16 JFK Assassination Related Sites in Dallas/Fort Worth (Ultimate Guide)

If you’re interested in learning about the JFK assassination that occurred in Dallas and seeing all of the different sites associated to that tragic moment in history, you’ll find that the Dallas/Fort Worth area has 16 or so must-see sites you’ll want to visit.

In this article, I’ll give you all of the sites that you’ll want to check out and all of the historical and practical information you need to know about them in order to have a smooth and meaningful visit.

How to see JFK Sites in Dallas (overview)

I recommend roughly following the order below because it’s ordered in a way that factors in both the sequence of events and driving efficiency.

This itinerary begins in Fort Worth where JFK began his time in DFW and delivered his two final speeches and then takes you to Dallas and follows along the motorcade route.

Once you finish that, you can experience all of the downtown Dallas destinations, including places like the Sixth Floor Museum and Grassy Knoll before moving on to grab a bite at a historic lunch spot tied to the shooting.

After you’ve had your Italian food fix, you’ll head down to the Oak Cliff area of Dallas and hit up a few more spots that will shed light on Lee Oswald and even provide fodder for conspiracy theories.

To wrap up, you can make your way to Irving, Texas, and finish up at the Ruth Paine House where you can learn more about what Oswald’s life was like in the weeks leading up to the assassination.

Checking out all of these locations will give you a comprehensive set of experiences and really help you understand the full spectrum of events that may or may not have taken place on November 22, 1963.

After doing the itinerary below, I walked away with a better understanding of the JFK assassination, lots of new questions, and also another level of admiration for the former president.

If you want to see all of the sites below, give yourself a full day or if you want to move at a more leisurely pace, a day and a half.

Background to JFK’s 1963 visit to Texas

Before visiting all of the sites in Dallas, it helps to have a bit of context as to what JFK was doing in Texas.

In June of 1963, while visiting in El Paso, Texas, and meeting in the Hotel Cortez, Kennedy agreed to a second presidential visit to Texas later on in the year.

Where JFK stayed in El Paso in June 1963. The decision to visit Texas in November was made in this building — the Hotel Cortez.

The goal of this visit was to to raise campaign fund contributions, boost his odds for re-election in November 1964, and end in-fighting among Texas Democratic Party members.

JFK planned a two day business visit with some leisure time after that.

On the first day, he would arrive in San Antonio and then later that day fly to Houston where he’d give an address at the Rice Hotel and testimonial dinner at the Sam Houston Coliseum.

After dinner in Houston, he would make his way to Fort Worth aboard Air Force One and the next morning after attending a breakfast event he would head to the Dallas Trade Mart to give yet another speech.

Later that day he’d fly to Austin for a $100 per plate dinner at the Austin Municipal Auditorium with the hopes of raising some serious cash.

After all of the speeches were made, JFK and the entourage would enjoy some relaxation at LBJ’s ranch in the Texas Hill Country, where Lyndon Johnson would put on one of his epic barbecue events on the Pedernales River.

The barbecue spot by the river at LBJ’s ranch.

Because the election in Texas (and nation wide) was so close in 1960, the visit to Texas was a very crucial one.

Kennedy insisted on the protective bubble being removed from the Lincoln Continental convertible so that onlookers could get a close look at him and Jackie Kennedy.

He wanted to be exposed to the greatest number of people possible and make a strong connection with those potential voters.

One has to think that the decision to remove the protective bubble was largely motivated by him knowing he needed to do everything he could to increase his chances of winning Texas in the 1964 election, especially since he lost Dallas in 1960.

List of JFK sites

Now that you have little overview of how to visit the sites and some context for the visit, let’s jump into all of the JFK sites you’ll want to see.

First, I’ll give you a list of all the sites and then I’ll go into detail for each individual location.

Hilton Fort Worth
JFK Tribute
JFK motorcade route
JFK Memorial
The white “X” (Dealey Plaza)
Grassy knoll (Dealey Plaza)
Sixth Floor Museum
Campisi’s
Dallas Municipal Building
Lee Oswald’s old house
Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House Museum
Officer Tippit memorial
Texas Theater
Ruth Paine House Museum
The Trade Mart
Parkland Hospital

Hilton Fort Worth

Address: 815 Main St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

In Forth Worth, JFK spent the night at the Texas Hotel (currently the Hilton Fort Worth).

Some prominent members of the community wanted the President to be sufficiently impressed with his hotel room so they came together to furnish JFK’s hotel suite with original artwork from famous artists such as Picasso and Vincent van Gogh.

The original suite JFK stayed at on the eighth floor (room 850) has since been remodeled so the original room does not exist.

However, if you head to the eighth floor and go to the rooms near 808 and 810 that is reportedly where the old suite JFK stayed in was located.

The morning of the shooting, JFK would give a speech to thousands of people outside the Texas Hotel and then head back inside to the Crystal Ballroom to give his final speech to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce over breakfast.

The ballroom shimmers a little different today and just outside it you can find dozens of framed JFK photos and news clippings from his visit to Fort Worth.

The ballroom where JFK gave his last speech.

We decided to stay a night at the Hilton Fort Worth to fully immerse ourselves in the history. I really enjoyed the hotel and loved that it had such a historic feel to it on every floor. Rooms are not very expensive, either.

However, if you are able to splurge you can look into the special JFK suite up on the 15th floor but that might cost you $2,000+!

JFK Tribute

Address: 916 Main St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Just outside the Hilton Fort Worth, there is a tribute/memorial that is worth checking out that is located right where JFK gave his impromptu speech before breakfast.

Dedicated May 29, 2012, the tribute consists of a Lawrence Ludtke 8-foot-tall bronze statue, and a 10-foot, bowed granite wall engraved with memorable quotes and adorned with large photos from JFK’s visit to Fort Worth.

You can read about JFK’s legacy as you ponder what the scene would’ve been like outside the hotel close to 60 years ago as the 35th President of the United States gave one of his very last speeches.

It’s kind of unbelievable but it’s reported that before JFK left the Hilton Fort Worth he made the following remark regarding presidential appearances:

“if anybody really wanted to shoot the President of the United States, it was not a very difficult job–all one had to do was get a high building someday with a telescopic rifle, and there was nothing anybody could do to defend against such an attempt.”

JFK motorcade route

Address: Dallas

You can book tours that will take you along the JFK motorcade route or you can simply drive the route yourself like we did.

Use this map to follow the original motorcade route that JFK took leading up to his final moments before the assassination.

The route starts at Dallas Love Airport and then works its way through the heart of Dallas.

The streets along the route are almost exactly the same from 1963 but there will be a couple of occasions where you need to simply turn off the route and then get back on after a block or two.

These include Cedar Springs and Olive Street and Harwood Street and Woodwall Rodgers Freeway.

With morning traffic, it took us about 25 minutes to drive the full route and while it’s a little unremarkable in the beginning, if you’re like me, you’ll probably get goosebumps as you make the final slow turn on Elm Street.

It’s said that once the motorcade was nearing the spot of the shooting, Governer Connally’s wife, Nellie, turned to JFK and commenting on the lively crowds showing up, said, “Mr. President, you can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you!”

JFK then uttered his last words, “No, you sure can’t.”

John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza

Address: 646 Main, Dallas, TX 75202

After we finished the motorcade route we decided to park at the Sixth Floor Museum and then wander around to check out the nearby JFK sites.

The JFK Memorial was designed by famed architect Philip Johnson who called it “a place of quiet refuge, an enclosed place of thought and contemplation separated from the city around, but near the sky and earth.”

The monument, standing 30 feet tall and 50 by 50 feet, is an empty tomb, that “symbolizes the freedom of Kennedy’s spirit.”

It’s an interesting memorial but it’s in serious need of some pressure washing.

I mean honestly, how dirty are these folks gonna let this memorial get?

Stained or not, some people aren’t impressed by it and while sections do sort of look like a giant lego piece it’s still worth checking out mostly because it’s free and only takes a couple of minutes to visit.

The white “X” (Dealey Plaza)

Address: Near 411 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75202

Elm Street has white “X”s painted on the pavement where JFK was shot, including where the fatal headshot occurred.

Interestingly, the city of Dallas does not place these white Xs on the street and nobody knows exactly who does it. The Xs are periodically removed when the streets are re-paved but they always reappear virtually immediately.

The city does not object to them and just lets them be but some people do dispute that they are placed accurately.

Whether or not “X” actually marks the spot, heading down to Elm Street and checking out the white Xs is moving, especially when you gaze back up at the half-opened window on the sixth floor of the old Texas School Book Depository.

white "X" on Elm Street Dallas — The white “X” on Elm Street.

Grassy knoll (Dealey Plaza)

Address: Near 411 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75202

The infamous grassy knoll at Dealey Plaza is where many conspiracy theorists assert a second shooter was located.

Reportedly, some people saw a plume of smoke in the trees near the grassy knoll which would have indicated a second shooter.

Others reported strange activity in the area like unfamiliar automobiles in the rail yards and two men standing behind the fence, suggesting that something was not quite right.

The grassy knoll and Dealey Plaza make up a pretty small area but you can find a hand full of interpretive panels located throughout the plaza that give you some insight into the history.

JFK Grassy knoll Dallas — The grassy knoll.

You can also stand right where the Zapruder film was shot and view the scene from the exact same angle which I thought was pretty interesting.

We visited this area around 9am so crowds were minimal to nonexistent but it does seem like this area gets quite busy at peak times.

The location where the Zapruder film was shot.

The Zapruder film is considered the most complete film of the shooting.

Sixth Floor Museum

Address: 411 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75202

The Sixth Floor Museum is an absolute must for anyone interested in the JFK assassination.

The main attraction at this museum is probably the “sniper’s perch” which is the corner of the Texas School Book Depository building where Oswald allegedly fired three shots at John F Kennedy.

This is where they found the rifle which was traced to Oswald along with three shells.

The corner is assembled with cardboard boxes to look just like it did the day Oswald was up on sixth floor. It’s pretty ominous when you first see it.

While the entire corner is glassed-off, you can head up to the seventh floor and take a look at the corner view which would be almost the exact same view the shooter had.

The Sixth Floor Museum goes well beyond the assassination and gives you insight into the life and career of JFK with many interpretive exhibits.

In addition to the exhibits, there are some interesting artifacts like the wedding ring of Lee Oswald, a replica of the rifle used, and models of cameras used to capture JFK’s final moments.

I recommend that you buy your timed-entry tickets in advance so that when you arrive at the time of opening you can get in and hopefully avoid the crowds.

Tickets are $18 per adult but note the museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Give yourself about an hour and a half for the self-guided experience.

We arrived at the parking lot around 9am and parking was plentiful. For the day parking cost $12.

You can read my full review of the museum here.

Campisi’s

Address: 5610 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX 75206

Once you have worked up a little bit of an appetite, head over to the original Campisi’s restaurant for lunch.

This is a restaurant that Jack Ruby frequented a lot and that he visited the night before the JFK assassination.

Jack Ruby was the individual who killed Lee Oswald only a couple of days after Oswald was apprehended.

The owner of the restaurant, Joe Campisi allegedly had mob ties and to add even more mystery, he and his wife visited Jack Ruby in jail after Ruby killed Oswald and nobody knows what they discussed.

For those who believe in a mob connection to the assassination, this raises a lot of questions, including the possibility that the mob killed Lee Oswald to keep him quiet.

While there’s a lot of uncertainty around Joe Campisi and Jack Ruby, the good news is that there’s certainty that the food is good and you can’t go wrong with their thin crust pizza.

Tip: If you have more than two people, ask for the Jack Ruby booth (the actual booth he ate at).

Dallas Municipal Building

Address: 106 S Harwood St, Dallas, TX 75201

Opened in 1914, the Beaux-Arts Style Dallas Municipal Building is the old police station where Lee Oswald was taken after he was arrested and it’s the same spot where he was eventually shot and killed by Jack Ruby.

While being transported to an armored car that would take Oswald from Dallas City Jail to Dallas County Jail, Jack Ruby stepped away from a group of reporters and shot Oswald point-blank range in the abdomen with a .38 Colt Cobra revolver.

Right after he was shot, Oswald was asked, “Do you have anything you want to tell us now?”

He shook his head “no” just before going unconscious. And that was it.

The shooting was broadcast on live TV and so Oswald was the first known person to ever be murdered on live television.

How did the onlookers react?

It’s reported that once the crowd outside the police headquarters found out who had been shot, they erupted into an applause.

On March 14, 1964, Ruby was convicted of murder with malice and was sentenced to death but his conviction was overturned. While he was waiting for a new trial, he died of a pulmonary embolism on January 3, 1967.

Today, the Dallas Municipal Building is the home of University of North Texas Law School.

Oswald’s jail cell on level 5 has been preserved along with other areas from that time, but I don’t think any of the sites are open to the public for regular viewing.

Reportedly, the Oswald’s jail cell was also the cell used for Jack Ruby after he killed Oswald.

Oswald was shot in the basement where the parking garage connected to the building so it’s not visible from the outside. However, it’s still interesting to check out the building and if you contact the right people you might be able to access the interior.

Lee Oswald’s old house

Address: 214 W Neely St, Dallas, TX 75208

When the Oswalds returned from Russia, they lived in this house from March 2, 1963 to April 24, 1963.

This is the house where Oswald was spotted in the infamous photo of him holding his rifle and two newspapers later identified as the Worker and the Militant.

It’s believed that the rifle in the photo is the same rifle that was used to shoot JFK.

Some people have claimed that that photograph was doctored but analysis of the photos have shown otherwise.

Today, the building looks like an old, creepy abandoned house but you can still view the stairs in the backyard.

There are openings in the fence which would allow someone to get into the backyard and take a picture under the stairs.

I’m not big on trespassing in Texas and would have felt a little weird re-enacting that photo so we just got our shots from the outside of the fence.

Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House Museum

Address: 1026 N Beckley Ave, Dallas, TX 75203

The Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House Museum is the temporary residence that Lee lived in from October 14 to the time of the JFK assassination. Out of all of the spots on this list, this left the biggest impression to me.

Yes, it’s interesting to check out the tiny bedroom that Lee Oswald lived in and to see the rooming house still looking like a 1960s home.

But the main attraction here is talking to Miss Pat who actually grew up around the house and had personal interactions with Oswald.

She has all kinds of different stories to tell and if you believe in the “standard version” of events, she will probably blow your mind and leave you pondering a lot of questions about what happened.

You’ll need to call 469-261-7806 to book a ticket and a private tour will cost $30 per person. You’ll have up to two hours with her which will absolutely fly by.

Officer Tippit memorial

Address: E 10th St &, N Patton Ave, Dallas, TX 75203

Officer JD Tippit was an 11-year veteran with the Dallas Police Department who was patrolling the Oak Cliff area in Dallas after the assassination.

He’d been given a description of JFK’s shooter (slender white male, 5 ft 10 in, about 165 pounds) and about 45 minutes after the assassination of JFK, Tippit spotted someone who fit the description.

This suspicious person would end up being Lee Oswald.

According to eyewitnesses, as Tippit got out of his car and was having an exchange with Lee, Oswald shot Tippit several times and ultimately killed him.

Today, you can visit the intersection where the shooting occurred and view the monument marker as you pay respects for the fallen officer.

Texas Theater

Address: 231 Jefferson Blvd, Dallas, TX 75208

After Oswald killed officer J.D. Tippit, Oswald made his way to the Texas Theater.

It’s reported that Oswald bought some popcorn and then snuck his way into a film called War Is Hell without purchasing a ticket.

After getting alerted by a neighboring store owner about a suspicious-looking Oswald, a Texas Theatre cashier phoned police.

Soon, officers arrived, the house lights were flipped on, and police found Oswald sitting with his gun near the rear of the theater.

Reportedly, Oswald tried to fire at one of the officers which resulted in an altercation. Eventually, officers wrangled him out of the building but not before Oswald took a shiner to the face.

The Texas Theater still runs shows today so you could get access into the theater by purchasing a ticket to a show.

At one point, the seat location that Oswald sat in was marked but I’m not sure if that still the case (the original seat has been removed).

If you wanted to see things in chronological order, you could put the Dallas Municipal Building after this location. However, because that building is located in Downtown Dallas I found it easier to lump that location in with the other downtown sites.

Ruth Paine House Museum

Address: 2515 W 5th St, Irving, TX 75060

The Ruth Paine House Museum is the former home of Ruth Paine who allowed Lee Oswald’s wife, Marina Oswald, to stay with her in 1963.

Lee Oswald would stay at this house on the weekends when he wasn’t at the rooming house.

This house is special because it’s where Lee spent his last night before the shooting and it’s also where he hid his rifle.

Now, it’s been turned into a house museum with each room representing an exhibit of sorts.

You can see the bedroom that Lee slept in and where he left his wedding ring and the cash for Marina the morning he went to work with his rifle.

If you book a tour here, you can learn a lot more about how Ruth Paine got connected with Lee Oswald and listen to stories about how she felt after she found out Oswald was the alleged assassin.

The Trade Mart

Address: 2100 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, TX 75207

The Trade Mart (Grand Courtyard) is the building that JFK was headed to after the motorcade route.

It was here that lunch was going to be had and you can see the actual place setting that was prepared for him if you visit the Sixth Floor Museum.

I don’t think The Trade Mart is open to the public so you would have to contact someone in order to get access.

However, you can still drive by it and check out the JFK Trade Mart Statue & Plaque.

We chose to visit the Trade Mart and Parkland Hospital at the very end of our time in Dallas since it just made things easier but technically this would have been the end of the motorcade route.

Parkland Hospital

Address: 4666 La Rue St, Dallas, TX 75211

Parkland Hospital is where JFK ultimately came to rest.

Specifically, it was trauma room one where he would be pronounced dead at 1pm on November 22, 1963.

Parkland Hospital is also where Oswald was taken after he was shot by Ruby and Oswald would be pronounced dead at 1:07pm on November 24, almost exactly 48 hours from the time JFK passed away.

And if that wasn’t enough of events going full circle, Jack Ruby also died at this hospital after suffering a pulmonary embolism.

Something interesting about what happened at Parkland Hospital is that Texas law required a body to be autopsied before it could be shipped away from the state.

But because it would take so long to autopsy JFK’s body, officials worked out a compromise so that an MD would stay by JFK’s body the entire way back to DC.

Today, the exact trauma room no longer exists but there is a memorial marker in the radiology department for where it once existed.

It’s probably obvious but because this is a hospital, entry is going to be limited and so the site may not be available for much of the public.

JFK’s body was eventually buried in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington DC and his gravesite is still a major attraction today.

JFK’s grave with the eternal flame burning.

Final word

Visiting these sites will likely cause you to feel an array of emotions.

Hope, shock, skepticism, horror, all seem to arise at different times.

But there is something to be said about walking in the footsteps of history.

There’s no better way to absorb, appreciate, and understand the events that took place and while a lot of the content is pretty heavy, checking out all of these locations was worth every second to me.

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.

Oswald Rooming House Museum Review (Dallas, TX)

There’s something special about standing in the exact spaces of major historical events. You’re able to appreciate and absorb the history in a way that otherwise just would not be possible.

One location where you can do this is the Oswald Rooming House Museum in Dallas — a site closely tied to the assassination of JFK.

If you’re thinking about visiting the Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House and want to know tips on how to go about that and what to expect, keep reading below!

What is the Oswald Rooming House Museum?

The Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House is a former boarding house that was once the temporary home to Lee Harvey Oswald from October 14, 1963 to the time of the JFK assassination.

Today, it’s a museum house open to the public where you can visit Oswald’s old room and talk with the owner of the house who grew up interacting with Oswald.

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Where is the Oswald Rooming House Museum?

The Oswald Rooming House Museum is located at: 1026 N Beckley Ave, Dallas, TX 75203.

This is about two miles from the The Sixth Floor Museum (the former Texas School Book Depository), which is where Oswald allegedly shot JFK.

Don’t get the Oswald Rooming House Museum mixed up with another nearby house that was also once the home to Oswald.

That house is located at 214 W. Neely Street and it is infamous for the staircase found in the backyard.

It was directly under that staircase that Oswald took one of the most infamous photos with him holding the rifle that was allegedly used in the assassination.

That photo is also thought to be one of the most important pieces of evidence incriminating Oswald.

Today, you can view the house and even check out the stairs in the back (without having to trespass).

How do you access the Oswald Rooming House Museum?

The museum is open to the public but you need to make reservations or book a tour in order to get access to the house.

The house can be visited as part of a bus tour but we decided on a private tour (highly recommended).

Private tours can be booked via telephone by calling the owner at: 469-261-7806.

It’s possible to do a last-minute tour but it is recommended that you schedule at least a week or two in advance to make sure there will be availability.

The prices for this tour may fluctuate or change but we paid $30 per person for what could’ve been a session of two hours. Cash and credit card are accepted.

We had to leave to visit another site so we only had 60 minutes which actually was not really enough time.

You might be wondering how on earth a tour of such a small rooming house would last up to two hours. Well, I’ll get into that below….

One thing to know about the tour is that you are allowed to take photographs inside but she asks that you appear in all of your photographs.

So you can have someone including Miss Pat, take a picture of you in some of the key spots.

The Oswald Rooming House Museum experience

In my opinion, there are two major reasons for visiting the Oswald rooming house museum: Lee Oswald’s bedroom and Talking with Mrs. Pat.

Lee Oswald’s bedroom

The first reason to come is that you can see the bedroom of Lee Oswald and the actual wardrobe closet that was in his room at the time.

Oswald's bedroom 1963 — Oswald’s bedroom. Photo from 1963 via CBS News.

Note that Oswald did not sleep in this room the night before the assassination.

Instead, he spent the night at the Ruth Paine House where he typically would stay on weekends.

Reports indicate that Lee Oswald made his way over to his bedroom in the Oswald Rooming House Museum after he assassinated JFK.

Once he arrived at the house he went to his wardrobe and grabbed a jacket and a gun and then left the house. He would go on to allegedly shoot and kill officer Tippit and eventually be apprehended in the Texas Theatre.

Seeing the tiny quarters that Oswald lived in is pretty surreal.

First, it’s just crazy and a little eerie that this is where he was living at the time of the assassination.

Second, the room is just very, very small.

Talking with Mrs. Pat

The main attraction here is a talk with Patricia Hall aka “Mrs. Pat.”

She is the granddaughter of the former owner of the house, Mrs. Gladys Johnson, who owned it when Lee Oswald was a tenant.

Mrs. Pat is full of stories, theories, and conversation related to the JFK assassination.

And it is the stories that are so addicting to listen to.

What’s most interesting to me is that she grew up around the house as a kid.

When she was 10 years old she had interactions with Oswald and remembers very specific stories that she openly shares.

You get to hear (first-hand) what Lee Oswald was like and how he interacted with kids in the neighborhood. It’s very intriguing.

Beyond recalling her childhood memories, she also has a lot of information about the events related to the assassination.

She definitely does not believe in the “standard” explanation of what happened.

If you are versed in the death of JFK, you know that there are several theories around his death involving actors like Lyndon Johnson, the CIA, the mob, Fidel Castro, etc.

As you sit down in a 1960s style living room, Mrs. Pat is able to go deep into all of these theories and show you how things fit together (or rather how they don’t fit together).

While I don’t know if I am on board with all of her views on the events, her perspective made me ponder a lot of things.

Regardless of whether or not you are in full agreement or full disagreement with her, you can’t deny that listening to her stories is utterly fascinating.

She is like a living museum exhibit.

But unlike an exhibit, she won’t be around forever, so talking with her feels like something you truly need to cherish.

In addition to the stories, she also has a few interesting items in the house to show you that I won’t fully spoil for you in the review.

My biggest tip I would have before visiting here is to do some serious research.

Watch documentaries, listen to podcasts, read articles, etc.

Come with questions about the research, ask them, and then just let Miss Pat go off with her stories.

If you are not on board with any of the JFK conspiracy theories, I think it will be impossible to not come away with at least some questions about the current leading narrative.

Final word

The Oswald Rooming House Museum was my favorite location out of the dozen or so JFK assassination sites that we visited in Dallas.

I found Miss Pat’s story to be very captivating and it was also very interesting to see Lee Oswald’s little bedroom. I would highly highly recommend this tour for anyone remotely interested in the history behind the JFK assassination.

Daniel Gillaspia

Ruth Paine House Museum Review (JFK Site)

On a recent trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I was surprised to find out how many sites there were related to the JFK assassination.

With so many different places to see, you might have to narrow down your options to only a few and if that is the case then I would highly recommend you checking out the Ruth Paine House Museum.

Below, I’ll give you a detailed review of the experience and let you know exactly what to expect and how to book if you’re interested.

What is the Ruth Paine House Museum?

The Ruth Paine House Museum is a house turned museum that is known for being the place where Lee Harvey Oswald stayed the night before the JFK assassination.

Lee Oswald’s wife, Marina Oswald, lived at the Ruth Paine House and Lee Harvey Oswald would spend weekends there when he was not staying at his boarding house (which you can also visit).

Now, the house is a museum open to the public and full of exhibits that tell the story of Ruth Paine, Michael Paine, Lee Oswald, and Marina Oswald.

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Where is the Ruth Paine House Museum?

The Ruth Paine House Museum is located at 2515 W. 5^th Street, Irving, TX.

Before the pandemic, tours would begin at the Irving Archives Museum and then you would be transported to the house in a van.

However, now you simply arrive at the Ruth Paine House Museum and then you can decide if you want to visit the Irving Archives Museum afterwards. (The museum is only about a seven minute drive away from the house at 801 W Irving Blvd, Irving, TX 75060.)

Reservations are required to visit the Ruth Paine House Museum and you can book a tour through this website. Tickets are $12 per person which in my opinion is a bargain.

Ruth Paine House Museum Background

In 2009, the City of Irving purchased the Paine House and in 2011 they began efforts to restore the house to its original 1963 appearance.

This wasn’t the cheapest task and it’s estimated that they spent about $100,000.

Eventually, the Ruth Paine Home was ready for visitors and it opened up on November 6, 2013 — the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination.

Over the years, the museum has added additional artifacts and household items and they seem to be continually working to make the house look more and more like how it appeared in the 1960s.

Ruth Paine House Museum Tour

Before you enter the house, your guide should give you a briefing on a lot of the background of the house and Ruth Paine herself.

You’ll find out who she was and what was going on in her life when she decided to let Lee Oswald’s wife, Marina, live with her.

Once you hear the full story of how it all came to be, it all sort of makes sense why she would let them into her house.

You’ll also learn a little bit about the neighbors including the neighbor that got Lee Oswald the job at the Texas School Book Depository and the one that took him to work on the day of the shooting.

It’s pretty fascinating that multiple homes on the street have such close ties to the JFK assassination.

Inside the Ruth Paine House Museum

The tour is a pretty simple one which will take you through a handful of different rooms in this tiny house.

In each room, you’ll find short re-enactments of different scenes that are displayed through projected vignettes. It’s definitely one of the more unique ways to take in this type of history.

The re-enactments will mostly tell the stories of Ruth, Marina, and Lee during their time living at the house and before and after the assassination.

You really get a sense of the type of relationships that these people had with each other which I believe helps you understand the type of people that they were.

It’s a pretty well done exhibit overall but I would recommend two changes to improve the experience:

First, my recommendation would be for the museum to time the start of the movie projections a little better because we were dropped into some of the rooms midway through the scenes.

Also, the volume from the other rooms is a little loud and can make it difficult to focus on what you’re listening to because of multiple voices coming from different areas in the house.

If they could fix those two things, I think it would greatly enhance the visitor experience.

On the tour, you’ll start off in the living room which has some original items from the house including the speaker box and a large brown lamp.

This living room is where a very famous photo was taken from Time magazine that featured Oswald’s mother and Marina Oswald with her infant.

Reportedly, Oswald’s mother thought she was being paid for the photo shoot and after she found out that was not the case she became uninterested and was basically over it.

From the living room, you will head to a couple of the bedrooms.

The first bedroom is the room that Lee Oswald slept in the night before the assassination and it’s probably one of the main attractions of this museum for most people.

Lee woke up early that morning, went through his morning coffee drinking routine and without waking anyone in the house headed out with his rifle but not before leaving behind his wedding ring and some cash next to Marina’s bed.

Lee’s wedding ring can still be viewed today at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas.

This was the bedroom that Marina occupied along with the two kids.

The second bedroom is Ruth Paine’s old room where you can hear more of her story.

The bathroom is said to be virtually unchanged from the 1960s, including the bright pink color that you find today.

The kitchen is a really cool area that even has appliances dating back to the 1960s.

In addition to some retro literature, you’ll find some photographs which were used to track down the right type of appliances and other furniture items during the restoration efforts.

It’s actually really fascinating how they’ve used family photos and videos from interviews to reconstruct the interior of the house.

Also, I found it pretty impressive how they were able to find items that were exact or nearly exact matches to what was in the house previously.

From the kitchen, you can check out the backyard although there is not much to see other than a swing set. Beware: there is a pretty obnoxious dog in the neighboring yard that will likely go on a barking spree when you enter the backyard.

After you check out the kitchen you’ll be ushered into the garage where Lee Oswald stored (and hid) his bolt-action Mannlicher-Carcano rifle unbeknownst to the owner Ruth Paine.

Ruth was a devout Quaker who would have surely objected to the presence of a gun in her house but Lee and Marina did not tell her about the gun.

In fact, when the police arrived to investigate, Ruth was stunned to find out that Marina knew Lee had stored his rifle in the house.

One can only imagine the thoughts that were running through her head over that weekend.

On the wall in the garage, you can find some info on some of the conspiracy theories surrounding the JFK assassination. As you might expect, Ruth Paine was accused of playing a role in some of those conspiracies.

Irving Archives and Museum

Once you finish at the house you have the option of heading over to the Irving Archives and Museum which I would recommend doing.

The Irving Archives and Museum has a special exhibition room dedicated to Ruth.

Inside, you’ll find old school 1960s TVs stacked in the corner replaying black and white news footage from the time of the assassination.

The screen in the middle is the main attraction and you can choose from about seven different short video clips — each clip about five to six minutes long.

These video clips showcase interviews with Ruth Paine where she goes into detail about things like dealing with the grief of JFK’s assassination and her association to it.

She also talks about dealing with the negative spotlight, and her thoughts on Marina, Leo Oswald, and more.

I recommend checking out the exhibit because in addition to giving you insight into Lee and Marina’s relationship, it really does a good job of telling the story Ruth Paine.

It’s unimaginable to think about how it would feel to know you were housing the alleged assassin of the President of the United States.

However, if you listen to the interviews you’ll find that Ruth is an extremely open person and seems like a very genuine and trustworthy person as well.

Final word

The Ruth Paine Museum is a must-see attraction for people interested in the JFK assassination. Admission is cheap and I found it very worthwhile to watch history play out in the actual rooms where these events took place.

Daniel Gillaspia

AC Hotel Dallas Galleria Review

We’ve been on a mission recently exploring a handful of different AC hotels to get a sense of what this hotel brand has to offer.

While in Dallas we decided to try out the AC Hotel Dallas Galleria, a fairly new hotel that opened up in 2018.

In this article, I’ll give you a complete review of the AC Hotel Dallas Galleria and tell you everything you need to know to prepare for your stay.

Booking

We were in Dallas exploring and chronicling sites related to the JFK assassination and after staying at the Hilton Fort Worth wanted to also get a feel for another AC Hotel so we found this one in the Dallas Galleria area.

We paid cash for this booking which was $132 per night and earned a total of 6,120 points for this stay with Titanium status factored in and the ongoing Marriott promotions.

I value 6,120 Marriott points at around $47, so that’s about 18% back on the base room rate which wasn’t a bad return.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Location overview: Dallas Galleria

The AC Hotel Dallas Galleria is found about one block away from the Dallas Galleria.

The Galleria is a huge mall modeled after the (larger) Galleria in Houston.

The glass vaulted ceilings in both malls are a nod to the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy (which is very close to the Park Hyatt Milan).

The Dallas Galleria (officially referred to as “Galleria Dallas”) is home to around 200 stores and restaurants, an ice rink, and also the Westin. It’s a big mall but it’s not as big (and some say not as nice) as the NorthPark Center also located in Dallas.

Something interesting about the Galleria in Dallas is that the cost of constructing it in 1982 was at least $400 million (~$1+ billion in today’s money).

This made it one of the most expensive projects of the year only behind Walt Disney Epcot Center.

The Dallas Galleria is modeled after the Galleria in Milan.

Opened in 2018, the AC Hotel Dallas Galleria is a dual-branded hotel with the Residence Inn.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of dual branded hotels because they create unnecessary friction and confusion for many guests.

For example, I saw a few guests who were very confused about the complimentary breakfast situation and were directed to go back to the Residence Inn side.

Parking & check-in

This stay was part of a road trip around Texas so we decided to park our Jeep on-site which would cost us $24 per day.

The parking garage, which is accessible via your room key, is connected to the hotel building and one entrance feeds into the Residence Inn and another entrance on the other side opens to the AC Hotel. You can enter through either entrance though because they all are connected to the lobby.

We checked into the hotel around 4:45pm so there was no need for early check in.

During check-in, the staff was pretty professional and there were no issues.

After check-in we turned our attention to the hotel lobby which I thought was a pretty beautiful area.

There are some really nice light fixtures that create a very modern look and feel.

One area of the lobby was surrounded by sectional couches and had an oversized Connect Four game to help pass time.

Other areas were just perfectly suited for lounging around or getting work done in the open spaces the AC is known for.

Much like the W, I’m a big fan of the AC Hotel scent “Between the Woods” that is pumped/sprayed throughout the hotel. It’s a perfect blend between luxury and earthiness and it just never gets old.

The room

We had a pretty basic king room during our stay.

One of the drawbacks of the AC that I have noticed so far is that they don’t have a lot of variety in terms of rooms and upgrade options. If you’re looking to get bumped up to a beautiful one bedroom suite this may not be the brand to look for.

The bed was the classic AC design with floating headboard and USB and power outlets on each side. The AC is pretty consistent with giving you plenty of charging ports for your devices near your bed which is really nice.

One side had the thin AC phone which I love the sleekness of but don’t enjoy giving up speakerphone for sleekness.

One thing I really loved about the room was the mood lighting underneath the furniture. It added a really nice touch to an otherwise minimalist room full of neutral tones.

The workstation was in the corner and consisted of a very basic set up with a lamp and some power outlets. Nothing too fancy.

On the other side of the room was a sofa along with a coffee table that could be rolled anywhere.

A large window let in a lot of natural light, but on the second floor we did not have much of a view.

The closet area had the typical AC Hotel smart fridge, coffee maker, and safe. Something a little different was that this fridge had two water bottles and two glasses inside, which was a nice little surprise.

Read: Are Hotel Coffee Makers Safe & Clean? (YIKES!)

Another area where AC hotels shine, in my opinion, is the bathroom. In this room the bathroom was bright, clean, and modern with plenty of counter space.

I am a big fan of the dual AC shower heads.

Nothing is better than a hot waterfall shower raining down on your head after a long day of traveling.

AC hotels use the refillable Korres amenities in the shower which can be annoying when they are not properly maintained but the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are pretty high quality.

The bathroom also had the typical European style, square toilet with a dual flush button.

As much as AC properties market their European feel it often surprises me that they don’t offer bidets. I personally think that would give it the full European “touch.”

Breakfast

One of the highlights of staying at an AC hotel is definitely the breakfast.

It’s a beautifully presented “European inspired” breakfast with large tasty croissants leading the way behind sliced prosciutto, cheeses, and varieties of quiche.

You’ll also have a fair selection of other breakfast items including breakfast tarts and fresh fruit such as cantaloupe, pineapple, and berries.

They also had some cereal if you were looking for something a bit more traditional such as Cheerios or Froot Loops. Juices and yogurt are also available.

It’s an $18 breakfast but if you are Platinum or above you can get a $10 daily credit for you plus one person in your room that you can use towards breakfast making the price much more manageable.

The only drawback to the breakfast was the server opening up the breakfast area.

She was pretty indifferent to me when I asked about breakfast opening up and it felt pretty clear that she did not want to be there….

Tapas

Another unique offering by the AC is the bar and tapas experience.

They had a nice little bar area serving up all of your traditional drinks but the AC also has a signature gin and tonic served in a glass “scientifically shaped to optimize the aroma.” We gave it a shot and it was very refreshing.

We also put in an order for tapas.

Each AC hotel may offer something a little bit different in the tapas department but generally you can find things like cheese and meat selections, warmed olives, and fries.

We went with the artisan cheese platter which came with some meats and bread. We thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend trying out the tapas experience.

Pool

In the middle of the courtyard there is a nice pool area where you can find several chairs surrounding the pool to relax on.

It’s also a great spot to head out to during cool evenings.

They had the fire pit running at night and Disney movies getting projected on a screen one night and on a wall the other night. It was just a pretty cool feature that I really liked about the hotel.

Fitness center

The fitness center was a little bland compared to some of the other AC hotels I’ve stayed at but was still very well equipped.

You’ll find treadmill, bikes, a stairmaster, and elliptical along with a few other machines.

In terms of free weights, you should have everything you need for a good dumbbell and kettle bell workouts.

Final word

Overall, this was a pretty solid hotel stay. I really loved the property itself and thought that it was well designed.

We weren’t able to enjoy any kind of great views and the service was lacking at times so it was far from a perfect stay. But if you are looking for a solid mid-tier hotel when staying in the Dallas Galleria area this would be a great option.

Daniel Gillaspia

Hilton Fort Worth Review (Historical JFK Hotel)

We recently set out to document and create in-depth guides for all of the key sites in the Dallas/Fort Worth area associated with the tragic death of John F Kennedy.

It seemed logical that we would start things off at the Hilton Fort Worth, which has a close connection to JFK’s last moments.

In this article, I’ll give you a breakdown of what to expect if you stay at the Hilton Fort Worth, including some insight into the connection the property shares with JFK.

Booking

We booked the Hilton Fort Worth not because it was easy *but because it was hahd*.

Okay, sorry, couldn’t resist.

We booked this hotel because it seemed like a necessary stay for our itinerary, which was set up for us to explore all of the sites in the DFW area associated with the Kennedy assassination.

We paid $156 for one night which I felt was a pretty good deal for this historic hotel.

It was also nice to earn nearly 10,000 Hilton Honors points from this stay thanks to Hilton Diamond elite status and a special promotion. At a valuation of .54 cents per point, that’s like getting back $53 on the stay or close to 20% back on the entire stay. Not bad.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Location overview: Sundance Square

The Hilton Fort Worth is located in Sundance Square, which is a pedestrian-friendly district right in the heart of downtown Fort Worth.

Surrounding the hotel, you’ll find a lot of dining options including many quality steakhouses such as: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, and Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse.

There are also a lot of shops and different forms of entertainment like theaters and concert venues. You’re also just a block away from the Fort Worth Convention Center.

In short, the hotel has a great central location for exploring Fort Worth.

History

Constructed from 1920 to 1921, the hotel is known for being the last place where JFK delivered a public speech and for being the location where he spent his last night before his assassination.

Although at the time of the assassination the hotel was under a different brand and name (the “Hotel Texas”), you’ll get a sense of that history throughout the entire property and even the surrounding block.

On every floor, you’ll find blown up photographs chronicling JFK’s last day, many if not all of them taken at the time of JFK’s visit to Fort Worth.

On the second floor of the hotel, you can find the historic Crystal Ballroom where JFK gave his last speech to the Chamber of Commerce and over 2,000 guests during breakfast.

Just before that event, JFK actually gave a speech outside the hotel to a crowd that gathered during a cold and rainy November morning.

It was apparently an impromptu speech that didn’t last long but that stole the hearts of many Texans there to catch a glimpse of the president.

To be honest, it was a bit chilling to take in the ballroom and impossible to not think about the last moments of JFK.

After he gave a speech in this ballroom, he would then make his way to the airport and then fly into Dallas Love where he would embark on his final motorcade through the city of Dallas.

You can watch a video of the speech here:

In the corridors outside the ballroom, framed photographs and news clippings from the time of JFK’s fateful visit to Texas are on display.

Just outside the property, there is a well done tribute/memorial with a statue, engravings, and photographs that depict JFK’s legacy as well as his visit to DFW.

As for the actual room JFK stayed in (suite 850), the hotel has undergone renovations since 1963 and that room no longer exists.

However, if you head to the eighth floor and go to the rooms near 808 and 810 that is reportedly where the old suite JFK stayed in was located.

Interestingly, when JFK stayed at the hotel, it supplied 14 works of art from famed artists like Picasso and Vincent van Gogh for the president to admire.

The Vincent van Gogh painting on display was an oil painting “Road with Peasant Shouldering a Spade” pictured below.

If you are willing to splurge, you can shell out a couple of grand to rent the JFK suite on the 15th floor.

We flirted with the possibility of splurging on this suite but when we called to inquire about booking it, it was already booked up for the weekend.

Check-in

We arrived around 5pm and decided to valet which would end up costing $32 for the night.

As we approached the front desk for check-in, we were greeted by some friendly hotel staff members who promptly got us situated for our room on the 10th floor.

We had been automatically upgraded and received notification about it a few days prior thanks to the new upgrade system Hilton is doing.

After getting checked in, we scoped out the lobby which was a nice and open area, complete with chandelier lighting and a café.

The large star found on the floor in the middle of the lobby reminded me a lot of the big star at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas.

There is a mini-market area near the check-in desk which has a cool self check out system allowing you to easily put items on your room tab.

The room

As we entered the room, I was impressed by how spacious it was. From a square foot perspective, this room is basically a junior suite without any partition.

The king bed was pretty comfortable and all of the bedding appeared to be very clean.

On either side of the bed we had lamps with power outlets but no USB ports.

There was a sofa with a (misaligned) coffee table in front of it and behind that, were some pretty good views looking out at downtown Fort Worth.

The room had a pretty basic workstation area with a couple of outlets accessible on the lamp.

The room did have one of the air purification systems called Pure Wellness. It caused the room to have a very strong scent which to be honest was a bit overwhelming and took a while to get adjusted to.

I guess it was nice to think about how clean the air was in the room but I could have done without it due to the strong scent.

While I loved that the room was big, it did mean that the TV was extra far away from the bed.

Underneath the TV is where you’ll find the mini-fridge and also the hotel coffee maker.

As for the bathroom area, the sink is detached from the toilet and shower room. It offers a good amount of counter space and a square vanity mirror, which I have rarely seen.

It’s a interesting little set up because there is a little nook behind the sink which had some decent views out the window.

The shower was pretty spacious and modern and we did not have any issues with water pressure or soap dispensaries.

The only complaint about the bathroom is that the toilet and shower were very close together, making it a pretty tight fit.

Breakfast

The dining area for breakfast was very spacious and offered a lot of seating options. During other hours of the day you can also grab drinks and other snacks or meals in this area.

Due to our elite status we were given two $12 credits for a total of $24 in food and beverage credits. Breakfast was about $21 per person so this meant we were spending about $9 per person out of pocket for breakfast.

I don’t think this breakfast was worth close to $21 per person but because we were only coming out of pocket $9, I was able to live with the price a lot easier.

With that said, the breakfast did have a pretty good range of options including fresh fruit.

For hot options they had eggs, home fries, bacon, and even biscuits and gravy.

The scrambled eggs were about what you would expect for a hotel breakfast but the bacon was actually surprisingly good.

I was pretty excited to see biscuits and gravy at a hotel breakfast but unfortunately those did not impress.

They also had some other standard options like oatmeal, toast, bagels, muffins, and cereal. I personally enjoyed the muffins.

The hotel also has a fitness center which looked pretty high-quality to me.

Final word

The Hilton Fort Worth is a hotel rich in history and worth staying at especially if you have any affinity for JFK or presidential history.

For the price point, I thought the hotel was actually a pretty great deal especially with all of the Hilton promotions we took advantage of.

Overall, I was not crazy about the breakfast but I really liked the general location of the hotel and did thoroughly enjoy immersing myself in history even if the history was on the tragic side.

Daniel Gillaspia

Best Places to View and Photograph the Dallas Skyline

I recently completed a two-week stay in Dallas and had the chance to get out on multiple occasions and explore some of the best places to view the downtown Dallas skyline. After doing a little bit of research and some experimenting of my own, here are some of the best places I found to view and photograph the downtown Dallas skyline.

(Keep in mind I’m not a local so there are likely tons of other spots you could find. Check out the links at the bottom of the article for more photo spots.

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out!

My favorite spot: bridge at N Edgefield Ave

Dallas Skyline — My favorite view to photograph of the Dallas skyline.

My favorite place to photograph the skyline is from the N Edgefield Ave bridge. This is a perfect spot to photograph for a few reasons. There’s parking right next to the bridge and there’s a wide sidewalk on the bridge so you have plenty of room to set up your tripod and you don’t have to worry about traffic (which is pretty minimal in any event).

See the Google Image screenshot below to see the type of room you’ll have to roam.

The view is spectacular for photographing light trails of the highway traffic in the foreground and skyline in the background. You can play around with a lot of different perspectives but I don’t think you can really go wrong with any of them. Luckily, it looks like some of the street lights are out (and have been out for a long time), so you shouldn’t have to worry about them ruining your photos.

An easy way to find this bridge is to enter “First Quality Fabricating Inc” into your GPS. Their address is:

1529 N Edgefield Ave, Dallas, TX 75208

Once you arrive to it, you’ll see N Edgefield Ave bridge right next to the shop. If you arrive in the evening, there should be plenty of open parking spots there that you can park at. I didn’t see any “no parking” signs anywhere nearby and I’d be shocked if you were to ever encounter an issue parking there.

Views from the Trinity River Spillway

There are several different points along the Trinity River Spillway to choose from. I first tried two popular spots:

While the views aren’t necessarily bad, they just weren’t quite what I was looking for. For example, below is a shot from the official overlook point at Trinity Overlook Park that is for the most part obscured by what I think is a jail. It probably doesn’t look bad at night but it’s just not the best spot to take in the entire skyline in my opinion.

Trinity Overlook Park Dallas — View from Trinity Overlook Park

However, if you walk south along the Trinity River Spillway, you will come across seemingly infinite perspectives to capture the skyline.

The map below shows paths leading south from Trinity Overlook Park. It likely depends on the season, but the condition of those paths can vary. Right now, the path called “Perimeter Road” on the top of the hill (that you’d want to take photographs from) is a path made up of two thin tire trails with waist-high weeds on either side. If there’s been rain, it will probably be muddy.

Here’s a photo I got along the way as I travelled south in the red oval above:

Trinity Overlook Park South Dallas — View from south of Trinity Overlook Park

You can follow that path in the red oval above all the way to the I-30 bridge/Tom Landry Freeway. At that point, you’ll encounter a construction zone that I believe you can pass through. There are just two issues with crossing through this way. First, the area looked very muddy when I was there so unless you have shoes you’re willing to get really dirty you may not want to cross. The second issue is that parking at the Trinity Overlook is limited to one hour and they claim violators will be towed. I have no idea if that’s enforced or not (probably not at night), but that’s something that I didn’t want to take a chance on.

The solution is to do this.

Park at Trinity Overlook Park. Then walk along the path towards the I-30 bridge/Tom Landry Freeway and get some shots that you’d like. Then head back to your car and drive over to another area (with no limit on parking) and then explore the other side of the Trinity River Spillway.

Check out the Google Map below to see where this “other area” is.

The red oval located on E Greenbriar Lane is a great place to park on the street. You don’t need a permit or anything. From there, it’s a very short walk to where “Perimeter Road” meets N Zang Blvd. There’s a small trail (located at the red arrow below) that you’ll see and you’ll need to hop over a small barrier to get on the trail. That trail will then give you some great views of the Dallas skyline as you move north along the Spillway.

Here are a couple of photos I got along the way at this location:

The first photo is from my first day of scouting and shows that a clear-sky sunset looks like as it reflects off of the buildings downtown. I caught the below image at the sunset’s strongest reflection point of the evening.

This next photo was taken probably about an hour before sunset on a different day.

There are plenty of ways to play around with the foreground along the way on the trail. This photo below was taken as I approached the construction zone of the I-30 bridge/Tom Landry Freeway. Notice how the position of Reunion Tower has changed being on the far left to being back in the middle of the skyline.

One thing I liked about this area of the Spillway was that it was longer and presented more options for different compositions, such as the “lake” you see below. I’m pretty sure the “lakes” are the temporal product of rainwater and output from the sewage plant, but nobody has to know that when they view your photos!

After a few hours, a giant thundercloud began to develop behind the skyline. This cloud would later produce a furry of thunder and lightning and knock the power out for a lot of people.

There are only two issues when photographing along these trails that I encountered: the power lines and the weeds.

The two issues go together because you’ll need to venture into the weeds on the hillside to get below the power lines (a few of the photos above had power lines removed in processing).

Thus, my suggestion is to wear pants and shoes that you wouldn’t mind to get a little dirty. While it’s not 100% necessary, you’ll find it much easier to shoot the skyline if you’re willing to get down in the weeds a little bit, below the power lines.

Reunion Tower

This spot is pretty much a given. I was tempted to not go up in Reunion Tower because I wasn’t sure how impressed I would be with the views and I was kind of let down to find out I’d have to pay like $250 just to bring a tripod up there. However, I’m really happy that I decided to make the trip even without a tripod.

As soon as the sunset begins, you’re given some beautiful shots of downtown Dallas. Sometimes the Sun’s reflection is a little too bright and will over-expose your shots but you’ll just have to try to work around it.

The views only get better as the sky darkens and blue hour produces a stunning backdrop to capture the city lights of the skyline. The bright oranges and pinks from the sunset will likely still be shimmering off the glass towers for some time after sunset, allowing for a lot of different lighting options that continue to change.

Dallas Skyline_-4 — The sunset still reflecting well into blue hour.

The spherical network of frames on which the lights of Reunion Tower are placed, give you ample opportunities to put unique touches on your shots. Play around with different compositions and you’ll be sure to come out with a shot of the city that hasn’t been done a million times.

I’d try to go on a Friday or Saturday during the summer, however. The reason is that the tower closes at 9pm during the week, so you won’t be able to photograph the buildings with a truly dark sky because blue hour will likely be in effect. Still, I went on a weekday and I came away very happy with the views I had so it’s not like you can really go wrong.

Dallas Skyline_-7 — The sunset still reflecting well after sunset

Keep in mind that I’m not a local so I don’t know all the best parking garages and pull-out spots all over the city to take in the skyline. However, below are a few links you can check out to find out more places to view and photograph the Dallas skyline.

http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/arts/columnists/joy-tipping/20140522-10-great-spots-to-catch-a-view-of-the-dallas-skyline.ece
https://www.reddit.com/r/Dallas/comments/20wumm/dallas_photographers_where_is_the_best_spot_to/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g55711-i141-k6259214-Best_spot_to_get_a_photo_of_the_Dallas_Skyline-Dallas_Texas.html

Daniel Gillaspia

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