A Fateful Day in Dallas and a Moment We’ll Never Forget
Few landmarks in our country are more embedded in our collective memory than Dealey Plaza, where the youthful, inspiring, and recently-elected President, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated on the tragic afternoon of November 22nd, 1963. Those Americans who were alive at the time remember exactly where they were when the unbelievable news broke, with stunned families gathered across America around their TVs and radios in disbelief. After the initial shock gave way to a full-bore investigation for the assassin, clues pointed to an unassuming red brick building on the corner of Dealey Plaza, where shots rang out from the sixth floor. That same very building, which was the Texas School Book Depository in the 1960s, has now been transformed into the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. Hardcore presidential history buffs and those learning about the JFK assassination for the first time will be fascinated by the interactive exhibits, extensive collections of artifacts from the time, and a museum experience paying equal homage to JFK’s shocking death and lasting legacy.
Planning Your Day at the Museum and Recommended Sightseeing Nearby
The museum walkthrough culminates with a trip through the sixth floor, where you’ll see the rifle Oswald used and his perch by the window hidden amongst boxes of textbooks, making that moment of our nation’s history feel more palpable and emotional than any history book ever has.
Before your museum day, browse their vast online collection, including the eerie black-and-white photos taken by Nat Pinkston, an FBI agent credited with tracing the rifle to Oswald. Other sections of their online database feature photos and memorabilia from JFK’s political campaigns, family life, funeral, and much more.
After your museum visit, do a self-guided walking tour of the surrounding area to see the different viewpoints of what transpired that day. Elm St, Main St, and Commerce St converge at Dealey Plaza, known as the “front door of Dallas,” where thousands of spectators gathered to see JFK’s parade through the city. On the opposite side of Elm St (an “X” marks the exact spot where the bullets struck JFK) is the infamous grassy knoll, where you can stand behind the original fence captured in the iconic video footage from that afternoon. Wrap up the day a couple of blocks over at the JFK Memorial Plaza, where a beautifully designed white concrete sculpture commemorates the spirit of JFK – an “open tomb” is framed by the sky, with the sun shining a light on a dark moment in our past.
When you stay at our Dallas bed and breakfast, you’ll be less than 3 miles away from the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, just a 10-minute drive or a leisurely ride on DART to the West End Station. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but is open from 10 am – 5 pm every other day, with a timed entry for your visit. You can purchase tickets in person, but you will have to take whatever timed-entry slot they have available – it’s best to book online through their website and have your choice of times.
Stay with us at our Dallas bed and breakfast, where history awaits around every city block, and the spirit of JFK lives on.
