Sixth-Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

This museum dedicated to John F. Kennedy is located in the space where Lee Harvey Oswald sat as he waited for the motorcade to snake around Dealey Plaza. The displays are mounted in such a thoughtful and serious manner that you can’t help but be swept up in the historic moment, which is given a ton of context. The exhibits concern not only November 22, 1963, but also Kennedy’s short-lived administration. The collection comprises some 35,000 items, making it the world’s largest private collection, including everything from visual and audio material to letters, furniture, photographs, clothes and documents. The best part is that the museum doesn’t try to manipulate feelings or falsify emotions; its curators must have realized that the surroundings and story are moving by themselves. Plan at least an hour visit: there is a lot to read, look at and listen to, and there’s no racing through this tough subject. The price of admission includes an excellent audio guide.