The Fort Worth Opera Festival presented the world premiere of the opera JFK in April 2016.  A special symposia, presented in partnership with The Sixth Floor Museum, explored different topics related to President Kennedy's administration. Covering Tragedy: Journalism in a Changing World was presented in partnership with North Texas public broadcast KERA and explored the evolution of media …

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and The Dallas Theater Center partnered to present programming for the Dallas premiere of the play, All the Way, winner of a 2014 Tony Award®.  This panel discussion compared Presidents Kennedy and Johnson and showcased firsthand accounts from November 22, 1963 from the perspective of politics, presidential security …

Jack and Jackie Kennedy were avid supporters of the visual and performing arts, and under his presidency developed positions that empowered the arts and gave a voice to architecture. They hosted White House parties in honor of famous artists, and JFK supported the creation of the GSA Art in Architecture Program to oversee the commission …

Become a Crime Scene Investigator and solve a crime by identifying forged documents, reading eyewitness accounts or analyzing fingerprints! The Sixth Floor Museum partnered with University of North Texas Forensic Science Program, one of only 14 undergraduate programs in the country that is accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, to present CSI Family …

Former Secret Service agent Clint Hill, who was in President Kennedy's motorcade in Dallas, discussed his new book, Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford with co-author Lisa McCubbin. View this program on YouTube.

Historian and Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Brent D. Glass discussed his new book. A guide to the most important cultural and historic sites in the U.S. From Mesa Verde to the Mall of America tells the collective story of America. Presented in partnership with Frontiers of Flight Museum and …

In 1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon, award-winning presidential historian David Pietrusza crafted a revealing, electrifying portrait of the first modern-day presidential campaign, the epic battle between Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. It was the first campaign to utilize the power of television, the first in which all fifty states would participate and …

Photographs and artifacts tell unique and sometimes surprising stories. This new temporary exhibit highlighted the Museum’s favorite—and most interesting—objects and images from the 1960 campaign, including materials from Senator Kennedy’s visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in September 1960.

In this workshop, educators toured the A Time for Greatness exhibit, sampled the TEKS- aligned education programs and lesson plans designed to accompany the exhibit, and interacted with curatorial staff. Showcasing campaign memorabilia, photographs and film from The Sixth Floor Museum’s collection, this colorful look at the 1960 Kennedy campaign offered a timely exploration of …

Photographs and artifacts tell unique and sometimes surprising stories. This new temporary exhibit highlighted the Museum’s favorite—and most interesting—objects and images from the 1960 campaign, including materials from Senator Kennedy’s visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in September 1960.

In the final days of the 1960 campaign, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson and his wife Lady Bird were accosted by demonstrators while visiting Dallas. This incident gained national media attention at the time, and it would return immediately after the assassination in 1963 as a powerful example of the city’s volatile political atmosphere. Through …

In 1960: LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon, award-winning presidential historian David Pietrusza crafted a revealing, electrifying portrait of the first modern-day presidential campaign, the epic battle between Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. It was the first campaign to utilize the power of television, the first in which all fifty states would participate and …

Photographs and artifacts tell unique and sometimes surprising stories. This new temporary exhibit highlighted the Museum’s favorite—and most interesting—objects and images from the 1960 campaign, including materials from Senator Kennedy’s visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in September 1960.

Cuba, often at center stage in international affairs, is again the focus of global attention. After Fidel Castro stepped down after nearly fifty years as Cuba's leader, his brother, Raúl Castro, embarked upon a series of reforms that are gradually but fundamentally changing the country. The 2014 announcement to normalize Cuba-U.S. relations after over five …

Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Kennedy both supported their husbands as they campaigned for president but did so in very different ways. Mrs. Nixon accompanied her husband everywhere, and he referred to her in almost every speech. Mrs. Kennedy hated campaigning and avoided it when possible – aided in part by her pregnancy. This exploration of …

There is much more to the story of the 1960 campaign than the Museum was able to tell in its A Time for Greatness exhibit. The curatorial staff led an informal question-and-answer session that explored many of the topics touched on in the exhibit as well as new areas of discussion raised by the audience. …

On August 2, 1943, Lt. John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat PT-109 was sunk in the Pacific Theater. Kennedy, clenching a life jacket strap between his teeth to tow one injured crewmember, swam for four hours to lead survivors to a nearby island. This dramatic tale of World War II heroism framed Senator Kennedy’s political …

In the final days of the 1960 campaign, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson and his wife Lady Bird were accosted by demonstrators while visiting Dallas. This incident gained national media attention at the time, and it would return immediately after the assassination in 1963 as a powerful example of the city’s volatile political atmosphere. Through …

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prizes, this program, which was presented by The Sixth Floor Museum and 29 Pieces, provided a platform to launch a powerful community dialogue on the toll of violence and war. The panel included five Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers and one winner of the International Women’s Media Foundation …

Photographs and artifacts tell unique and sometimes surprising stories. Join our collections staff inside our new temporary exhibit as we highlight our favorite—and most interesting—objects and images from the 1960 campaign, including materials from Senator Kennedy’s visit to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in September 1960.

Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Kennedy both supported their husbands as they campaigned for president but did so in very different ways. Mrs. Nixon accompanied her husband everywhere, and he referred to her in almost every speech. Mrs. Kennedy hated campaigning and avoided it when possible – aided in part by her pregnancy. This exploration of …

On August 2, 1943, Lt. John F. Kennedy’s motor torpedo boat PT-109 was sunk in the Pacific Theater. Kennedy, clenching a life jacket strap between his teeth to tow one injured crewmember, swam for four hours to lead survivors to a nearby island. This dramatic tale of World War II heroism framed Senator Kennedy’s political …

There is much more to the story of the 1960 campaign than the Museum was able to tell in its A Time for Greatness exhibit. The curatorial staff led an informal question-and-answer session that explored many of the topics touched on in the exhibit as well as new areas of discussion raised by the audience.

Abraham Zapruder’s home movie capturing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza includes perhaps the most iconic 26 seconds of film in history—the first major instance of citizen journalism. On the anniversary of President Kennedy’s death, Abraham Zapruder’s granddaughter, Alexandra Zapruder, discussed her new book, Twenty-Six Seconds: A …

This teacher workshop, held on the opening day of the Museum’s new exhibit, Amending America: The Bill of Rights, featured special guest presenters Jenny Sweeney from National Archives Fort Worth and Sharon Brannon from the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. This professional development opportunity provided educators of grades 5-12 with new ways to …

In celebration of the 28th anniversary of The Sixth Floor Museum on Presidents Day, this special program featured constitutional law expert Professor Lackland H. Bloom, Jr. of Southern Methodist University. Dr. Bloom examined the creation of the Bill of Rights with special emphasis on the First Amendment in conjunction with the temporary exhibition Amending America: …

Evidence from a recent crime + New technology applied to a cold case = Two crimes to solve! Do you have what it takes to be a Crime Scene Investigator? Study the crime scenes and analyze clues left behind using UV fluorescence as well as burn pattern, blood spatter and glass breakage analyses to crack …

Renowned forensic pathologist, consultant and author Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, who has spent more than 50 years researching President Kennedy’s assassination, presented a multimedia lecture on key areas of the Warren Commission’s 1964 investigation, including President Kennedy’s autopsy and the controversial single bullet theory.   As a distinguished elder statesman of the assassination research community and …

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of President John F. Kennedy, this program featured a conversation between the president’s nephew Stephen Kennedy Smith, noted historian Douglas Brinkley and acclaimed journalist Rena Pederson. Kennedy Smith and Brinkley are co-authors of  JFK: A Vision For America, a compilation of President Kennedy’s greatest speeches with commentary …

This workshop included primary source activities and guest speakers to put into context the struggle for equal rights from 1776 through today and looking onward. Teachers broaden their own content knowledge and develop primary source-based lesson plans that demonstrate the significance and relevance of historic civil rights milestones.  Speakers: Julie L. Hershenberg, J.D., M.A., M.P.T., …

Armed with newly released documents from the original prosecution file, Judge Brandon Birmingham and criminal defense attorney/former Dallas County assistant district attorney Toby Shook told the story of the “trial of the century” that played out just months later in a Dallas courtroom. View this program on YouTube.

In a special program marking the 55th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis, former White House correspondent Sid Davis shared his memories of being in the Oval Office in October 1962 when President Kennedy demanded the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. Davis was also in the motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963 and …

The JFK Records Collection Act of 1992 required the National Archives and Records Administration to release all withheld government files pertaining to President Kennedy’s assassination by October 26, 2017. Best-selling authors Dr. Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and Philip Shenon, former New York Times reporter, discussed the ramifications and revelations of the …

As a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. in 1963, Major William F. Lee participated in the Death Watch rotations – sentry duty by the U.S. Armed Forces around the president’s casket – in the East Room of the White House and in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Lee silently observed both private …

In conjunction with the Nasher Sculpture Center’s Nasher Prize, this program looked at the ways in which artists work with documents, found and archived materials, and research to create sculptural work that considers particularly potent historic moments and issues, as well as the current political climate. Panelists included Chilean-born, New York-based artist, architect and filmmaker …

Presented with the Dallas Theater Center, this program focused on The Great Society, the second part of Robert Schenkkan’s 2016 play All the Way. While facing a “war on poverty” at home, the increasingly unpopular Vietnam war and powerful political enemies, Lyndon B. Johnson fought to pass civil rights legislation and some of America’s most important social programs. …

The opening program of the Museum’s temporary exhibit Rebel Spirits: Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. included a preview of the exhibit and a conversation with photojournalist/exhibit curator Lawrence Schiller and David Margolick, author of the book The Promise and the Dream, which helped inspire the Rebel Spirits exhibit. Both the book and the exhibit explore the unique …

Ellen Meacham, author of Delta Epiphany: Robert F. Kennedy in Mississippi, discussed the lasting impact of Robert F. Kennedy’s visit to the Mississippi Delta in 1967, where Kennedy was stunned by the level of poverty and hunger he witnessed. Through the press coverage that followed him, the nation gained new understanding that children were starving within …

A Ripple of Hope is a powerful documentary produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Dr. Donald Boggs that explores the passion for justice and personal courage that linked Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. in life as well as death. This film traces the events of April 4, 1968, when major cities across the United …

As the intense subjects of discussion and debate that continue today, two crucial government investigations into the death of President John F. Kennedy reflect the evolution of the memory and mood of the nation, from a desire for closure in the immediate aftermath of the assassination to heightened cynicism and mistrust of the government more …

The Sixth Floor Museum paid tribute to both the Museum’s thirtieth anniversary and the fifty-fifth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. These special milestones were marked by a newly commissioned work “The Sixth Floor” written by award-winning Texas composer Jesus Martinez and performed by the Julius Quartet. Arranged in three movements, “Sniper’s …

Successful American leaders have always understood, respected -- and sometimes feared -- the power of the media in shaping and shifting public opinions and perceptions. For more than a hundred years, magazine publishers and politicians have had a symbiotic relationship. From Lincoln to Kennedy and beyond, an American president’s appearance on a magazine cover has …

Bobbie Wygant joined Texas' first television station, WBAP-TV, in 1948, two weeks before it went on the air. During her remarkable and trailblazing career, spanning seventy years in broadcasting, Wygant interviewed thousands of notable entertainers and celebrities from Bette Davis to Charley Pride to Bradley Cooper. In 1960, she became the first woman in the southwest …

Born and raised in the South during a time when racial segregation was the norm, former New York Times journalist John N. Herbers witnessed and covered landmark civil rights uprisings that rocked the country, the world and his own conscience. A leading civil rights journalist for more than a decade, Herbers wrote from behind the front lines, …

Thrust overnight into the center of an international tragedy, Ruth Paine still ponders a different outcome if she’d known Lee Harvey Oswald had stashed a rifle in her garage. For the first time ever, Ruth shared her story at the Museum, joining Curator Stephen Fagin in conversation as she reflected on her friendship with Marina …

While many over the years have pondered Oswald’s motive, clinical psychologist Dr. Gene Riddle took a different tack - analyzing how Oswald became a person capable of assassinating a president. Over the course of six years, Dr. Riddle conducted an in-depth study of Lee Harvey Oswald as part of a book-length project for the Professional …

Join us for the world premiere of “Three Hours in Dallas,” an original musical composition scored to accompany an all-new compilation of historic motorcade film footage. Written by award-winning composer Jesus Martinez and performed by a percussion ensemble from Arlington’s Sam Houston High School, this unique immersive experience exemplifies President Kennedy’s affinity for the arts. …

An award-winning broadcast journalist, Bill Mercer is a Dallas Press Club Living Legend and a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. As a broadcaster with CBS affiliate KRLD Radio and Television in Dallas in 1963, Mercer covered the breaking news of the Kennedy assassination, reporting live from Dallas police headquarters. At a midnight …

To commemorate Presidents Day 2020 at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Curator of Collections Lindsey Richardson presented a gallery talk and artifact showcase exploring the evolution of Jackie Kennedy’s image in popular culture over a sixty-year period, from 1960 to 2020.

To commemorate Presidents Day 2020 at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Curator Stephen Fagin presented a gallery talk and artifact showcase exploring the evolution of President John F. Kennedy’s image in popular culture over a sixty-year period, from 1960 to 2020. Watch the program here.

Explore art to learn about historic people and events. Discover how art tells stories by examining different artworks through clues in plain sight. Work with fiber artist Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither to create your own documentary artwork about yourself. Materials needed: Paper, pen or pencil, and your imagination. Registration is required. Click here to register: …

In the November 1964 issue of LOOK magazine, Martin Luther King, Jr. reflected on John Kennedy one year after his assassination. In the interview, King marveled at President Kennedy’s capacity to listen, learn and grow. He mused that “there were, in fact, two John Kennedys. One presided in the first two years under pressure of …

Women's Vote Centennial Celebration! Christiana Reyes from The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza shares the book "Sofia Valdez, Future Prez" by Andrea Beatty, a young girl dreaming of ways to improve her community. After the story, create a poster showing support for Sofia's work. Be sure to have paper, drawing items (examples: markers, crayons, …

Your classroom needs have changed and so have The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza’s education offerings. Join our Educator Virtual Open House and learn all about the exciting new opportunities for you and your students. Take a break for an hour and join fellow educators for games, activities, and an overview of the Museum’s …

Forensic science is the use of science and the scientific method to investigate crimes and evidence. Forensic investigations cover several topics including fingerprinting and DNA which are used to identify people using characteristics that are unique to each person. This Sixties Science lesson will show you how to collect and study fingerprints and extract DNA. …

Photography and the way we capture current events has changed over the past 60 years, moving from taking pictures using film to digital images with the ability to share them instantly. This episode of Sixties Science will explore the use of film cameras, demonstrate how to make a pinhole camera, and hold a race to …

The Sixth Floor Museum will be live tweeting President Kennedy's 1963 trip to Texas using films, photographs and objects from journalists covering the multi-city trip. Multiple posts will appear on the Museum's Twitter and Instagram pages throughout the weekend beginning in the morning on Saturday, November 21. To view the virtual program, be sure you …

Spend the morning telling only the stories you can tell in this virtual artmaking workshop. Using everyday items including photos, magazines and art materials you have in your home, create artworks that talk. Award-winning educator and fiber artist Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither joins the Museum for a virtual program exploring techniques to document stories of the communities around you. Participants will have the opportunity to work together with Dr. Gaither to create a virtual community artwork sharing their stories and experiences during 2020.

Join The Sixth Floor Museumas we remember President Kennedy this weekend with a special performance by The Concert Truck courtesy of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The Concert Truck will present a free concert outside The Sixth Floor Museum featuring members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m.

Dance is used every day to share stories and emotions as part of a group or on our own. Tara Gregory from the Bishop Arts Theatre Center will lead this virtual dance intensive for middle and high school students to help participants express themselves through movement. Explore how to use dance and movement to help deal with emotions from the challenges of 2020 in a fun and positive way while learning a few new steps.

In 1961 President Kennedy set a challenge to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. In this session of 60s Science, participants will learn about the race between the United States and the Soviet Union to be the first to put a man on the moon. They will discover the …

Become a detective and learn how to examine photographs and collect evidence to unlock clues. Conduct an investigation and learn forensic science techniques you can do with items around your house. Discover how to take your own fingerprints and analyze them. Participants will need: Paper towels, markers, glass of water, copy paper, clear glass cup, …

The 1960s ushered in several medical advancements including the first heart transplant and improvements in respiratory health research for children. In this session of Sixties Science, participants will learn about advancements in medical treatment and research and see how it connects to medical issues today. They will build their own set of inflatable lungs and a heart pump and then determine how to repair them when the patient is ill.
The Sixties Science program is a monthly series connecting history and STEAM from the 1960s to today for students ages 8-13. This program will highlight new topics each month through virtual programs debuting on YouTube the second Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. Visit our Education page for resources for this program and upcoming dates and topics.
Video Link: http://bit.ly/SixtiesScience

A virtual program of scenes and monologues drawn from the play Mama’s Boy, by Rob Urbinati, and interviews with real people who knew Marguerite Oswald, one of the most compelling and divisive characters in history. Mama’s Boy tells the story of Lee Harvey Oswald’s complex relationship with his overbearing mother, Marguerite. The play follows her reckless attempts to …

The Mama’s Boy Project Education Program provides a cross-curricular virtual experience focusing on U.S. history, theatre and psychology. During the program students will learn about the historical and cultural relevance of the Oswald family to American history through the lens of character development and behavioral analysis. This program is recommended for students in grades 9 …

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Museum and the Dallas Public Library will share items from the Museum’s collections focusing on Dr. King and Civil Rights. Educators Elyze Davis and Genevieve Kaplan will share several objects and tell the stories behind them. Objects will include one of the Museum’s latest acquisitions – …

During the 1960s the United States and the Soviet Union used several innovative ways to gather information on about each other. From using spies and double agents to building electronic monitoring and recording devices to creating special message coding systems, the Cold War opponents were determined to stay ahead of one another. In this month’s Sixties Science …

Change, unity and non-violence are core beliefs Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy both shared. How does the power of their words spoken over half a century ago – and their respective calls to action which inspired so much hope to make positive change in communities across the nation - still …

Did you know a modern-day flash drive contains more memory than entire computers from the 1960s? Join the Museum for a conversation with Max Post from the Texas Instruments Alumni Association for a show and tell presentation about early computers and how they developed into the devices we have today. Afterwards, learn how to grow …

Dance is used every day to share stories and emotions as part of a group or on our own. Dancers Tara Gregory and Sarah Matzke from the Bishop Arts Theatre Center led a virtual dance intensive in 2020 to help students express themselves through movement. Explore how to use dance and movement to help you deal with emotions from …

Join award winning visual artist and educator Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither and explore how artists use historic people, places and events to tell stories. In conversation with the Museum’s Director of Education Genevieve Kaplan learn how Dr. Gaither created a large series of quilts documenting the decades of her life through everyday items while sharing …

In his 1960 presidential nomination speech, Kennedy envisioned a New Frontier. His idea for a New Frontier included confronting many of the same challenges we still encounter today such as civil rights, foreign policy, science and education. Students will discuss the challenges Kennedy faced during his administration and determine how far we have come since …

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza presented a virtual artist conversation with Gage Mace, moderated by Curator Stephen Fagin. This program was recorded via Zoom on February 24, 2021. Watch the program at youtube.com/sixthfloormuseum

During the Cold War scientists and government agencies worked tirelessly to create new technologies that would improve their information gathering and sharing. In this session of Sixties Science learn about U-2 spy planes and hidden messages before designing your own airplane and invisible ink.   The Sixties Science program is a monthly series connecting history …

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza presented a virtual artist conversation with Tansill Stough-Anthony, moderated by Curator Stephen Fagin. This program was recorded via Zoom on March 16, 2021. Watch the program at youtube.com/sixthfloormuseum

Free Virtual Event   The Sixth Floor Museum and the UNT Dallas College of Law present: Kennedy’s Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby with authors Dan Abrams and David Fisher in conversation with Felecia Epps, Dean and Professor of Law, UNT Dallas College of Law.   New York Times best-selling authors …

Join The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza for a workshop about civil rights featuring a conversation with civil rights activist Ernest McMillan and primary source-based activities for the classroom.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and celebrate Black History Month, the Museum assembled a special series of civil rights-related oral histories: Voices from the Civil Rights Movement.   Represented in these interviews are the major civil rights organizations from the early 1960s, including the NAACP, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Student Non-violent Coordinating …

  Museum members are invited to join the Museum for an evening with Mark Updegrove to celebrate the publication of his new book, Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency.   6:00 P.M. | Reception 6:30 P.M. | Program | Mark Updegrove in conversation with Nicola Longford, CEO of The Sixth Floor Museum   Complimentary self-parking …

In this special 90-minute program, first-generation Kennedy assassination researcher Josiah Thompson will discuss his decades-long involvement with the case and the making of his critically acclaimed 1967 classic, Six Seconds in Dallas. Thompson will then bring his research full circle with a presentation based on his new book, Last Second in Dallas.  He will show how evidence of what …

Free Community Conversation Listen to firsthand accounts and reflections on the Civil Rights Movement in Dallas from activists and leaders who were part of this historic effort. Moderator Dr. Robert Edison, Curator of Education at the African American Museum, will lead a discussion on civil rights in Dallas as seen through the lived experiences of …

Free Community Conversation   The panel will discuss the findings of the 1968 Kerner Report and why they resonate today. Commissioned by President Lyndon Johnson to identify the causes the violent 1967 riots that killed dozens of people in cities across the country, the Kerner Commission concluded that systemic racism and lack of opportunity were …

Presentation and Book Discussion Free event at the African American Museum   In this first comprehensive biography of Hosea Williams, Rolundus Rice argues that William’s activism in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was of central importance to the success of the larger civil rights movement. Rice traces William’s journey from a local activist in Georgia …

Museum members are invited to a private tour of Solidarity Now! Members of the Museum are invited to a private tour of Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People's Campaign with curator Stephen Fagin.   8:30 a.m. | Light breakfast and coffee in the Visitors Center 9 a.m. | Tour begins, will last approximately 45 minutes    …

Free event at the African American Museum   Join community activists and civil right leaders Diane Ragsdale and Marilyn Clark for the next in a series of programs related to Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People's Campaign. The program will be moderated by Vicki Meek.   Presented in partnership with the African American Museum.