If guests stand quietly in the lobby of the Stockyards Hotel, they can almost hear the past whispering to them -- the rowdy cowboys, the cattle barons and the oil tycoons . . . and maybe even Bonnie and Clyde.

It's not just the lobby that echoes the past, but the entire hotel. The Bonnie and Clyde Room -- where the couple allegedly found refuge from law officials during the summer of 1933 -- has mounted on the walls newspaper clippings and Bonnie's gun framed behind glass.

The Celebrity suite pampers its occupants with a fireplace, sitting room, wet bare and outdoor Jacuzzi, while four other American classic room themes -- Mountain Man, Cowboy, Indian and Victorian -- give the hotel a unique flavor found only in Fort Worth.

Named for a famous showman and rodeo cowboy, Booger Red Saloon greets visitors with a grand oak bar top -- a prop in the television film, "The Blue and the Gray." Meanwhile, western style saddle-topped bar stools give patrons a real sense of the wild west.

Of course, that might be too tame for your tastes. no problem. the hotel staff and accommodate you. Say, for instance, you want to play cowboy and have a gunfight or stage a mock public hanging? The hotel can oblige, says Richard York, manager of the Stockyards Hotel: "We are extremely creative and the sky's the limit , provided," he adds with a bearded grin, "it's safe."

York says the hotel's clientele includes not only out-of-state and out-of-country visitors, but western-minded guests from Dallas, Denton, Weatherford and surrounding cities.

Why? York figures it has to do with the fact that guests get more than just a key and a room, they get personal greetings by name and a friendly call that tells, not only the time, but the conditions of the weather outside. "Coffee with the Manager" from 7-9 a.m. allows guests an opportunity to meet and talk with York, while someone takes care of their bags and transportation.

For more information or reservations at this historic hotel, located at the corner of Main and Exchange on Fort Worth's North Side, contact the Stockyards Hotel.