Big Tex’s Boots Bound for D.C. to Star in Smithsonian Exhibit

They say a real cowboy never takes off his boots, well, this one does. At the end of the season, after the State Fair of Texas is done, this one does. And this time, Big Tex's boots are going on a trip without him.

For only the second time ever, Big Tex’s iconic size-96 Lucchese cowboy boots are leaving ht Great State of Texas. The State Fair of Texas is sending the 12-foot-tall boots on a journey to Washington, D.C., where they’ll be featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s new exhibition, State Fairs: Growing American Craft.

The boots depart Fair Park in Dallas on Monday, July 28, and are expected to arrive in the nation’s capital by August 1. After a careful installation process, they will go on public display later in the month when the exhibition opens on August 22 at the Renwick Gallery. The show will run for over a year, closing on September 7, 2026.

The Lucchese-designed boots have been greeting fairgoers in Dallas since 2012 and have never left Texas before, making this a historic trip for fans of the Fair and Big Tex alike.

The exhibition is the first of its kind to showcase the influence of state fairs on American craft traditions. Artifacts and handcrafted works from fairs across the country will be on display, with Big Tex’s boots standing tall as a proud and distinctive symbol of Texas culture.

Everything is bigger in Texas, especially Big Tex's boots.

If you're wondering, as I was, apparently Big Tex will be receiving a new handmade pair of boots for the upcoming State Fair of Texas, September 26 - October 19, 2025. Visit BigTex.com for details.

To learn more about the Smithsonian exhibition, visit americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/state-fairs.

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