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We all know what happened in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963. The assassination of JKF shook not only the United States, but the world.
How could this happen? What reasoning could someone have for the JFK assassination?
The story of that fateful day and the tragic events leading up to it is told in vivid detail at the JKF Museum in Dallas, also known as The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.
It’s not just the story of the assassination of President Kennedy that this museum tells, it’s also about the legacy of JFK, and is full of photographs, artifacts, and newspaper clippings, chronicling the life and legacy of a man who shook American history.
About The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
The JFK Museum is located in the old Texas Book Depository, on the sixth floor at Dealey Plaza, in the spot where Lee Harvey Oswald is said to have shot the President.
The museum opened in 1989 and chronicles the assassination and its aftermath, as well as the life and legacy of President Kennedy.
Highlights of the museum include the FBI model used by the Warren Commission, the Sniper’s Perch, and an exhibit called “Photographs and Evidence,” which has photos from the Dallas Times Herald collection taken on that poignant day.
The museum also features an exhibit space of films, photographs, and interactive displays that offers a unique angle of the JFK story. The audio guide, included with the entrance fee, makes a visit to the museum an immersive experience.
Museum’s Hours & Entrance Fee
The museum is open from Wednesday – Sunday from 10:00am – 5:00pm, with last tickets sold at 4:15pm, closed Monday and Tuesday.
Admission costs $25 for adults and $21 for youths (aged 6-18), and free for ages 0-5.
The audio tour is included in the admission price, which makes the entrance fee highly worth it. The audio guide allows you to have a self-guided tour of the museum and gives you a more condensed version of the exhibits, pointing out the key highlights.
We definitely recommend booking tickets in advance.
Visitor Experience of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
It hits you as soon as you stare out of the window on the sixth floor of the former Texas School Book Depository Building facing Dealey Plaza in Dallas.
X marks the spot. Two of them. One for the first shot. The second for the fatal shot.
A President died on that spot. A President, who was allegedly shot from where I was standing – a sniper’s perch, with the rifle Oswald used in a cabinet just next to the window.
He was a good President. A young, vibrant, charismatic war hero, with new ideas and energy for positive change and an exceptional talent for expressing those ideas and inspiring people.
We had learned a few things about John F Kennedy before we reached that spot on the sixth floor.
I never knew he started the Peace Corps. I thought of all those American travelers we met in Africa, the only time we really met Americans traveling back then. They were all on Peace Corps adventures.
If it wasn’t for JFK they wouldn’t have been there.
He initiated polices and change in regards to Medicare, civil rights, and protection of the environment!!
He was a President for social good and change. While I’m sure he was not perfect, as no one is, least of all a President, I think he was a good man.
It was evident by the mourning that happened upon his death and the severity of a very short Presidential term.
There was a Gallup Poll asking Americans to assess the last nine presidents from Kennedy forward. In that poll, John Kennedy was the most popular with an 85 percent approval rating.
He was pretty damn handsome too and his wife a picture of elegance, beauty and intelligence.
On that X spot below me, he was killed.
Who did it?
It’s a question that my family have discussed since I was young. I remember watching several documentaries with my parents, and we’d discuss the evidence around the table at family gatherings with my Aunt.
It was the CIA, it was the Mob, it was delusional Lee Harvey Oswald – he was just a patsy, there was a second gunman, a trained sniper, behind the grassy knoll.
All these theories are nothing new, they’ve been told and debated since the 1960s when that fatal day took place.
Although we only had an hour before the museum closed, and the audio tour recommends 90 minutes, we decided a short version of the tour was better than nothing.
We skipped any of the extra audio commentary and focused on following the main stories and sequences of events.
The audio matches large informative display boards, so it was easy to quickly follow.
I couldn’t believe we were standing in the place where it happened, looking at those X’s and the rifle that killed JFK.
These are the unexpected joys of travel, and there are unexpected lessons. Lessons that require you to look inwards and contemplate life, the way in which people treat each other, and how we are shaping our history.
The tour was fascinating. Once again to hear the stories and talk over the conspiracy theories, was a memorable experience.
Just like me at her age, Kalyra, aged 7, walked out with a ton of questions and curiosities. She thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
Savannah, aged 10, loved being my shadow and following along with her audio tour. Audio tours are so great for engaging kids!
His story reminded me of Obama – charismatic vibrant energy bringing elegance and beauty to the White House with the intention for social change.
JFK came at a time when TV was new and he was able to use that to come to the people. They felt they knew him which helped him get voted in. Obama used Social media to his same advantage.
He spoke to the youth, as did JFK. To their new ideas and thirst for the changes of a generation filled with promise and hope for a better world. At least we had Obama for 8 years.
We ended the day outside the museum standing on the grassy knoll looking out to those crosses on the road contemplating it all. Right here a great man was killed.
A man who did good things in a short lifespan.
Final Thoughts
As my mother said, “I wonder what America would be like now if JFK wasn’t killed?”
I guess we’ll never know – just like we’ll maybe never know who really killed JFK.
One thing is for sure, after a visit to the JFK Museum, we can be sure he was a great man, with great ideas, and was taken far too soon.
More Texas Travel Tips
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Are you planning on visiting The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza? Who do you think killed JFK? Let us know in the comments.
