Often referred to as Old Dallas City Hall, it’s now the Police Department-Municipal Courts Building and basically serves as a place to take care of your parking tickets.
Only the first two floors are in use anymore. The electricity’s been shut off from the third floor up, which means you can’t see Oswald’s fifth-floor jail cell without special arrangements with the city.
The public also is not allowed into the basement garage, which is where Oswald’s short-lived fame came to a dramatic end. Lucky for you, I’m a smooth talker.
Just outside these glass doors is the spot where Oswald was fatally shot just two days after President Kennedy’s assassination. Nightclub owner Jack Ruby somehow made his way down the garage’s entrance ramp from Main St. and assaulted Oswald as he was being transferred from city to county jail.
The double doors are a somewhat recent addition, though comparisons with news footage reveal a set that once existed further back. Visible just inside, along the right-hand wall, is the doorway through which Oswald was led moments before his murder.
Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions, I'm unable to include photos of the murder for reference. If you Google photographers Bob Jackson and Jack Beers, however, you're sure to come across one.
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