Mustangs of Las Colinas celebrate the spirit of the West
In 1984, a herd of galloping bronze American mustangs entered Williams Square in Las Colinas and instantly became the world’s largest equestrian sculpture. Now celebrating their 25th anniversary, the Mustangs of Las Colinas have attracted more than a million visitors from as far away as Australia and the Middle East.
A distinctive landmark for North Texas, the mustangs are located in an area called Las Colinas, which sits within the city of Irving. It is centrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth and just east of DFW Airport.
Ben Carpenter, a ranching millionaire, developed Las Colinas in 1972 as a planned business and upscale resident community located in the northeast corner of Irving, a Dallas suburb. In 1976, he commissioned Robert Glen, world renowned East African sculptor, to create the mustang sculptures, which were cast at the same foundry as the lions of Trafalgar Square in London.
The horses appear to run through a stream in the middle of Williams Square Plaza – a spacious outdoor court surrounded by three business towers. Small fountains of water splash under every hoof to complete the illusion.
The Mustang Sculpture Exhibit, a museum housed on the first floor of Williams Square Tower One, features a pictorial of the mustangs’ story and displays of Glen’s original artwork, including some pieces for sale.
A small theater in the museum hosts a brief but impressive documentary about how the mustangs were conceived and created. The documentary does not run on a set schedule. Patrons need only to ask the museum’s guide, Mary Higbie, to arrange a screening.
While the documentary itself runs about 14 minutes, Higbie advises visitors to plan for about 30 to 45 minutes to take in the movie along with all the displays and art.
The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mustang sculpture is open for viewing in Williams Square Plaza year-round from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Museum admission and the documentary screening are free, though donations are welcomed. Posters, art works and other unique souvenirs are also available.
During museum hours, patrons can park in the Tower One parking garage and request parking ticket validation in the museum. On weekends, parking along O’Connor Boulevard is free.
From the parking garage, visitors can take the sky bridge on the fifth level to enter Tower One. At the entrance landing, visitors should take the escalators down to the first floor. The Mustang Sculpture Exhibit is just to the right and the glass doors to the Mustangs of Las Colinas are straight ahead.
- by Jenn Emerson, Dallas Reporter for HelloMetro
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