www.kvue.com, May 30, 2008

Toward a better understanding: The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

After living in Dallas all my life, I have experienced most of the traditional Dallas tourist spots. Until recently, though, I had yet to see The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which chronicles the life, assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy.I decided to venture into the unknown. After paying my admission fee and receiving an audio headset, I began my ascent to the sixth floor with a mix of tourists, locals and schoolchildren. While I normally find audio components of museum visits to be a distraction, I found myself clinging to this particular set. Packed with meaningful commentary, specific directions and first-person accounts, the headset was an invaluable companion throughout my visit.

The audio tour began with the portion of the exhibit devoted to the campaigning years, which features photographs of JFK's diverse and youthful supporters holding up signs with messages such as "Kennedy Is Our Remedy." The exhibit chronicles his rise to the White House and the iconic status of the Kennedy family – from first lady Jackie's pillbox hats to the children playing in the Oval Office.

I studied the panels that focus on the JFK presidency, including his domestic emphasis on civil rights and his foreign policy decisions. Then came a section that concentrates on his visit to Dallas, including the crowd that greeted him at Love Field. A video station features news footage of the motorcade, which cuts off just before the shooting. As the voice on the audio guide directed me through the labyrinth of panels, I saw stills of the Zapruder footage, including the haunting picture of Mrs. Kennedy climbing on the trunk of the convertible.

Photographs and audio capture the confusion and the frantic efforts to get the president to Parkland hospital. To my left stood a re-creation of the spot from which Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the fatal shots, complete with stacks of book boxes in the corner. The audio guide then led me to the window, through which I could see the exact location of the shooting.

During the moments spent observing the site, no one spoke. After some time to digest the scene, I headed toward the aftermath portion of the exhibit, which showed the worldwide grief at the president's passing and the conspiracy theories surrounding his death.

While observing the funeral television segment, I realized just how much hope the fallen president had represented. Then we headed for the exhibit on the seventh floor titled "Filming Kennedy," which showed home movies taken the day of his visit, complete with descriptions of the photographers and examples of their cameras.

"Filming Kennedy" put the spotlight on the history of photography, as well as the Kennedy family. The advances in home movies and photography technology are pretty remarkable. Near the entrance to the seventh floor, four visitors happened to be discussing their memories of the day Kennedy was shot – where they were, what they were doing, what they saw on television. It was especially meaningful for me, as a young person, to hear their commentary.

Between the museum and the visitors' reactions, I was able to better understand the Kennedy legacy. The Sixth Floor museum is an essential stop for locals and visitors alike; it combines the history of our country with that of our own city – a story that every Dallasite should know.

By HAYLEY ALTABEF / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Hayley Altabef is a Dallas freelance writer.

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