Bass Performance Hall

Description:

• Fort Worth's magnificent music hall, inaugurated in 1998 and funded entirely by private donations, is a spectacular addition to the city's already thriving cultural life. Touted as one of the top 10 opera houses in the world, Bass Hall is a handsome showpiece, constructed in a tiered horseshoe shape with excellent acoustics and great sightlines. The work of the architect David Schwarz (who built the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the American Airlines arena), Bass Hall is a 10-story, 2,000-seat jewel. Gracing the exterior are two huge limestone angels, trumpets to lips, heralding patrons to the evening's performance. Inside, the entrance hall is paved with cut Italian marble and the dome is painted with a Texas noonday sky, ringed by silvery laurel leaves. The bathrooms are charmingly decorated with notes from Dvorak's "Going Home." Guided tours -- best for those with a keen interest in architecture -- last about 45 minutes. Bass Hall hosts the Fort Worth opera, symphony, theater, and dance companies.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010