floor and is a restaurant during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

In 2019, the landmark Pioneer Tower that overlooks the Will Rogers Center glowed for the first time in 40 years following a $4.7 million restoration.