The Sixth Floor Museum

Dallas' Tribute to John F. Kennedy
Article Date: January, 2014

Article and Photography by Mark Quasius

I remember Friday, November 22, 1963 quite well. I had just finished my lunch and was preparing to return to school when the news rang out that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. School let out early that day and for the rest of the weekend everyone was glued to the television as non-stop coverage began. It was a time that any American living at that time won't forget. It was inconceivable that this personable President who led our country through some tough times was now dead.

President Kennedy arrived in Air Force One, landing at Love Field in Dallas at 11:37AM. He was joined by Texas Governor John Connally, Vice President Johnson, and all their wives in preparation for the 1964 presidential campaign. An estimated 200,000 Dallas citizens greeted the president's motorcade as it passed through downtown on the way to a sold-out luncheon for 2,600 people at the Dallas Trade Mart. As the motorcade made the slow turn onto Elm Street in Dealey Plaza shots rang out. Eyewitness testimony led police to an immediate search of the railroad yards and fenced area north of Elm Street, which later became known as the grassy knoll, as well as the Texas Book Depository.

The entire event became larger than life as additional twists and turns evolved.

A search of the Texas School Book Depository revealed a sniper's perch by a corner window ion the sixth floor. Stacked cases of books were carefully arranged and three spent rifle shell casings were found on the floor at 1:15 PM. Further search revealed a rifle stuffed in a corner behind some boxes near the exit stairwell. Employees were questioned by police but during a roll call, Lee Harvey Oswald, an employee of the Depository who had begun work there the month before, was missing. Fingerprints on the rifle and on a stack of boxes in the sniper's perch were later confirmed to belong to Lee Harvey Oswald, who had been seen on the sixth floor 35 minutes before the shooting and found in the building's lunchroom two minutes after the shooting.

After the shooting of J. D. Tippit, a Dallas policeman, officers arrested Oswald after a scuffle inside the Texas Theatre at 1:50 PM. Over the next 24 hours more than 300 representatives from local, national and international news organizations descended upon the Dallas Police headquarters to cover this major news event. On Sunday, as Oswald was being transferred from the city jail to the county jail, nightclub owner Jack Ruby stepped out of the crowd and fatally shot Oswald. Ruby was convicted and sentenced to death but died three years later while awaiting an appeal.

On November 29th, President Johnson established a special commission, headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy. The Warren Commission concluded that Oswald acted alone in killing the President. A 1979 report commissioned by the House of Representatives added that a second gunman fired at the motorcade from the grassy knoll. This was supported by audio tapes from the event as well as witness accounts by people present that day. This was repudiated in 1988 by the Justice Department but conspiracy theories continue to evolve to this day.

This view from the Sixth Floor shows the route the motorcade took, turning right onto Houston, heading towards the Texas Book Depository, making a slow left turn onto Elm Street, where the fatal shots were fired.

The Museum

These events, as well as the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy are memorialized in the Sixth Floor Museum. The Texas Book Depository was sold to the city of Dallas, who now uses the first five floors as administrative offices. In 1989, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza opened to the public. Visitors enter via an annex and are fitted with audio guides and headphones that will guide you through the various exhibits. Visitors ride an elevator to the sixth floor and enter the building through a former window. The tour begins by setting the scene for the early 1960s. Items on display reflect the culture of the time, including social movements, political events and a fragment from the Berlin Wall. Photographs and a short film document the life of President Kennedy. The Trip to Texas section follows and examines the reasons for Kennedy's trip to Texas.

The Corner Window section recreates the sniper's perch as it was found on that fatal day. Cases of books are stacked in the correct location and this area is closed off with glass to protect the original floor and the setting. There is no public access to that actual window but the bank of windows to the side provides visitors with an opportunity to see Dealey Plaza much as Oswald would have seen it. The trees have grown in the last 50 years so the clear line of sight that was present on that day no longer exists but it affords visitors a good representation.

The Crisis Hours section follows. An extensive collection of photographs and historic film footage documents everything that followed. Photographs and films of Lyndon Baines Johnson's oath of office, JFK's funeral procession, Jack Ruby's shooting of Oswald and various public reactions are all captured and on display. Included is the original radio broadcast by Pierce Allman, the first reporter to broadcast from the Texas School Book Depository on November 22, 1963.

The Investigations section outlines the four official investigations, beginning with the local investigation in 1963, outlining the participants and their findings. A 10' by 10' model of Dealey Plaza, prepared by the FBI for the Warren Commission in 1964 and on loan from the National Archives is on display as is a collection of 13 cameras used in Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963. Nearly 80% of the American public believes that President Kennedy's death was the result of a conspiracy. A wall is also devoted to the various conspiracy theories that have surfaced over the years and is devoted to the conspirators and their motives.

Final sections are devoted to President Kennedy's legacy. A film narrated by Walter Cronkite looks at the aftermath of the assassination, his legacy of hope and the impact of his death. Lastly, an identical rifle to the one that Oswald used is on display where he hid it behind some boxes before dashing down the staircase to the lunchroom. Oswald's actual rifle is in the FBI Museum in Washington, DC.

The museum also holds a first floor reading room which contains an extensive collection of books, magazines and newspapers covering topics from Kennedy's life and legacy to conspiracy theories. A librarian can assist you in finding the correct material, which includes rare and out of print items as well as close to 1,000 oral interviews. The Museum Store and Cafe is located across the street in the historic 501 Elm building. Light lunches, snacks and beverages are available here as well as gifts, books and items by local artisans. A museum gift shop and rest rooms are also located in the museum's entry at 411 Elm Street.

The museum is filled with a large number of artifacts and interpretive exhibits, such as this collection of cameras used during the event.

Surrounding Area

Dealey Plaza was created as a city park in the 1930s as a vehicular gateway to downtown Dallas. The Dealey Plaza National Historical Landmark District, established in 1993, encompasses the plaza as well as the surrounding buildings, the triple underpass and the railroad yards and historic switching tower. The grassy knoll rises from the north side of Elm Street to the edge of the stockade fence. Placards identify the exact spot where Abraham Zapruder, a Dallas dress maker, filmed the entire event as the motorcade passed his location. Zapruder's film footage was made available to authorities hours after the shooting and was crucial in helping them to understand and analyze the shooting. It is the sole film footage of the actual assassination. A pair of taped Xs marks the two locations where President Kennedy was shot as the motorcade passed by. The John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza was designed by architect Phillip Johnson and dedicated in 1970. It is located two blocks away from the museum and is an open air memorial depicting John F. Kennedy's spirit of freedom.

Tips for RV Travelers

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is located in downtown Dallas. Numerous freeways afford easy access to the area but parking for large vehicles such as RVs is not available. There are bus parking areas quite a way to the north but you'll be better off leaving your RV at the RV park and taking your tow or towed vehicle into downtown Dallas. Passenger vehicle parking is available at the museum. There are numerous RV parks in the area. In our case we stayed in nearby Terrell, Texas at Bluebonnet Ridge RV Park and found it was an easy 45 minute drive into the downtown area.

An average of 320,000 people visit the museum each year so tickets are by timed entry in 30 minutes to eliminate overcrowding and to ensure that you'll be able to comfortably enjoy your visit. On busy days some entry times may be sold out so consider buying your tickets online in advance. The museum recommends 90 minutes for the average visit, although I would allow extra time to see Dealey Plaza and the area surrounding the museum. Arriving early and avoiding busy weekend days always helps. Photographs may be taken outside but no photography is allowed in the museum. Lockers are available in the visitor center to check any gear you don't want to carry while on the tour.

The Sixth Floor Museum is one of those stops that you should put on your bucket list. It's an interesting look at a tragic event in America's history as well as a snapshot of that era and a testament to John F. Kennedy's eternal legacy.

Source

Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
(214) 747-6660
www.jfk.org

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