Dallas just got a new way to experience the Wild West! The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum has opened Black Cowboys: An American Story, a special exhibition on view now through April 18, 2027, celebrating the extraordinary Black cowboys who helped build Texas and the American frontier.
Did you know that one in four cowboys on the cattle trails was Black? This vibrant exhibition brings those forgotten stories to life with personal artifacts, historic photographs, and hands-on moments that trace the journey from Texas ranches before the Civil War to the turn of the twentieth century. Visitors will discover how Black cowboys tamed horses, rode alongside thousands of cattle, and later turned their skills into new careers as lawmen, ranchers, rodeo stars, singers, and film performers. Their legacy lives on today in music, fashion, film, and design.
The exhibition was created by the Witte Museum in San Antonio and includes a heartfelt Dallas-area tribute: a special section honoring the late Cleo Hearn of Lancaster, Texas, the beloved co-founder of the American Black Cowboy Association and founder of the Cowboys of Color Rodeo, known far and wide as “Mr. Black Rodeo.” His prize saddle, boots, spurs, and photographs take center stage.
The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Tuesdays) at 300 N. Houston in downtown Dallas. General admission is $19 for adults, $12 for students, and free for members. This is a perfect family outing full of history, heart, and Texas pride.
Photo: California Rodeo, Salinas, 1919 — Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, courtesy of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
