Dealey Plaza

Dealey Plaza is a historic district in downtown Dallas where several brick buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries sit around a central green strip. The narrow roadway passes beneath a railway viaduct and is flanked by trees, grass, and benches, while the older structures around it preserve the cityscape from that era.

The president was shot here on November 22, 1963, as his motorcade rounded the curve and gunfire came from the book depository. A few years later, the site gained official protection to keep the physical setting from that day intact.

Named after a Dallas pioneer, this public square remains a place where visitors pause to reflect on the day that changed history here. Many leave flowers or study the narrow street and surrounding structures that have stayed the same for decades.

You can walk through the district and stand on the intersection and surrounding sidewalks, where markers and signs explain what happened step by step. Most visitors come in the morning or early afternoon, when the light is good and the street stays quieter.

A white X marks the asphalt near the spot where the first bullet struck, and many visitors quietly photograph it before moving on. The streetlamps and traffic lights date back to the early 1960s and stand exactly where they did then.

Location: Texas

Location: Dallas County

Inception: 1940

Architectural style: Chicago School

Address: Roughly bounded by Pacific Ave., Market St., Jackson St. and right of way of Dallas Right of Way Management Company

GPS coordinates: 32.77861,-96.80861

Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:02