Guide to the Grapevine: What to know, things to do in Texas town with mix of old and new
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Grapevine is the oldest settlement in Tarrant County, first founded through a treaty between General Sam Houston and several Native American nations in 1844. While founded under the two word name of Grape Vine, it was the city’s post office in 1914 that combined the name into one.
Meow Wolf — an arts and entertainment company out of Santa Fe, New Mexico — has opened a location in Grapevine, taking its brand of fantastical storytelling and exploration to North Texas via a museum built on a cooperative of artists.
A 29,000-square-foot immersive and interactive art experience has hit the Grapevine Mills Mall in the summer of 2023 — featuring 30 Texas-based artists who will share their creative vision.
“Creative thinking is essential to solving the challenges of our time,” the company said on its website. “As Meow Wolf grows into new locations, we acknowledge that each community is unique. We start with listening to the needs of the local creative community before engaging in a significant way.”
Where is Grapevine?
Located about 22 miles east of Fort Worth, Grapevine remains a destination for many traveling to North Texas. It is considered part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and is located just 10 minutes north of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in northeast Tarrant County.
Activities in Grapevine
Meow Wolf — started in 2008 as a small collective of Santa Fe artists sharing an interest in publicly displaying their works and developing their skills together. This collaborative approach blossomed into Meow Wolf’s distinctive style of immersive, maximalist environments that encourage audience-driven experiences.
Grapevine Lake — Everything from fishing and swimming, to boating and water skiing, the lake has it all.
Meadowmere Park — Located near the lake, the park is home to the largest floating aqua park obstacle course.
Oak Grove Park — Home to a baseball and softball complexes, the park is also right next to the lake.
Rockledge Park — Located on the lake, the park has fishing spots, bike trails and scenic views.
Great Wolf Lodge — This entertainment mecca has a large indoor water park, lodging and plenty of adventures.
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center — Part hotel, resort and convention center, the Gaylord has numerous amenities for travelers.
Grapevine Mills mall — The mall has numerous shopping and entertainment destinations for those visiting.
Food and drink in Grapevine
Hop and Sting Brewing Co., 906 Jean St, is a small-batch brewery serving its beers in a taproom & beer garden, with food trucks & live music.
Winewood Grill, 1265 S Main St, is an American eatery with an open kitchen, wood-fired grill & jazz brunch on Sundays.
Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor, 423 S Main St., is a causal restaurant specializing in chili and also serves Southwestern fare, steaks and has live music.
Bob’s Steak & Chop House, 1255 S Main St., is a Texas-born chain serving big slabs of beef, seafood and an extensive wine list.
Dino’s Steak and Claw House, 342 S Main St #200, serves chops and seafood in a comfortable setting that used to be a bank. Dinners come with piano accompaniment.
Fireside Pies, 1285 S Main St., was born out of an old cottage on the historic Henderson Avenue in Dallas. Since then, we have grown our love of artisanal wood-fired pizza and heartfelt rustic cooking into a collection of intimate neighborhood restaurants throughout the Dallas area.
Mi Dia From Scratch, 1295 S Main St., serves Mexican cuisine with Santa Fe and a Tex-Mex flair, handcrafted margaritas & an outdoor patio.
How to get around
TEXRail train — is the commuter rail system serving Tarrant County.
Northeast Transportation Services — NETS is a door-to-door, demand responsive para-transit service and is available to any resident of a participating city who is disabled or 65 years of age or older.
Bike lanes — Grapevine has hiking and biking trails galore with more than twenty-two miles of hard-surface trails and four miles of soft-surface trails. The trail system will links nine parks totaling over 1,400 acres.
