American Prohibition Museum | Savannah GA

The prohibition era was a tumultuous time in American history. From those in favor of to those against, combined with the people who made millions of dollars defying the ban, conflict was rampant. One thing was certain: There was a ban in place, and it was not working. In Savannah GA, there is a museum dedicated to telling the whole story of the prohibition era, which is much more than you read in the history books! A trip to the American Prohibition Museum – the ONLY museum in the United States dedicated to this era – will enlighten you with their life-like wax figures and exciting multimedia exhibits. It is a sensational place to visit, and we can’t wait to return!

Travis Spangenburg Tells Us
More About the Prohibition Era

Fun Facts

1 The American Prohibition Museum is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the prohibition era.
2 You can have a drink in an authentic speakeasy at the museum.
3 The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed in 1919 to ban the sale, production, transportation and distribution of alcohol.
4 In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution repealed the 18th Amendment.
5 The consumption of alcohol was not included in the ban.

What to Eat: The Shrimp Factory

While walking from shoot to shoot on Historic River Street in Savannah GA, we stopped to chat with a friendly hostess outside of The Shrimp Factory. We were so thrilled with her friendliness that, after completing our shoots in the area, we went back there and had lunch. It turns out that The Shrimp Factory is a locally owned restaurant (since 1977!) that serves up not only warm hospitality but delicious food, too, from Lowcountry Boil to shrimp and grits and everything in between. Of course, we also had a helping of warm peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. We’ll have to go back and investigate, too, because, apparently, it’s a well-known haunted spot. We experienced weird magnetization of one piece of silverware, and that, according to our hosts, is just the tip of the iceberg!

Read the Transcript of This Stories, Secrets & Sagas Episode

Times were tough during the late 1920s and the Great Depression era. There were no jobs; banks were closing and people were hungry. What’s worse? They couldn’t even legally drown their sorrows with a cold drink of alcohol!

Prohibition, as it was known, banned the manufacture, transportation and sale of intoxicating liquors in America from 1919-1933. Ratified on January 29, 1919, the 18th Amendment made it a legal piece of legislation. But, even before 1919, there was a movement under foot to ban booze, beer, wine and the lot from American society. Many thought that intoxicating drinks were the devil’s work. These evil spirits caused good men to go bad and families to shatter. One such person was Carry A. Nation. In the early 1900s, Carry felt it was her mission and a calling from God to stop people from drinking alcohol. She prayed and sang hymns in front of bars, and soon they closed. When that didn’t work, she started carrying a small hatchet, and upon entering the business, would attack the bar until patrons stopped her from the destruction.

You gotta admit, this must have gotten some attention!

Both local and federal government struggled to enforce Prohibition. The thinking behind prohibiting the creation and sale of alcohol was well intended, but the end result meant unregulated moonshine, bootleggers, speakeasies and gangsters.

Mobsters like Al Capone made an amazing $60 million annually from bootleg operations and speakeasies. That is equivalent to almost $900 million in today’s dollars!

What ended prohibition? Probably the fact that it wasn’t really working, and in the process, was helping to fuel mobster income and illegal sales. In 1933, the 21^st Amendment to the Constitution was passed, and it became legal to create and distribute alcohol again.

And today, I am here in Savannah Georgia at the American Prohibition Museum. Within this museum are exhibits, galleries and many facts about a very dry period in American history. It is a great place to explore and learn about a time in history when having a drink could mean going to jail. Thanks for watching! We’ll see you next time on Stories, Secrets and Sagas.

Visit the American Prohibition Museum | Savannah GA

American Prohibition Museum209 W. St. Julian Street Savannah GA 31401 (912) 314-4054 Located next to Ellis Square in the City Market, just blocks away from Robinson Parking Garage

Check out our episode on the Partridge Inn Ghost in Augusta GA!