Las Vegas Dinner & Drinks – The Mob Museum (and Speakeasy)

The Mob Museum is in downtown Las Vegas. Its full name is The National Museum of Organized Crime Law Enforcement Las Vegas, and it sits across Ogden Avenue from Downtown Grand. The building is a former federal courthouse, which has seen its fair share of organized crime figures come through its doors. The building was constructed in 1933. Before becoming obsolete, it operated as a federal building for 70 years. 

Only in Vegas: From Courthouse to Mobster Museum

Oscar Goodman was the mayor of Las Vegas at the time of the closure. He suggested that the city acquire the property and create the Mob Museum as part of the downtown revitalization. The federal government agreed to gift the building and property to the city if it agreed to keep it historically preserved. The Mob Museum opened on February 14, 2012. 

Tickets For The Mob Museum

On July 10, 2024, my wife and I visited the Mob Museum. There are three Mob Museum admissions options.¹ The Premier Pass, Deluxe Pass, and General Admission.

The Premier Pass includes two interactive exhibits and a full tour. Deluxe includes one interactive exhibit and a full tour. General Admission only includes the tour.

We chose General Admission because the interactive exhibit features were not clear. 

Ticket prices depend on whether the guest is a Nevada resident or not.

Tour Starts on the Third Floor

While you can start the tour anywhere, I recommend going to the third floor first. There are elevators or stairs available.

The third floor tells the story of how the mob started to organize and take over East Coast cities before moving out West.

It takes guests through Prohibition and has a St. Valentine’s Day Massacre wall (as seen in the picture) that includes evidence of the crimes. 

The second floor is mainly related to Las Vegas. A film discussing its history, including the fact that it was home to the first federal Las Vegas courtroom, features the spot where the judge sat decades ago.

The third floor tells the story of how the mob started to organize and take over East Coast cities before moving out West.

An Electric Chair for “Guests”

Rooms show the history of Las Vegas’s legalized gambling, including memorabilia from classic casinos like Riviera, Tropicana, Stardust, and Flamingo. 

An exhibit shows hits mobsters were accused of committing. Guests may sit in a mock electric chair with straps and a switch located behind it.

I joked that this picture demonstrates what my wife will do the next time I come home late chasing a big royal flush progressive at the local video poker bar.

Further down the hallway, we saw displays of footage from actual hit crime scenes. There are also pictures of innocent victims who got caught in the crossfire.

I joked that this picture demonstrates what my wife will do the next time I come home late chasing a big royal flush progressive at the local video poker bar.

John Mehaffey

The Basement Speakeasy

Our tour ended in the basement. The downstairs hallway is full of information and exhibits of the prohibition era. Through a “secret” doorway, we found a speakeasy, The Underground.

Our group had a drink there. The place delivers drinks in ways that do not make it look like alcohol. For example, an Old Fashioned has the alcohol cleverly disguised in a book with a cutout in it. My cream soda with moonshine looked like a milkshake. 

The speakeasy has a secret room behind a painting. This is for groups willing to pay a premium for private seating. It is a large lounge seating area and television. 

The moonshine is distilled on the premises. The speakeasy does not require paying for Mob Museum admission. There is an entrance on the street level for it. 

And Then Dinner

After the tour, our group had dinner at Hugo’s Cellar at Four Queens. It was an exceptional dining experience, and we highly recommend it.

Photos courtesy of John and Kristina Mehaffey

¹ https://admission.themobmuseum.org/