The Negro Motorist Green Book Events and Programs

September 28, 2022

Upcoming Events and Programs for

The Negro Motorist Green Book Exhibition


Saturday, October 15, 2022

Friends of the Irving Museum Sneak Peek and Pasta Dinner

Food served 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Exhibition open 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Get your tickets here!


Sunday, October 16, 2022

Exhibition Grand Opening

12 – 4 p.m.

Free Museum admission


Saturday, October 16, 2022 through January 8, 2023

The Irving Black Arts Council (IBAC) exhibition "A Local Green Book" is on display at IAM and runs concurrently with the Green Book Exhibition

Regular Museum Hours


This multi-media presentation will feature selected works of the late photographers R.C. Hickman and Calvin Littlejohn. From the cameras of these legendary gentlemen, visitors will observe life in the Black Dallas community during segregation, the Jim Crow era and in the segregated military. Other pictures and video will be presented that report the Bear Creek community’s experience.


This special programming is offered in collaboration with the City of Irving and will enhance patrons’ understanding of the period which ran from the 1920s to the 1960s. Insights will be gained into the challenges and hardships the Black community encountered in travel, education, entertainment, and services at a time of “so-called separate but equal."


Sunday, October 16, 2022 – Sunday, January 8, 2023

Free Museum Admission Every Sunday

Open 12 – 4 p.m.


Thursday, November 3, 2022

Film Screening “The Green Book: Guide to Freedom”

7 p.m. (in auditorium)

Free event

See how The Negro Motorist Green Book helped African Americans navigate the roads of a segregated nation.


Saturday, November 5, 2022

Remembering Black Dallas, Green Book Bus Tour

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free Event

This bus tour takes travelers around the often-hidden history of Black Dallas. A tour guide will point out the sites, sights, and stories of Dallas' African American history, including locations of Green Book sites, Freedman Towns, and other places of interest. Tour will end at the Green Book exhibition at Irving Archives and Museum.


Sunday, November 6, 2022

Irving Black Arts Council Panel Discussion

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Free Event

The Irving Black Arts Council will host a facilitated panel discussion of Bear Creek, Dallas and Fort Worth residents who lived during the Jim Crow era.


The star-studded panel will be headlined by the Honorable Judge L. Clifford Davis (retired) and and Ms. Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth, along with three other notable local citizens who resided in the area during the segregation and Jim Crow era. Rounding out the panel will be Mrs. Imogene W. Rogers from the Bear Creek community in Irving, Texas, Mrs. Gloria O. Sights from the Bear Creek community in Irving, Texas and Dallas, Texas and Ms. Mary Ann Turner Blackmon from the Lake Dallas area of Dallas, Texas. The panel discussion will include personal stories from each of the participants and a period for questions and answers. WATCH THE RECORDING HERE!


Saturday, November 12, 2022

Scholar’s Talk with Dr. William Dulaney Event is free

2 p.m.

Join us for A Scholar’s talk about the Green Book with Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney. Dr. Dulaney is President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the nation’s oldest African American historical association and the founders of Black History Month. For the past two years, he has also served as Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer for the Dallas African American Museum. He is also an Associate Professor of History Emeritus, former Interim Director of the Center for African American Studies, and the former Chair of the Department of History at the University of Texas, Arlington. Dr. Dulaney has published and edited four books and is currently completing a history of African Americans in Dallas for Texas A & M University Press.


Saturday, December 10, 2022

Remembering Black Dallas, Green Book Bus Tour

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free Event

This bus tour takes travelers around the often-hidden history of Black Dallas. A tour guide will point out the sites, sights, and stories of Dallas' African American history, including locations of Green Book sites, Freedman Towns, and other places of interest. Tour will end at the Green Book exhibition at Irving Archives and Museum.


Saturday, December 17, 2022

Remembering Black Dallas, Green Book Bus Tour

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free Event

This bus tour takes travelers around the often-hidden history of Black Dallas. A tour guide will point out the sites, sights, and stories of Dallas' African American history, including locations of Green Book sites, Freedman Towns, and other places of interest. Tour will end at the Green Book exhibition at Irving Archives and Museum.


Wednesday, January 4, 2022

Virtual screening of “The Green Book: Guide to Freedom”

7 p.m.

See how The Negro Motorist Green Book helped African Americans navigate the roads of a segregated nation.

Send an email to chulfish@cityofirving.org to register and receive the link to the virtual screening.


Saturday, January 7, 2022

Scholar’s Talk with Leslie Wolfenden

2 p.m.

Join us for A Scholar’s talk about the Green Book and HBCUs with Leslie Wolfenden. Leslie Wolfenden is the Historic Resources Survey Coordinator for the Texas Historical Commission where she manages the Historic Texas Highways and Historic Resources Survey programs. Leslie has a Master’s in Historic Preservation, a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the University of Texas system. THC’s Historic Resources Survey Coordinator Leslie Wolfenden has been researching and documenting over 780 sites based on 34 African American travel guides that includes 43 Texas communities.


Sunday, January 8, 2022

Last day of the exhibition

12 – 4 p.m.


December 1, 2025
Join Us at IAM for Docent-Led Tours on the First Sunday of Every Month at 2 pm! FREE ADMISSION & FREE TOUR!
November 17, 2025
Friends of the Irving Museum is excited to launch the Iconic Irving T-Shirt Fundraiser! For a donation of $35 or more, you’ll receive your very own Iconic Irving T-Shirt—a wearable piece of hometown pride. Every dollar raised goes directly toward giving the beloved Big State sign a permanent home in Heritage Park. This project preserves not just a sign, but a vital piece of Irving’s history and community identity. Click here to learn how to get yours!
November 16, 2025
KATSEYE Irving Fan Event Check out the photos from our event!
November 7, 2025
Second Saturdays at IAM! FREE Admission and FREE Activities for Everyone!
October 17, 2025
Two Photography Exhibitions On View Now!
October 15, 2025
Original artwork by Irving Independent School District high school art students reflecting a message of hope and healing for those who have experienced domestic violence or know someone who has been impacted by it.
October 14, 2025
Step back in time and fall into history at Bear Creek Heritage Center!
September 9, 2025
City of Irving Mourns the Passing of Ruth Paine The City of Irving and the Irving Department of Arts and Culture are saddened to announce the passing of Ruth Hyde Paine, who died on August 31, 2025, just three days before her 93rd birthday. Ruth Paine’s life became intertwined with one of the most pivotal moments in American history. In 1963, Marina Oswald and her children were living with Ruth in her modest Irving home when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Unknown to Ruth at the time, Lee Harvey Oswald had stored the rifle the Warren Commission determined was used in the assassination in her garage. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Ruth provided crucial testimony to the Warren Commission, answering more questions than any other witness. Over the decades, she gave countless interviews and dedicated herself to clarifying her role in history. While her name became forever linked to the Kennedy assassination, Ruth Paine was also an educator, a linguist, a Quaker, and a woman of principle, whose life stretched far beyond November 22, 1963. In 2009, the City of Irving purchased the Paine home on West 5th Street and restored it to its 1963 appearance. In 2013, the home opened as the Ruth Paine House Museum, a historic site that explores the events leading up to President Kennedy’s assassination. The museum also highlights Ruth’s friendship with Marina Oswald, which brought the Oswald family into her home during that pivotal time. After the opening, Ruth visited the museum several times, generously sharing her memories and insights, and offering her support for the city’s efforts to preserve this important chapter of history. “The City of Irving is deeply grateful to Ruth Paine,” said Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer “Through her generosity and willingness to share her experiences, she helped us preserve a vital piece of history for future generations. Her life reminds us that history is often lived by ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.” Ruth Paine will be remembered not only for the history that unfolded around her but also for her lifelong commitment to education, peace, and service. The City of Irving extends its heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. Information regarding a public memorial service has not been announced at this time. To see our memorial page honoring Ruth Paine, please visit: https://www.irvingarchivesandmuseum.com/ruth-paine-memorial . About the Ruth Paine House Museum The Ruth Paine House Museum immerses visitors in the story of the events leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy through a restored 1963 suburban home, multimedia exhibits, and projected vignettes featuring Ruth and Michael Paine and Marina and Lee Harvey Oswald. Period furnishings, family photographs, and archival media transport visitors back to a pivotal moment in American history while also exploring Ruth Paine’s civic and social justice work during the 1960s. For more information about the Ruth Paine House Museum, please visit: https://www.irvingarchivesandmuseum.com/ruth-paine-house-museum.