A Corner of History

Years ago, en route to the Dallas Museum of Art, we made an impromptu decision to stop by the Sixth Floor Museum, which is located on the sixth floor of the old Texas Schoolbook Depository building. History records the allegation that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy from a window on the corner of that sixth floor. Now, a museum encompasses the floor to honor the legacy of the Kennedy administration and capture historical artifacts of the Camelot years and the dark hours when the nation held its collective breath in November of 1963.

We never made it to the DMA the day we stopped at the Sixth Floor Museum. I guess I expected we'd go up there and find a warehouse-like space, with the corner cordoned off and people crowded around looking at the recreated '60s era boxes and a Mannlicher-Carcano bolt-action rifle placed neatly in the dust.

While it is true that you do get to witness some encased, life-size diorama at the infamous window (or at least you did then), the entire floor is a well conceived museum of fascinating memorabilia, photographs, films, recordings, etc. We were there for hours reading displays, watching new footage, and examining artifacts and photos on display. And we only left because the was closing.

And visiting the museum certainly wouldn't be complete without walking around Dealey Plaza and the infamous grassy knoll. It's also worth noting that the JFK Memorial is just a few blocks away.