Considering the consumption of alcohol a threat to the nation, several organizations rallied together and fought for a legal ban on spirits.
YOU BOOZE, YOU LOSE Visit our Temperance Movement exhibit and peruse through the posters, pamphlets, and propaganda that influenced the American people to vote the country dry. Learn about the prohibitionist leaders that led the fight and the consequences associated with drinking during this turbulent time in history.
As a radical member of the temperance movement, Carry Nation embarked on a decade-long era of saloon smashing with the aid of her famous hatchet
ONE BAD TEMPER-ANCE Visit our Carry Nation exhibit and explore the history behind her hatred towards liquor. Take a selfie with her full-size lifelike figure, and be sure to watch out for her hatchet.
Looking for a big payday, criminals took their smuggling efforts out to sea, engaging in the illegal business of transporting and selling alcohol.
HIDDEN HOOCH Visit our Rum Runner exhibit and discover why Savannah was often referred to as the “Bootleg Spigot of the South.” Learn about Rum Row and the journey many embarked on to get their goods ashore.
As soon as prohibition went into effect, early bootleggers began to produce their own illicit alcohol, also known as moonshine.
WHISKEY BUSINESS Learn to make your own “white lightning” at our Moonshine exhibit while exploring the largest collection of stills. Enjoy a lesson on alcohol proof levels and witness the byproducts of America’s entrepreneurial “spirit.”
Following the end of World War I, women started to raise their skirts and bob their hair, getting all dolled up to listen to jazz, breaking all conventional standards of what it meant to be a lady.
GLITZ, GLAMOR, & GALOSHES See some authentic flapper flair at our Flapper Craze exhibit, and discover why the trend was all the rage in the twenties. Learn to dance the Charleston and immerse yourself in the flapper culture, known for its intoxicating energy.
Prohibition led to the rise of organized crime, as gangsters began to form well-organized and profitable bootlegging operations.
BLACK MARKET BOOZE From destroyed stills to tommy guns, you’ll find all sorts of criminal evidence at our Crime & Gangsters exhibit. View confiscated items from the mobsters of the twenties and learn about the bad behavior that landed many of them in the slammer.
Considered the most influential car of the 20th century, the Ford Model T was a powerful symbol of America’s modern era.
LEAVING THE PAST IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR Visit our Model T exhibit and see the 1921 touring car yourself. Discover how the “Tin Lizzie” became an instant pop culture icon and how it helped shape the way Americans lived and traveled.
Also known as Blind Pigs, speakeasies were secretive establishments where alcohol was illegally served to the masses.
A ROARING GOOD TIME Alcohol was outlawed, drinking was kept on the hush-hush, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Visit our authentic 1920s speakeasy and enjoy craft cocktails served with a side of history.
On December 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the ratification of the 21st Amendment, bringing the prohibition era to an end.
THE 18TH AMENDMENT DROWNS Visit our Happy Days celebration saloon and raise a glass to the end of prohibition! View photographs of national repeal festivities and rejoice in the fact that drinking is finally legal again.
During these hours we operate as a Museum which includes access to our authentic Speakeasy. Purchase of a cocktail ticket with your museum ticket offers one craft cocktail to enjoy!
Museum Location
209 W. St. Julian Street, Savannah GA 31401
Located next to Ellis Square in the City Market we are just blocks away from Robinson Parking Garage
The American Prohibition Museum is accessible to guests with disabilities
On select evenings, Congress Street Up Speakeasy is open to all and serves authentic 1920’s craft cocktails for a truly swingin’ night on the town. Don’t forget to check out our variety of unique Speakeasy Classes that are bound to raise your spirits. Ain’t that swell!
Bar Hours
Only visitors 21 and up are permitted in the speakeasy when the bar is open.
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
6:30pm – 11pm
Thursday, Friday & Saturday
6:30pm – 12am
(Museum Not Accessible)