FORT WORTH — An iconic Fort Worth record store began a new chapter over the weekend, opening its doors in a new location.
Record Town has been part of Fort Worth for more than 60 years, with its distinctive marquee standing over the original store on University Drive.
The store has been closed for the last three months, as they moved the shop to a new location in Fort Worth's resurgent Near Southside neighborhood.
"We had to have a mural of the old store, because that's the connection between the past and the present," said Bill Mecke, a co-owner of the store who stepped in to help keep it going.
The store opened for the first time Saturday, and Mecke said it was the best day they've ever had. They moved more than 15,000 albums to the new location, along with the original wooden record racks and pegboard that gave Record Town its character. They also acquired 18,000 additional albums to double their inventory.
"It's great to see the old customers come back, and the other thing that's great is to see young families with children," Mecke said.
The store has been a frequent stop for musicians over the decades. The Bruton family, who were the original owners, are still part-owners of the new location, and Mecke said they hope that the sense of history also came along in the move.
"I had been going to Record Town for about 30 years," Mecke said. "It's different than any other record store. It's a musical education. Because the Bruton family, they loved and knew music."
The store is now open for business, though there is one thing missing. The famous Record Town sign is being restored. Mecke said it hadn't been working for the last 8 years, but the neon will begin lighting up the new location sometime in the next few weeks.