Historic Tour

Panorama of Dealey Plaza with Red Courthouse (right) and former Texas School Book Depository (far left).
(Photo by David Swinney @ Flickr Commons)

Friday, Oct. 4 ♦ Departing from hotel lobby at 1 p.m.

Additional charge

Dallas West End Historic District

This year's tour takes us to Dallas's West End Historic District. The cabin where Tennessee lawyer John Neely Bryan first established a trading post in Caddo Indian territory still stands in the district, among other historic and modern buildings constructed over the past 178 years.

We'll start our afternoon at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, housed on the top two floors of the former Texas School Book Depository. The multimedia experience explores John F. Kennedy's life, assassination, and legacy within the context of 1960s history and culture. From the museum we will walk past the exact spot where Kennedy was shot and across Dealey Plaza to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza before heading into the Old Red Museum. Constructed in 1892 as the Dallas County Courthouse, the iconic Old Red building now houses artifacts tracing the history of Dallas from prehistoric days to present.

One bus will return to the conference hotel after the Old Red Museum tour (around 4 p.m.), but another will leave later (7 p.m.) for those who wish to stay and explore the West End. The area is home to the powerful Dallas Holocaust Museum--located directly across the street from the Sixth Floor Museum. You can enjoy a variety of local cuisine, including Tex-Mex at RJ Mexican, Texas BBQ at Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse, and chuck-wagon grilled steaks at Y.O. Ranch. (If you'd prefer a chain restaurant, the West End has those, too; see the full list of restaurants at https://www.dallaswestend.org/explore/dining/) Before you leave, be sure to stop by Wild Bill's if you want to stock up on authentic western wear.

Those who wish to see more of Dallas can hop on the DART rail from West End Station. Just be sure to return to West End before the last bus leaves.