On 22 November 1963, Dallas hit the world’s headlines, when US President John F. Kennedy was fatally shot here. The gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, targeted the president’s car from a window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Today, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is housed in the same location in what is now called the Dallas County Administration Building.
The museum provides an overview of the events of that fateful day for American politics. Film footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts are all used to take visitors back in time in an immersive experience. The aftermath of the assassination is also explored here, including the findings of the Warren Commission, which are still disputed by conspiracy theorists to this day, and the worldwide legacy of the event.
Visitors (even those with no prior knowledge of what happened that day) can really experience what went on all those years ago – the room has not been changed since 1963, and you can even stand in the exact spot where Oswald fired the fatal shots. The exhibits provide a detailed study of this tragic event, from the cameras that captured the motorcade on film to the scale model of the building and surrounding areas used by the Warren Commission during its investigation. For a more detailed insight into this important slice of American history, pick up a free audio guide.
The museum is located in the heart of downtown Dallas, on the corner of Elm and Houston streets. Parking is available nearby, or you can travel by public transportation – the nearest DART stops are Union and West End, both just a short walk from the museum.
The museum is open daily except Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day.
