Uniquely Vegas is a series of articles and photos that VegasChanges.com is composing to showcase the many unique and offbeat things to see and do in the Las Vegas Valley, as well as day trips and more.
On this venture we are visiting The Mob Museum, officially the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement in Downtown Las Vegas. Is it worth a visit (see below)?
The Mob Museum opened on February 14, 2012, in the former Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, that was built in 1933 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The museum is dedicated to featuring the artifacts, stories, and history of organized crime in the United States, as well as the actions and initiatives by law enforcement to prevent such crimes.
The self-guided tour takes place on three floors (four if you visit The Underground Speakeasy & Distillery).
The tour starts on the third floor where the actual wall of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is on display. You can also see displays about the birth of the mob, how crime got organized, prohibition, the first public enemy and a film about the history of organized crime.
The second floor features the historic courtroom, where guests are immersed in a high-tech, multi-screen video production that tells the story of the Kefauver Hearings. You can also see exhibits about the mob and Las Vegas, The Black Book (list of people excluded from casinos), a skim room, the Mob’s Greatest Hits, Nevada’s gas chamber chair and much more. Food and drinks are also available on the second floor.
The first floor has 100 years of made men, bring down the mob, crime lab, firearms training simulator, organized crime today, the mob in popular culture and much more. They also have a large gift shop.
The Underground Speakeasy & Distillery is located in the basement and has displays on the path to prohibition, wreckage of the Lizzy D, the Four Deuces phone booth, pot still and more.
The speakeasy exhibit is built around a well-stocked bar with a hand-crafted cocktail menu, and weekly live music, creating a lively environment inspired by that bygone age. They also serve food.
The distillery exhibit tells the stories of bootleggers, rumrunners and the government agents who tried to take them down. The centerpiece is a working still producing moonshine so you, too, can have a taste of this formerly forbidden engine of American commerce.
So is The Mob Museum worth a visit? Yes, if you want to learn about the mob and how law enforcement took them down. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and the exhibits are in-depth and well curated. Very educational. Plan on visiting for 2-3 hours and more if visiting The Underground Speakeasy & Distillery.
CON: If you do not read or understand English (or Spanish), you might not like this museum.
Admission: Starting at $34.99 (more with interactive experiences). $7 discount if you arrive before 11am or after 5pm. Nevada residents $19.99. Other discounts for students, law enforcement and military. English or Spanish audio tours are available for $5.
Hours: Museum – Daily 9am-9pm. The Underground – Mon-Wed 11am-10pm and Thu-Sun 11am-12am. 🌐
The Mob Museum address: 300 Stewart Ave, Las Vegas
