Region: Prairies and Lakes
Before settlement in 1850, this location on the Blackland Prairie was the
site of important negotiations between Native Americans and Gen. Sam Houston,
which led to the signing of the Treaty of Birds Fort and the opening of this
North Texas settlement. The community was named for the wild mustang grapes that
grew throughout the area.
Much of Main Street is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A
walking-tour map of the historic downtown area is available at the convention
and visitors bureau in the re-created Wallis Hotel building. (See Heritage Walking
Tour.) The original 1891 hotel, near the railroad depot, was closed in 1926
and demolished in the 1930s. Open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri. One Liberty Park
Plaza.
Grapevine offers three championship public golf courses. Bed-and-breakfast
accommodations are available.
The city's annual Grape Fest celebration is held the second weekend in
September and, in 2003, it was selected as one of the "Top 100" events in North
America by the American Bus Association.
Grapevine is on the northwestern boundary of the Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport. Shoppers can find bargains at Grapevine Mills outlet mall
and the Bass Pro Shops, both just off Texas 121, north of DFW
Airport.