Located in downtown Las Vegas, The Mob Museum debuted a new Prohibition history exhibition, “The Underground,” to the public in April 2018.
The exhibition’s centerpiece is a moonshine distillery, with the surrounding displays telling the stories of bootleggers, rum runners and the government agents who tried to take them down.
Designed as an immersive experience, The Underground allows visitors to see the working moonshine still and a speakeasy, all strategically located in the museum’s basement. Even though Prohibition shut down thousands of breweries and distilleries, it did not quench the public’s thirst for alcohol, thus creating secret watering holes that became some of the most glamorous gathering places. Maybe more significant, groups can learn how Prohibition, forcing alcohol production into illegality, contributed to the increase and rise of the mob in America.
On display are authentic artifacts from the era, including a beaded chiffon dress (circa 1926), an example of bolder fashions that became popular during the 1920s with the rise of the flapper culture and a 5-gallon whiskey still, a smaller still used to make alcohol inside a home.
The speakeasy, decorated in art deco-inspired motifs, features the museum’s own house-distilled spirits (like genuine moonshine made from corn mash), house-brewed beer and Prohibition-era cocktails.
Visiting groups of 10 or more qualify for special rates, and the museum offers timed ticketing with express entry for groups.
To learn more, email the attraction’s Sabine von Henning or go to themobmuseum.org.
Top photo: Moonshine distillery at The Mob Museum
Photo by Chris Wessling
