The Mob Museum

The Mob Museum lives in the 1933 Neoclassical federal courthouse where Senator Estes Kefauver held one of his 1950 hearings on organised crime — a building with actual bullet-hole scars and mob-witness stories baked into the plaster. It opened as a museum in 2012 and quickly became one of Las Vegas's best cultural attractions, telling the story of how the mob built modern Vegas and how the FBI, IRS and RICO tore it apart. Three floors, real artifacts (including the wall from Chicago's St Valentine's Day Massacre), and a genuinely intelligent narrative.

Start on the third floor with the origins of organised crime — Prohibition, Lucky Luciano, Al Capone. Descend to the second floor for the Kefauver courtroom itself, restored to 1950 condition, with archival footage of the hearings projected onto the witness stand. The first floor covers the modern era: RICO trials, undercover FBI, and the fall of Chicago Outfit control of Las Vegas casinos. The basement holds the Underground Speakeasy and a working distillery producing Prohibition-style moonshine — you can visit the speakeasy without a museum ticket via the alley entrance and password.

Come on a weekday morning to avoid the tour groups. Firearms training experience add-on ($40) puts you on the museum's shooting range with a 1930s Tommy gun. The speakeasy alone is worth an evening — walk-up entry, live jazz Thursday-Saturday, and a $16 cocktail list built around distillery products. Combine with Fremont Street two blocks south. Skip if crime history bores you — this is a text-heavy museum and casual visitors sometimes feel overwhelmed.

Hours & entry

Not free · Distillery bar is walk-in without admission

Mon-Sun 9:00-21:00 · Underground Speakeasy Mon-Sun 15:00-23:00 · Distillery open with speakeasy

What to see

• St Valentine's Day Massacre wall (actual bricks from Chicago) — Third floor, Prohibition gallery
• Restored Kefauver Hearings courtroom — Second floor, centre of the building
• Underground Speakeasy and moonshine distillery — Basement, entered via 300 East Stewart Avenue alley door

Tips from the ground

• Buy tickets online for a $2.95 discount and skip the 20-minute ticket queue at weekends.
• The speakeasy password changes weekly and is posted on the museum's social media — the alley door won't open without it.
• Locals rate the museum's crime-and-craft cocktail workshops (Saturdays, $75) higher than the standard visit.