Worth Ranch The Big Adventure

Our history

Historic places

Buildings and landmarks every Worth Ranch camper knew. Conditions after the Ross Fire are shown only where the council has confirmed them.

Roeser Hall & kitchen

1929–1930 · Gift of Charles F. Roeser

Foundation president Charles Roeser organized the luncheon where Fort Worth business leaders agreed to sponsor the camp's buildings, and gave the dining hall and kitchen himself.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

The stone walls and arches of Landreth Lodge stand roofless amid ash.
Landreth Lodge after the fire, Sept. 2, 2026.

Landreth Lodge

1929–1930 · Gift of E. A. Landreth

One of the original stone lodges around the parade ground, remodeled as the camp office in 1994.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

A man in a hat studies a display case inside the museum, with a stone fireplace behind him.
Inside the LeRoy Shuman Museum, before the fire.

LeRoy Shuman Museum

1929–1930 · Gift of A. L. Shuman family

Home to Scouting, ranch, and natural history collections, including Paul Siple's Antarctic snowshoes. Volunteers renovated it in 1975 and again in the late 1990s.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Trading Post

1929–1930 · Gift of Dan A. Levy

The camp store, part of the original building program.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

The stone shell of the Holmes Infirmary, its roof gone, on scorched ground.
Holmes Infirmary after the fire, Sept. 2, 2026.

Holmes Infirmary

1929–1930 · Gift of Floyd Holmes and his mother, Alma Holmes

The original stone infirmary on the parade ground.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Stables

1929–1930 · Gift of Thomas I. Byrne, in honor of W. W. Reynolds

Built when burros carried packs and Scouts rode the ranch.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Wash House

1929–1930 · Gift of Frank T. Pickerell

Part of the original complex of eight equipped buildings in use by July 1930.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Foreman's House

1929

Joe Taylor, the first foreman and "Hike Master," lived here with his family. It was renovated in 2021 for first aid and meetings.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

A line of Scouts in campaign hats stands at attention on the parade ground beside a tall flagpole.
Scouts in formation on the parade ground, early years.

Parade ground

1929–1930

The stone buildings were arranged around it in a manner reminiscent of old Fort Worth. Faint circular earth mounds nearby are believed to mark earlier Wichita house sites; please never disturb the ground.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

A. J. Fulkerson Memorial Chapel

1947–1949 · Gift of Friends and Scouters of Jerry Fulkerson

A native-stone outdoor chapel honoring the Scout Executive who led the camp's founding.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Captain Kidd Council Ring

1958

Built to honor ranger Cap Kidd. Its view is one of the best panoramas on the ranch.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Tents among trees beside a small white building, black and white.
Camp Todd, dedicated in 1947.

Camp Todd

1947

Dedicated July 13, 1947, honoring longtime Council Commissioner D. H. B. Todd.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

A swimming instructor points across the pool while swimmers line the edge and a diving board extends over the water.
Swim instruction at the filtered pool, 1940s.

The pools

1940–41; rebuilt 1994 · Gift of John W. Herbert

Camp records describe the original as the first filtered swimming pool in Texas. It was used for military swim and dive training in 1943.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Duncan Dining Hall, a long building with a row of stone arches and a green metal roof.
Duncan Dining Hall before the Ross Fire.

After the fire: see the photo archive.

Duncan Dining Hall

2000 · Gift of Bob Duncan

The 10,000-square-foot dining hall where generations marched to meals and sang. Lost in the Ross Fire.

Lost in the Ross Fire

The bronze Ideal Scout statue stands intact in front of the burned dining hall.
The Ideal Scout statue survived the fire.

Ideal Scout statue

2018

The bronze statue in front of the dining hall came through the fire.

Survived the Ross Fire

Climbing Garden

1997

Opened the same year as the new ranger residence.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Hikers rest on limestone ledges high above a wide green valley.
The view from Kyle Mountain.

Kyle Mountain

A strenuous hike with rewarding views over the Brazos. Other panoramas wait at the Captain Kidd Council Ring and The Point campsite.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

Split Rock & Hugo's Crack

Rock landmarks every camper came to know.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment

A long concrete stairway with green handrails climbs through woods.
The Hernia Hill stairway, built in 1986.

The Bottoms

1950s

Brazos bottomland cleared by Senior Scouts and Order of the Arrow members for camping and shooting sports, linked to main camp by the Hernia Hill stairway.

Condition to be confirmed after assessment