The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas

The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas is located on the sixth and seventh floors of an old 20th century warehouse that was known as the Texas School Book Depository. The museum was opened in 1989 on Presidents Day and is an official tribute to John F. Kennedy. The museum has opened its doors to over six million people from all over the world who want information and a better understanding about the assassination of the United State's 35th president.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated November 22, 1963 by Lee Harvey Oswald. His assassination took place while Kennedy was riding with his wife in a presidential motorcade near the Texas School Book Depository. A sniper's nest and rifle were found by police on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository and to this day the warehouse is believed to have been the place where the assassin fired the bullet that killed the president. The goal of the Museum is to give an accurate account of the assassination and identify all areas of controversy surrounding the murder.

Although tours in the Sixth Floor Museum are self guided, those who attend the museum are equipped with audio presentation and video clips that attest to the history of the assassination. Visitors are given a moving and informative overview of the events. Visitors to the museum often describe the self guided tour as a humbling experience, especially for the generations who were present at the time the assassination took place. Photography and videotaping is not permitted in the museum in order to avoid copyright infringement laws.

Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas is a non-profit organization and uses the fees accumulated from admission to support the staff and maintain the museum's integrity. Upon entering the museum visitors will find an array of collections and exhibits. The collection includes visual, audio, and artifactual documentation about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Historical objects, clothes, and political paraphernalia are just a few of the things that compose the vast collection of materials. There are over 35,000 pieces of information in the collection that clearly portray a wide range of views dealing with the legacy of the president. There are changing political based exhibits with one permanent exhibit that is a glass encasing of where the gun case and rifle was found by investigators. The area is enclosed in glass and frozen in time to the day of November 22, 1963.

There is an admission fee to enter the museum. Adults are charged $13.50 and children are charged $3.50 or $12.50 depending on age. In addition to admission fees, the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas generates money with its gift shop. The Museum store offers posters, collectibles, clothing, books and DVDs to the general public. Two influential items in the Museum store include a book called the Dealy Plaza National Historic Landmark and a DVD entitled Films From The Sixth Floor. Collectible spoons, coins, stamps, statuettes, and plates are also available for purchase through the museum store.

The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas has a goal to inform and educate the public about politics and history and expands those resources by providing educational programs and student gallery guides. Audio tours for students, teacher information packets, and lesson plans are available to introduce students to a pre-visit lesson on President John F. Kennedy. The museum also offers an E-Newsletter and workshops for teachers that gives educators new ways to make learning about presidential history more exciting and interactive. Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas is owned by the Dallas County Historical Foundation. The museum has an annual attendance of more than 325,000 people every year.