Gangster Museum of America
4.4(1.7K)google
3.2(98)yelp
HistoryEducationalQuirkyGuided Tour
Overview
The Museum of the American Gangster was a two-room museum located at 80 St. Mark's Place in the East Village, Manhattan, New York City. Opened in 2010, it was located upstairs from a former speakeasy in a neighborhood once frequented by Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and John Gotti.
Practical Info
Mon10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tue10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wed10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thu10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Fri10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sun10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration1.5-2 hours
Best TimeExcellent year-round as an immersive indoor attraction. Visiting between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM is highly recommended; taking the morning docent-guided tour allows you to hear scandalous tales of Al Capone and Lucky Luciano hiding out in Hot Springs, framed beautifully by vintage slot machines and Tommy-gun cases.
Getting TherePerfectly situated in the historic downtown heart at 510 Central Ave. Direct driving up to the glass storefront is heavily metered; park for free at the 128 Exchange St multi-story parking garage, walk 1 flat minute past the pedestrian promenade, and find the entrance directly opposite the Fordyce Bathhouse.
Travel Tips
- This facility operates exclusively via structured, guide-led group blocks; self-guided roaming inside the corridors is legally banned. Internal rooms have tight fire-code maximums that saturate by midday; the final tour launches 60 minutes before closing.
- Exhibits feature rare gangster estate evidence and archival master audio subject to tight litigation copyright codes; filming video or running background audio logs is a major violation. Detected recording devices are seized, data drives erased, and users escorted out.
- The downtown historic museum lacks private parking infrastructure, forcing absolute reliance on 2-hour municipal street meters. Wide-body Class A/C motorhomes run severe risks of side-body impacts from passing heavy commercial logistics cargo rigs.
Reviews
Positive
- An incredibly fascinating gangster museum! It vividly charts true histories of how Al Capone and mobs used Hot Springs as a neutral safe haven.
- The admission includes a mandatory guided tour led by witty historians who bring antique tommy guns and bootlegging gambling gear alive with stories.
- Displays authentic mob artifacts, original 1920s underground casino roulette tables, and chilling black-and-white crime scene photos.
- The location is flawless, situated directly across the street from historic Bathhouse Row, making it an easy, convenient walk for tourists.
Heads up
- Because it strictly requires guided walkthroughs, you cannot wander freely self-guided, forcing you to follow a fixed pace from room to room.
- Housed in a compact historic downtown building, the actual gallery size is small, getting tight and congested when large groups fill the rooms.
- The ticket prices are somewhat premium given the brief 50-minute tour duration, which makes some travelers feel the value is slightly inflated.
- The ambient lighting is kept thematic and very dim, and some historical newspaper print exhibits have text fonts that are tiny and hard to read.