Dallas Travel Forum

ok... I live in Little Rock and have made several trips to Dallas..it's been some time though and I was younger and not as interested in history as I am now. I'm coming with a friend who has never been to Dallas. I remember staying at the Hyatt by "Reunion Arena" years ago. I know we took a train on a short ride to Westend..seems to me there was a tunnel too that had a lot of JFK info in it or maybe I am dreaming..My friend really wants to go to the grassy noll...
I do know that once I get to Westend I can find the museum area where you can go up and tour. Will they tell you there how to get to the noll area so we can walk around? Is the train the easiest to Westend or can we walk? What's the best route to go see the JFK info from there? I really want to make his trip memorable but I'm directionally challenged and get turned around easily!!
Thanks in advance my TX friends!!!

The Museaum is called 'The 6th floor Museum' The Grassy Knoll is in front of the building

It's a short walk from the Hyatt to Dealey Plaza, the square through which the president and the governor were riding when they were shot. By the time you walk through the underground passage from the hotel to the Dart (light rail) station at Union station, you're almost halfway there, so taking the train is a waste of time now that you are an adult.

The Reunion Tower is currently closed for renovations until the end of the year, so that is one site that won't be available to you. This construction is also affecting the tunnel from the hotel to Union Station. To get from the hotel to Dealey Plaza, you
1. Go downstairs at the Hotel and take the underground passageway to Union Station.
2. When you see the stairs going up for the Dart rail lines, take the farthest one from the hotel (there are only 2? 3? stairs and they're close together). Note that you can't go any farther to Union Station (the last part of the passage is closed due to construction), so you have to go up anyway.
3. Once back at ground level, walk through the station through the back doors (where you are), and go out the front doors).
4. On the front side of the station (this is Houston ST. I think), take a left and walk a couple of short blocks to an open area.
5. On your right will be 'Old Red', the sandstone original courthouse (this will be very obvious). This building is no longer used as a courthouse, but does have a municipal museum downstairs (I haven't seen it yet).
6. To your left in the distance is the famous 'triple-underpass' which is the 'tunnel' that you are referring. Moments after the president and the governor were shot, the Secret Service drove the cars at a high rate of speed through the righthand tunnel up to Stemmons Expressway and the short distance to Parkland Hospital where the president was pronounced dead.
7. Straight across Dealey Plaza is a 7 story brick building that we all still call 'The Texas School Book Depository', because that's what its name was in 1963 (it now houses the Dallas County Commissioners Court, among other County offices). The 6th Floor Museum is on the 6th floor of this building. Note that the entrance to the Museum is on the opposite side of the building - there is an external elevator so that the hordes of tourists don't crowd the County elevators. (Actually, it's a decent museum and well worth the stop).
8. The Grassy Knoll is between the School Book Depository and the triple-underpass - it's still a gentle grassy slope that leads up to a parking lot that is to the west of the School Book Depository. You will easily recognize this area most days as there are conspiracy theorists (aka, 'nuts'?) who walk around here every day handing out literature on their views of the assassination.
9. When you finish, keep walking north and slightly east (in the same direction as you have been going), and you will see lots of restaurants in the West End.

You will not have a problem keeping your orientation in this short walk...

Bill