Mob Museum, Las Vegas (must see)

The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, popularly known as the Mob Museum, is a dedicated institution that showcases the artifacts, narratives, and historical significance of organized crime in the United States. It also highlights the efforts and strategies employed by law enforcement to combat such criminal activities. Opened on February 14, 2012, the museum is housed in the former Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, a building constructed in 1933 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The choice of location is significant. The building once served as a functioning federal courthouse and hosted high-profile hearings, including sessions of the Kefauver Committee, which investigated organized crime across the United States. The restored courtroom on the upper floor preserves this history and places visitors in the same space where testimony helped expose the national reach of criminal syndicates. Elsewhere in the museum, original artifacts such as wiretapping equipment, surveillance tools, and pieces of physical evidence illustrate both criminal operations and investigative techniques.

In April 2018, the Mob Museum unveiled a notable addition known as the Underground Exhibit. Located in the basement, this fully operational speakeasy and distillery pays homage to the Prohibition era through its Art Deco design and an array of authentic artifacts from the 1920s. It commemorates the bootleggers, rumrunners, and moonshiners who supplied Americans with alcohol during the thirteen-year federal Prohibition period.

Among the Underground’s standout features is a specially crafted still used to produce in-house 100-proof, 100% corn moonshine, recognized for both its authenticity and safety. Originally available only on-site, the Mob Museum’s moonshine became available for purchase in 2019 through select Lee’s Discount Liquor stores across the Las Vegas Valley. The basement setting provides a fitting atmosphere for a speakeasy-style experience. Once inside, guests can enjoy classic cocktails and moonshine while taking in the ambiance of live jazz music.