If you plan to travel to Dallas and love history, a visit to the Sixth Floor Museum is a must. Situated on both the sixth and seventh levels of what was once called the Texas School Book Depository, it is located at the very site where Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, a day that shook the nation to the core.
Those who lived through the 50s and 60s may well have vivid memories of this tragic event, with the Museum serving as a permanent testament of that day. Ever since the Sixth Floor Museum was opened in 1989, more than 6 million visitors have felt compelled to visit it.
A focus of the Museum are actual historical videos, witness testimony and more is to accurately recount the actual events before, during and after President Kennedy’s assassination. Although it is a major draw for history buffs, many others visit the Museum, including families and children, often finding themselves deeply moved by the exhibits there.
Those displays include the actual window behind which Lee Harvey Oswald stood as he watched the Presidential motorcade approaching the Depository. There are also eerily accurate recreations of parts of the rooms as they looked in 1963, including stacks of boxes and piles of books.
Pierce Allman narrates audio guides as you tour the Museum. Allman was the very first reporter to air reports from the Texas Book Depository on that fateful day in 1963 so it seems particularly appropriate that his is the voice heard in the audio guides.
Also included are excerpts from actual radio and television reports on the assassination as well as the voices of so many who witnessed the event, from reporters to average people who lived through this landmark tragedy. All Museum exhibitions are regularly assessed and updated as new information comes about about President Kennedy’s death.
As a result, if you visit the museum every few years, odds are there will be new information, displays and artifacts to see. The Sixth Floor Museum draws those who seek to understand the most recent presidential assassination in our nation’s history. After visiting the Museum, many come away with a desire to make sure that nothing like this happens again, feeling a sense of hope for a better world.
If you are planning to a visit to the Museum, some insider tips make things much easier. For one thing, you’ll want to leave time to visit the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, which is just two blocks east of the Museum. Established in 1970, it is at least 40 years old.
Although there is parking behind the museum, you can often find cheaper rates nearby for all day parking, just 1/4 mile away from the building. It is easy to stroll to the Museum from there, knowing you have an entire day to take in all the sights, while saving money on parking.
Also worth knowing? A cell phone walking tour is an option for those who want to learn more about historic sites in the area, including Dealey Plaza. This tour can be bought at a discount with Museum admission or purchased separately for $5.00. No photos may be taken in the Museum but exterior photos are allowed (ask for specific information about areas which can be photographed).
Another tip which often escapes new visitors to the Museum area: if you walk outside and look up and down the street, look for the black x marks which show where the motorcade was as President Kennedy and Governor Connally were hit by bullets. It is easy to miss these if you aren’t looking for them.
The Sixth Floor Museum is open every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours are Monday from 12 pm -6 pm and Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm .
Admission is $13.50 for adults ($12.50 for seniors ages 65 and up), and $12.50 for those ages 6-18 (prices may change). Children under 6 are free. Museum admission includes the audio guide, which presents a self-guided tour through the Museum.
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