The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza: A Dallas Staple

View of the Texas School Book Depository Building (far left) where it is believed Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated JFK from a sniper's nest on the sixth floor. Photo courtesy the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade pulled onto Elm Street in downtown Dallas, preparing to end what had been a highly successful campaign stop. Suddenly, a shot rang out and the president slumped to the side. A second shot rang out and the scene devolved into chaos as the motorcade sped to get out of the line of fire and onlookers dove for cover or scattered.

Autopsies would later reveal that the president was shot twice: Once in the throat and once through the skull. Check out this cool interview with Henry Wade who was the Dallas County District Attorney in 1963. Eye witness testimony, along with amateur videos and photos, led to confusion about where the shots were fired from and whether there was a second shooter. Some say they saw a figure fleeing from the grassy knoll alongside the road. Other maintained that there was a shooter positioned above the freeway overpass who belonged to the Mafia…no, the CIA… no wait, the Russians. Definitely the Russians.

What is known is that Lee Harvey Oswald was spotted leaving from the Texas School Book Depository building, and that police discovered a “sniper’s nest” on the sixth floor. Oswald maintained his innocence up until he was shot and killed by Jack Ruby on live national television while being transferred to the county jail. Later, it would become clear that Kennedy’s initial autopsy reports were missing key information and that the initial explanation of what occurred didn’t hold up under close scrutiny. This misinformation and mishandling has fueled the imagination of conspiracy theorists for decades.

Students viewing campaign posters from 1960.
Photo courtesy of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

The fascination with the details of the assassination could only have been strengthened by the role JFK played in revolutionizing the socio-political climate of the United State as both the youngest president ever elected and the first Catholic. President Kennedy represented a new optimism for children of a generation jaded by the Second World War. His call to action influenced America’s youth to give back to the global community through the Peace Corps, and he was an adamant supporter of Civil Rights. Some question whether the Vietnam War would have lasted as long as it did if Kennedy remained Commander-in-Chief. Whatever the case, Americans still wonder 50 years after the Kennedy Assassination what might have been if the president had survived.

For this reason, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza remains one of the most popular Dallas attractions to date. Visitors to the area can walk over to Dealey Plaza and view the grassy knoll or watch as cars drive on Elm Street over two white Xs marking where the two shots hit the president. After a recent court battle, Conspiracy theorists still sell books, movies, and magazines reviewing the evidence. Some are even known for having assisted Oliver Stone with the movie “JFK”. Once they have had their fill of viewing the actual site of the assassination, visitors can make their way into the Sixth Floor Museum to learn about the events leading up to the assassination, the assassination itself, and the impact the assassination had on shaping U.S. history.

The museum is a self-guided audio tour that includes a few videos, some fantastic photos, and the preserved “Sniper’s Nest” so that guests can see what police found when they arrived on scene. It may come as no surprise to most of my frequent readers, but my favorite part of the museum is the section that lays out the evidence and different re-enactment tests done. This section is followed up with a board outlining the most popular conspiracy theories that range from a CIA cover-up to a mob hit. Given that the U.S. was still engaged in a Cold War with Russia and that Lee Harvey Oswald was known as a Communist sympathizer (though Oswald said he was a Marxist, not a Communist), the best known explanation is the Warren Commission’s conclusion that Oswald acted alone.

The museum is excellent at allowing the public to come to its own conclusions while also explaining the justification for the “official” theories. By walking visitors through the events leading up to the assassination, the museum also brings back the human element to our morbid fascination with the death of our 35^th President. It’s heartbreaking to see photos of Jackie Kennedy in her beautiful pink Chanel outfit throwing herself over her husband after the shooting. Even the swearing in of President Lyndon B. Johnson onboard Air Force One is a terribly tragic photo with Jackie in the blood-stained suit looking on.

View of the sixth floor  of the Texas School Depository.
Photo courtesy the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

In addition to the permanent exhibit, the Sixth Floor Museum offers a rotating temporary exhibit on the seventh floor. Through October 27, 2013, the exhibit is “The American President: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press.” Photos include President Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show, President Barack Obama shaking the prosthetic hand of a Medal of Honor recipient, President George W. Bush making a goofy face after trying to open a locked door following a press conference in China, President Dwight Eisenhower in a candid moment with his wife during a campaign dinner, and many other wonderful moments.

In honor of the 50^th anniversary of the assassination, the museum is holding a “Living History” series throughout 2013 featuring speakers who witnessed different aspects of this tragic event. Upcoming speakers include Ferd Kaufman, an Associated Press photographer; Bill and Gayle Newman, the closest civilian eyewitnesses to the assassination; and Kari-Mette Pigmans, a Pan Am flight attendant who served onboard the White House press plane and was at Dallas Love Field Airport at the time of the assassination. More info about this series can be found by clicking here. Admission to the series is $10.00, and the lectures will be held on the seventh floor.

Advance tickets to the museum can be purchased online, but the 50^th Anniversary date of November 22, 2013, has sold out. The museum is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas days. Hours are noon to 6:00 p.m. on Mondays, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday through Sunday, and the last tickets are sold at 5:15 p.m. Admission to the museum is $16.00 for adults, $14.00 for seniors age 65 and up, $13.00 for youths aged 6 to 18, $4 for children under 6 with audio guide and free for children under 6 without the audio guide. Photography, food and beverages, and the use of cell phones is prohibited in the museum. It is recommended to allow 90 minutes for your visit.

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

411 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75202

(214) 747-6660

www.jfk.org

Students check out the plexiglass enclosed sniper's nest preserved on the sixth floor.
Photo courtesy of the Sixth Floor Museum.