American Prohibition Museum: What to Know Before You Go

If you’re looking for a Savannah museum that feels more like an experience than a collection of artifacts, the American Prohibition Museum is an interesting museum. Centrally located in City Market, the American Prohibition Museum takes you through the 13 years when alcohol was banned nationwide. The museum tells a story starting with the temperance movement and Prohibition propaganda to bootleggers, speakeasies, and the surprising ways people worked around the law.

And yes, there’s a speakeasy inside the museum where you can stop for a 1920s-style cocktail.

American Prohibition Museum in Savannah

Originally published September 16, 2026 — Last updated

I expected the museum to follow the typical artifacts behind glass with a description, however this museum is not like that. The American Prohibition Museum is one of Savannah’s most unique museums because it does more than display artifacts behind glass. It tells a story of how the Prohibition came to be, how it affected every day people and how it impacted American culture even today.

I love museums that feel like an experience instead of just a collection of exhibits, and the American Prohibition Museum does exactly that. The first thing that stood out to me was how interactive the museum felt. Instead of simply reading about history, you are pulled into the story through recreated spaces, photographs, and stories from one of America’s most fascinating eras.

What You’ll see at this Savannah Museum

As you move through the exhibits, you get a feel for what life was like during the 1920s. The exhibits are interactive, so you’re doing more than walking from display case to display case. You’ll learn about the temperance movement and the propaganda used to influence public opinion.

See how bootleggers made moonshine, and learn how Prohibition affected organized crime and everyday Americans. There are recreated spaces, flappers, gangsters, wax figures, old cars, photographs, and a short film about alcohol and Prohibition.

And then there’s the speakeasy, where you can step out of the museum experience and into a 1920s-style bar.

I find it absolutely fascinating how alcohol has shaped U.S. history. You’ll see how connected everything was in the 1920’s. If the organized-crime side of Prohibition interests you, you can continue the story at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, which explores the history of organized crime in the United States.

I seek out places to learn about history and this museum was so interesting. The exhibits are interactive and it is much larger inside than it looks from the outside.

The American Prohibition Museum focuses on one specific period in American history: the 13 years when alcohol was banned nationwide from 1920 to 1933.

You’ll learn why Prohibition began, how it affected everyday Americans, how bootlegging and speakeasies contributed to organized crime, and what eventually brought Prohibition to an end. I also liked that the museum doesn’t reduce the story to simply “Prohibition was good” or “Prohibition was bad.” Instead, it shows how the movement affected American culture, politics, and everyday life.

Congress Street Up Speakeasy

The museum will lead you to the Congress Street Up speakeasy at the end of the tour. You must be 21+ years of age to go to the Speakeasy. The speakeasy part of the museum is open in the evening as well.

We went to the Speakeasy in the afternoon at the end of our museum tour. There were only about six other people there at the time. It is styled as if you were ordering drinks in 1920.

During the day you can only access the speakeasy as part of the museum, however it opens to the public at 6 pm. You can access the Speakeasy on Congress Street at this time.

Guided Savannah bar tours are available as well → Savannah Walktails & Bar Bites Guided Happy Hour Tour

Drinks are inspired by those popular in the 1920’s such as a Gin Rickey, a Charlie Chaplin or Mary Pickford. Once we ordered our drinks we sat down on a barstool to watch a short film about the Prohibition.

How Much Time Do You Need at the American Prohibition Museum?

It took me about 2 hours to view everything including a visit to the speakeasy.

Who Is the Prohibition Museum Best For?

The Prohibition Museum is a good fit if you like history but don’t necessarily want to spend your afternoon reading rows of traditional museum labels. The exhibits are interactive and tell a specific story, so you get a better sense of how Prohibition affected ordinary Americans as well as bootleggers, gangsters, and politicians. It’s a great rainy day activity in Savannah too.

Maybe skip if:

• You prefer art museums or traditional galleries
• You are traveling with kids who may not connect with the topic

If you only have time for one or two museums in Savannah, I would choose based on your interests. History lovers will appreciate the Prohibition Museum because it tells a story you probably did not learn in detail during school. It is one of those places where you leave knowing something new.

Where to Park

Parking in Savannah’s Historic District can be one of the biggest challenges when exploring the city. I recommend parking once and exploring the Historic District on foot. Savannah is a walkable city.

Options include:

• Nearby parking garages
• Metered street parking
• Savannah’s visitor parking areas

Guided Tours

In addition to taking a self-guided tour, you can take a guided tour → American Prohibition Museum tickets

Savannah Trip

If you’re planning a trip to Savannah, The American Prohibition Museum is an interactive way to learn all about this interesting time period.

Planning your Savannah Trip?
See my Savannah things to do page for more places to add to your trip.

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