Big Tex’s iconic size-96 Lucchese cowboy boots have left Texas for only the second time in their history to be featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition State Fairs: Growing American Craft, opening August 22, 2025, at its Renwick Gallery. The yearlong exhibition runs through September 7, 2026. 

Standing 12 feet tall, Big Tex’s boots are one of the most beloved and recognizable symbols of the State Fair of Texas and of Texas pride itself. Designed and handcrafted by Lucchese Bootmaker, they have been greeting fairgoers in Dallas since 2012. Until now, they have never left Texas, making this cross-country trip a once-in-a-lifetime event for fans of the Fair and Big Tex alike. State Fairs: Growing American Craft is the first major exhibition to explore the vital role state fairs have played in nurturing regional craft traditions across the United States. For more information about the exhibition, https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/state-fairs. 

Top Photo from The Dallas Morning News