Grapevine Historic Main Street District, Grapevine, TX

Grapevine, Texas is near Dallas/ Fort Worth. This fairly large city has numerous attractions for visitors to the state like Grapevine Historic Main Street District. Grapevine began as a prairie in 1844, became a town in 1854, and had a name change from Grape Vine to Grapevine in 1907. The first settlement in the 1840's of white settlers helped to create the first little town district. However, it was not until the 1890's that the settlement developed a newspaper, post office, public school, and the railroad.

Grapevine Historic Main Street District has been restored to provide a collection of antique, specialty shops, and galleries. Some of the buildings still on the main street date back to the 19th century, while others have been created to look like these older buildings. Main District has over 180 restaurants including wine tasting rooms. Grapevine Mills is the largest shopping experience on the Main District and there is also the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. This facility is 200,000 square feet in size. It has numerous products for the outdoor person like camping, hunting, shoes, clothes, and more. Also part of the Main District is hotels; one includes 4,300 guest rooms. This particular hotel is the Gaylord Texan Resort.

The Grapevine Railroad is still operational, allowing visitors to the city a ride on the vintage train. At the end of the day, as night rolls over the hills in Texas, visitors to the district can enjoy live entertainment at a number of bars and clubs. The Grapevine Opry is typically a hit for local residents. Throughout the year are events such as the Texas Coin Show or Something Pumpkin event.

For travelers looking for souvenirs the best place to go is the historic district. There are a number of unique gift ideas available. Shopping includes candy stores, children's locations, clothing, accessories, flowers, furniture, art galleries, garden shops, and even pets. Grapevine Mills Mall is a 1.6 million square foot shopping center located on the Main District.

Dining experiences can be indoor or outdoor. Several restaurants have al fresco dining. Ace's Hyatt Regency, Ama Lur, Amore Pasta, Pizza and Subs, Arby's, Asian Top, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, and Bartley's Bar-B-Que are just a few of the dining locales. The food will be typical of Texas, but other cuisine like Asian and German can be found.

The Palace Arts Center hosts the opry and a number of theater options. Tickets are available for the season, as well as per show. It is best to get tickets before hand, but sometimes they will have available seats the day of an event. Parking is near the theater and possible throughout the entire Main District Area.

For a little education in between shopping and eating sessions, travelers to Grapevine Historic Main Street District can head to the Grapevine Historical Museum. The museum has displays based on Texas history, especially that of Grapevine. It will look at how the town was started, the Native American residents, and events of the past.