Texas Theatre, where Oswald was arrested in 1963.

Lee Harvey Oswald's Matinee Seat

Dallas, Texas

This 1931 movie house sports a curved sign spelling out T-E-X-A-S. On Nov. 22, 1963, the Texas Theatre is where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Oswald had just gunned down police officer J. D. Tippet in Oak Cliff, then ducked into the theater, without paying, during the screening of the film "War is Hell."

Since then the theater has gone through multiple owners, but every one of them has faithfully marked the seat where Oswald sat -- or, to be precise, the seat currently occupying the spot in the theater where Oswald sat. His original seat was confiscated as evidence in 1963 and never returned.

Director Oliver Stone footed the bill for exterior restoration of the Texas Theatre for his 1991 film JFK, and managed to weave it into his story as a pre-arranged meeting place for Oswald conspirators.

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Lee Harvey Oswald's Matinee Seat

Texas Theatre

Address:: 231 W. Jefferson Blvd, Dallas, TX
Directions:: Oak Cliff neighborhood, SW side of Dallas, west of I-35E. On north side of Jefferson, west of Zang. Seat is third from back row, right center aisle.
Phone:: 214-948-1546

Nearby Offbeat Places

Where Lee Harvey Oswald Killed J.D. Tippit, Oak Cliff, TX - < 1 mi.
Giraffe Statue at Dallas Zoo, Dallas, TX - < 1 mi.
Zoo-Themed McDonald's, Dallas, TX - < 1 mi.
In the region: Bronze JFK Gave Last Speech Here, Fort Worth, TX - 29 mi.

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May 23, 2013