Discover the Old West with New Technology

Release date:  2/3/2009

AUSTIN Texas (February 3, 2009) – Visitors to the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District can now experience Western culture past and present with assistance from a new GPS multimedia tour guide system. Videos, audio, historical photography and more entertain and educate visitors as they get a taste of the Old West using the newest technology available. 

The self-paced tours are delivered through the GPS Ranger®, a patented, handheld computer device that delivers compelling multimedia content based on the location of the user through the power of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology.  The tour includes 24 different points of interest and 30 different video segments giving visitors a closer look at the history and culture of the stockyards. Some highlights of the tour include: 

• History of Fort Worth from the early days as a fortification housing soldiers sent to protect settlers from Indian attack, to the establishment of the nickname “Cowtown” when thousands of free roaming cattle were herded through the city on their way north along the old Chisholm Trail, to the establishment of the stockyards and Ft. Worth as a railhead.
• The in’s and out’s of the Stockyards, including Pig Subway, Mule Alley, and the Cattleman’s Catwalk with stories about the history and use of these fascinating features.
• Stockyards Hotel, which once hosted the infamous duo, Bonnie and Clyde.
• White Elephant Saloon, owned by the famed gambler, Luke Short and site of a deadly gunfight in 1887 (which is still reenacted today!).
• Cowtown Coliseum built in 1908 in only 88 working days and host of the first indoor rodeo in 1918.
• Billy Bob’s Texas, the “World’s Largest Honky Tonk” filled with intriguing memorabilia.
• Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, paying tribute to 76 of the top Texas cowboys and cowgirls and including many western artifacts. 

The video tour is hosted by the “Voice of Professional Rodeo” and National Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee, Bob Tallman, and the former Miss Rodeo America and National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee, Pam Minick.  Tallman and Minick offer genuine enthusiasm and their vast experience with the western lifestyle to create a fun and authentic tour experience for visitors. 

The GPS Ranger experience is completed with interactive trivia allowing visitors to earn points by answering questions about the exhibits and video segments. A dynamic map shows where visitors are in relation to other points of interest and facilities, and an event listings feature inform of all the exciting and enjoyable special events the Stockyard hosts. 

“We have such a rich history to tell and our guest hosts do an excellent job telling that story! I am pleased we are able to share the history in this new and dynamic format. The Stockyards has always embraced technology from the early days of railroads and refrigeration for packing houses, now to hand-held walking tour computers,” states Gary Brinkley, Stockyards Station General Manager.  

Developed and designed by BarZ Adventures, the leading provider of hand-held GPS visitor guiding systems, the GPS Ranger utilizes innovative GPS technology to enhance the visitor experience and take it to the next level of interactivity. 

"The primary goal of the GPS Ranger automated tour guide system is to enhance the visitor's experience while visiting national treasures like the Ft. Worth Stockyards.   At this venue, the GPS Ranger integrates rich media coupled with two great storytellers - Mr. Tallman and Ms. Minick - so guests are really in for a fun and entertaining treat.  Those who rent the video tour can learn about the Stockyards at their own pace and in their own language.  We're very proud to have this opportunity to work on this project with the Ft. Worth Stockyards' team," states Wm. Lee Little, CEO of BarZ Adventures. 

The sleek device features a four-inch LCD touch screen and can be enjoyed by several visitors at once with its dual-speaker stereo system. Tours are available in English, Spanish, German, French and Japanese, and are about 45 minutes in length before additional sightseeing at tour stops.  GPS Rangers can be rented from the Stockyards Visitor Center for only $15. The Stockyards Visitor Center operates daily from 9 am – 5 pm.  

ABOUT STOCKYARDS STATION
Stockyards Station, located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, is a western destination offering over 25 unique shops, dining and entertainment, indoor and outdoor event facilities, historic tours, horseback riding, the one hour “Trinity River Run” on a vintage steam engine, the Cowtown Cattlepen Maze, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and Hyatt Place Hotel. For more information, log onto www.stockyardsstation.com or call (817) 625-9715.  

ABOUT BARZ ADVENTURES INC
BarZ Adventures Inc, founded in 2005, is an Austin, TX based company combining experts in the fields of computer delivery systems and content development. BarZ Adventures has designed the patented GPS Ranger® and Zoo Ranger® systems, and new Ranger Quest™ GPS gaming experience, with large venues and their visitors in mind – its sole mission is to enhance the visitor experience at high visitation locations using modern technology. GPS Ranger tours are currently available at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Vicksburg National Military Park, Death Valley National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Independence National Historical Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.  Zoo Ranger tours are available at the San Francisco Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Oklahoma City Zoo and Santa Barbara Zoo.  Historic city walking tours are available in Key West and St. Augustine, Florida, Bermuda and Austin, Texas, which is also the first tour to be made available in American Sign Language (ASL). BarZ is proud to offer ADA compatible and accessible tours available in ASL, captioning, audio description and with accessible features information for the physically disabled. For more information, log on to www.gpsranger.com or call (512) 732-0135.