TOURIST ATTRACTION

Cowboys Stadium has become a must see for tourists from around the world

By Mickey Spagnola

Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 1:00am

Mickey SpagnolaARLINGTON, Texas — They come from near and they come from afar.

They come from the Metroplex and the surrounding North Texas area, and they come from the far reaches of this vast state of Texas.

They come from out of state and even from aboard; from South America, Central America and Europe.

All with the same objective: To see the brand-spanking new, $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, all curious to discover if this true wonder of Texas that will be the site of Super Bowl XLV in 2011 is all that it’s been cracked up to be since opening this summer with a George Strait concert and moving on to house the Dallas Cowboys’ first four home games of this 2009 NFL season, with a U2 concert drawing 70,000 people sandwiched in between.

Yes, the Cowboys Stadium is fast becoming somewhat of a destination, as many as 300 to 400 people daily passing through the three million square-foot structure, taking advantage of the $15 stadium tours offered by the Dallas Cowboys.

“They aren’t all Cowboys fans, but they want to see the stadium,” said Barry Browning, one of the many tour guides showing off the Cowboys’ new digs.

On any given day, and especially midweek, it’s not unusual to see tour buses pulling into the north parking lots, dropping off a few dozen people at what the Cowboys call the 360 Entrance, meaning those front doors will be open for business 360 days a year.

And these tours, lasting about 1 hour, 20 minutes and covering roughly 1¼ miles of real estate, have become quite popular with senior citizen groups, just like those golden agers visiting on a Wednesday afternoon a few weeks ago with the Highland Park Seniors group, and the dozen or so here this past Wednesday from the Twin Rivers Senior Living Center in suburban Richardson.

That group included the 84-year-old J.J. Hibbs, who was just beside herself while leaving the writer’s press box, the last stop on her tour but one very close to her heart.

“It was just wonderful,” said Ms. Hibbs, a 1946 graduate of the University of Georgia, who majored in journalism and went on to work at the Tuscaloosa News in Alabama during the legendary Bear Bryant’s time as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. “I just wanted to see the stadium and I was a Tom Landry fan.”

What stood out to this lady who first set foot in the North Texas area to watch Bryant’s Crimson Tide play in a Cotton Bowl?

The 3,000 flat-screen TVs spread throughout the stadium, the near 60-yard wide center-hung video board, and all the facts about it, along with the press box, she said. And she thought “the seating” in the seating bowls was just “excellent.”

Now the Cowboys did conduct tours at Texas Stadium, but “not near as many people” came through, said Doug Aydelotte, director of merchandise and game day events. “We have found out that when people have like a two-hour layover at DFW (International Airport), they take a cab and come out here. They just want to see the building.”

And those visitors taking these tours, which have included church groups, day care centers and youth groups, actually get a chance to see Cowboys Stadium a little more up close and personal than even those who buy a ticket for a Cowboys game.

Stops on the tour include the Cowboys locker room, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders locker room, the postgame interview room, one of the Star Level suites, the Pro Shop, the video board control room, the radio broadcast area, the Cotton Bowl offices, the east plaza platforms where they can get a good look at the 120-foot high glass retractable doors, the field-level clubs and main concourse clubs to name a few of the stops.

Browning said getting a chance to step foot in the actual Cowboys locker is one of the biggest hits with those on his tours.

“They can stand in front of Tony Romo’s locker and take a picture,” said the tour guide who began giving tours on June 26 and works five days a week.

So is actually seeing the state of the art video board, and if it’s their lucky day, the $40 million board just might be operational, the HD clarity certain to leave visitors with a lasting memory.

Long-time Cowboys fan Matt Davis, who grew up in New Jersey but now resides in Redskin Country, Washington D.C., had been in town on business. He had one day left, and was beside himself in anticipation of returning the next day for one of these tours.

“Can’t leave without seeing it,” Davis said.

Evidently, judging from the crowds out here, he’s not alone.