9 of the Best Places To Explore JFK History in Dallas

Every history lover’s guide to Dallas includes Dealey Plaza, the city park established where Dallas was founded in 1841. Pre-1963 it was merely the western entry point into downtown, and now it’s where JFK was assassinated.

Walking tours of Dealey Plaza take travelers back to the events of November 22, 1963, pointing out the spot where JFK was shot on Elm Street and the grassy knoll from where onlookers said they thought the gunfire had originated. Not only is the plaza a focal point of every JFK assassination tour, but it’s also included on broader Dallas city tours that explore the rest of downtown, whether on foot, by e-bike, or by bus.

For a comprehensive account of JFK’s fatal trip to Dallas, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is the best place to start. Housed in the former Texas School Book Depository building, where Lee Harvey Oswald fired at JFK from a sixth-floor window, the exhibits also detail the events that shaped JFK’s presidency—and the remaining doubts about the investigation into his death.

Cruise past the infamous building on a JFK trolley tour, or choose one of many Dallas historical tours that end at the Sixth Floor Museum so you can browse at your own pace.

A short walk away from the Sixth Floor Museum is the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, home to a solemn “open tomb” structure designed by architect Philip Johnson in 1970. The square’s close proximity to Dealey Plaza, Reunion Tower, and other attractions means it’s easy to include on any downtown Dallas itinerary, from self-guided scavenger hunts to hop-on hop-off bus experiences.

At night, the memorial’s concrete columns appear to be held up by light, making the plaza an evocative stop after dark on a Dallas tour by e-bike.

Less than half an hour after shooting JFK, Oswald briefly returned to a house in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood, where he had been renting a room since the October of 1963. Now called the Oswald Rooming House, the museum offers guided tours of the assassin’s room.

Book a private visit with Patricia Hall, who lived in the house and interacted with Oswald during his stay, to hear her perspective on the mysterious figure. Or, for a more thorough JFK tour, join a guided Oswald Rooming House visit that includes other attractions related to the assassination, including Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum.

Oswald was charged with not one, but two murders on November 22, 1963: those of JFK and Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit. After fleeing Dealey Plaza and stopping by the Oak Cliff rooming house, Oswald headed farther south toward the Dallas Zoo. Stopped by Tippit, who was patrolling at the intersection of Patton Avenue and 10th Street, Oswald fatally shot the officer.

There’s now a Texas Historical Commission marker at the intersection summarizing the incident and honoring Officer Tippit. Located between the Oswald Rooming House and Texas Theatre, it’s a convenient stop on a self-guided JFK driving tour.

After Oswald shot Officer Tippit, he snuck into a movie screening inside the Texas Theatre, where he was spotted and arrested. While Oswald’s seat is no longer there—owners swiftly remodeled the venue to distract from its dark history—you can still catch a movie at the Texas Theatre and imagine how it looked in 1963.

Around the anniversary of JFK’s death, the theater shows films such as War is Hell, which Oswald watched while hiding from the police. Year-round, you can book a JFK assassination tour that includes the Texas Theatre and Oswald Rooming House, allowing you to retrace the steps that led to the assassin’s arrest.

Though actually located some 30 miles (48 kilometers) outside of Dallas, this spot is still worth the trip. JFK spent the night of November 21, 1963, at Fort Worth’s Hotel Texas (now the Hilton Fort Worth), where he appeared at a local Chamber of Commerce event the next morning. Before breakfast, he spoke to a crowd of thousands in front of the hotel, and now a bronze JFK statue stands in that same spot.

While smaller than other Kennedy legacy exhibits, the JFK Tribute commemorates the former president’s final public address, complete with moving photos and excerpts from his last speeches. See it on a Fort Worth historical tour from Dallas, along with the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historical District and other nearby highlights.

Before the UNT Dallas College of Law moved in, the Dallas Municipal Building, also known as Old City Hall, served as the city’s police headquarters. It stands out among Dallas’ historical landmarks for its beaux-arts architecture and deadly history, as it’s where Lee Harvey Oswald was jailed for the murder of JFK and later killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby.

In 2022, UNT completed an exhibit in the building preserving Oswald’s jail cell, his interrogation room, and his final path through the basement before he was shot. The exhibit is only open for private tours; if you’re unable to schedule one, it’s still worth seeing the beautiful building from the outside before visiting the nearby Dallas Farmers Market.

An Italian chain restaurant might seem like an unlikely place to discover presidential history in Dallas, but Campisi’s is a local institution for both its thin-crust pizza and its connection to the JFK assassination.

Stop by the Mockingbird Lane location for a slice and a story about Jack Ruby, who ate at the restaurant—then called the Egyptian Lounge—the night before JFK’s death. The Campisis were friends with Ruby, and they even visited him while he was in jail for Oswald’s murder—though what they discussed remains a mystery to this day.