The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

Located in the historic The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, this institution preserves and interprets the life, legacy, and assassination of John F. Kennedy. The museum occupies the upper floors of the former Texas School Book Depository, a seven-story structure completed in 1901 that originally functioned as a warehouse before becoming a distribution center for educational publishers. On November 22, 1963, the building entered world history during the tragic events surrounding the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, which occurred in the surrounding area known as Dealey Plaza. Today the museum transforms this historically charged site into a place for reflection, scholarship, and education.

The museum opened to the public in 1989 after years of careful planning and restoration that returned the exterior of the building to its early twentieth-century appearance. Its main exhibition on the sixth floor presents a detailed narrative of the events of November 22, 1963, placing them within the broader context of the political and cultural landscape of the 1960s. Through multimedia installations, archival materials, and interpretive displays, visitors encounter the dramatic story of Kennedy’s visit to Dallas as well as the enduring influence of his presidency on American and global history.

Photography occupies a central place in the museum’s collection and interpretive approach. Among the more than 90,000 objects preserved in the archives are thousands of photographs that document the presidential motorcade, the immediate aftermath of the assassination, and the global reaction that followed. Historic press images, documentary photographs, and rare negatives offer a visual chronicle of the day’s events and of the era in which they unfolded. These photographs are frequently featured in exhibitions and publications, allowing scholars and visitors to examine the role of photojournalism in shaping public memory of the tragedy.

Beyond its permanent displays, the museum organizes special exhibitions, educational programs, and public talks that explore themes related to modern American history and visual culture. Researchers, students, and visitors from around the world come to study the archives and engage with the material evidence preserved here. Through its commitment to documentation and photography, The Sixth Floor Museum continues to illuminate the historical significance of the Kennedy presidency while encouraging thoughtful reflection on one of the defining moments of the twentieth century.