A Partner-Operated Venue
The Texas Theatre
A Comfortable, Classic Setting with a Resilient History
Best known as the site of Lee Harvey Oswald’s arrest on Nov. 22, 1963, the Texas Theatre carries historical significance as a landmark venue with a deep backstory and fantastic aspirations. Modern renovations meld wonderfully with the iconic design, giving today’s patrons a one-of-a-kind experience. Its location near the thriving Bishop Arts District puts it at the center of attention for North Texans who want to broaden their understanding of where they live.
Location and parking
231 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas TX 75208
Free parking is available at the Texas Theatre lot, adjacent to the Bank of Texas at the intersection of Madison Avenue and Centre Street, as well as along Jefferson Boulevard after 4 p.m. (Parking is metered along Jefferson before 4 p.m. and costs 25 cents per hour.)
Texas Theater Lot: 239 Centre St.
What you need to know
Concessions: The Texas Theatre’s full-service bar and lounge area offers a menu that features smaller-batch boutique products and local craft beers, and guests are welcome to take their drinks with them into the theater during shows.
Dining: The Bishop Arts District is home to restaurants, taverns and pubs to suit every taste. Find a diverse selection within walking distance.
Accessibility: Visit thetexastheatre.com for up-to-date information.
Accessibility
The Texas Theatre has several seating areas that accommodate wheelchairs and scooters. The upstairs auditorium is accessible via a chair lift and elevator and includes closed captioning and assistive listening devices for many shows.
About the Texas Theatre
Loaded with state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment and designed in the Venetian style with opera boxes, fountains and a giant chandelier, the Texas Theatre opened April 21, 1931 — San Jacinto Day. It was constructed entirely of concrete so it would be fireproof and also was the first theater in Dallas with air conditioning.
Billionaire film producer and aviator Howard Hughes and his business partner briefly owned the Robb & Rowley theater chain in the 1930s, of which the Texas Theatre was a part.
On Nov. 22, 1963, more than a dozen Dallas police officers converged on the Texas Theatre in search of a man who had entered without paying. That man was Lee Harvey Oswald – murder suspect in the slaying of Officer J.D. Tippit and later President John F. Kennedy’s accused lone assassin. (The two actual seats in which Oswald sat before he was arrested have been removed, but there are seats in those locations of the theater.)
The Texas Theatre went through a number of renovations in the decades that followed until United Artists closed the venue in 1989. The Texas Theatre Historical Society bought the venue in 1990 and allowed Oliver Stone to remodel the façade for his film, JFK.
The Texas Theatre closed again in 1992 and almost burned in 1995. It changed hands again and again, until Aviation Cinemas acquired it from the Oak Cliff Foundation in 2019 and completed a $2 million renovation in 2021.
