August 1, 2022

Dallas, Texas comes awash in rich history, stretching back thousands of years to indigenous cultures such as the Caddo people. Savoring the utmost in modern luxury hospitality in Uptown Dallas at Hotel Crescent Court, you’ll find yourself well positioned to delve into the city’s past—not least in the nearby West End Historic District, site of some of Dallas’s defining historic events and some of its most popular contemporary attractions.

The West End Historic District

The history of Dallas’s West End is spliced with the city itself, given it hosted the foundational permanent Euro-American outpost in the form of John Neely Bryan’s trading post on the Trinity River, founded in the early 1840s. Some thirty years later, the district’s development was supercharged by the arrival of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad and Texas & Pacific Railroad tracks. 

But the West End is still surely most associated with one of the darkest chapters in American history: the assassination, in 1963, of President John F. Kennedy in Dealey Plaza. Yet as the West End Association explains, that ugly moment also helped spur a transformation of the neighborhood over the following few decades, with designation of the West End Historic District in 1978 and the establishment of several museums as well as shopping and entertainment venues.

The West End underwent something of a fallow period in the closing stretch of the 20th century, but in the 21st it was reborn yet again, and now ranks as a vibrant economic center and one of Dallas’s go-to tourist destinations. The Dallas Innovation Alliance has designated it a “Smart District” for cultivating creativity and technological advancement, while a new pocket park—West End Square—is under development.

Attractions in the West End Historic District

Mere minutes from Hotel Crescent Court, the West End Historic District serves up some fascinating architecture and iconic landmarks alongside top-draw visitor attractions. Reflect on the monumental events of November 22, 1963 at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial close to Dealey Plaza and up at the Sixth Floor Museum, situated in what’s now the Dallas County Administration Building but which, on that day, was the Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald had stationed himself.

The West End also harbors the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum as well as the Dallas World Aquarium, both highly recommended.

Enjoy Luxury Uptown Dallas Accommodations at Hotel Crescent Court & Visit the West End Historic District During Your Stay

Soak up the finest in boutique Dallas hospitality at our spectacular luxury hotel, and delve into the city’s history and architecture in the nearby West End while you do!