Las Vegas Nevada
Mob Museum
The old courtroom and interesting displays draw the spirits of convicted mobsters and their victims and the lawmen who perhaps died trying to catch them.
DESCRIPTION
The former 1933 Classic Revival style Las Vegas Courthouse and United States Post Office building is quite beautiful both inside and out, and says a lot about what purpose this building was originally used for, as money was flowing for this project.
It is now the home of THE MOB MUSEUM: The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a fascinating and interesting, unique museum.
Mission Statement: “The Mob Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime’s history and impact on American society. The Mob Museum offers a bold and authentic view of organized crime from vintage Las Vegas to the back alleys of American cities and—increasingly—across the borders and networks of the entire world.”
Tom and I visited this fantastic four-floored museum and really enjoyed exploring the real stories and actual events of “Mob history through interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind Mob and law enforcement artifacts.” Wow! It was worth the price of the ticket. A lot of the blanks in my knowledge of the Mob’s and law enforcement’s complicated history were nicely filled in by all the hard work put into this fine museum.
Artifacts and exhibits that stood out to me: There are a lot of videos of actual events and mobsters, all their tricks, and killing devices of the trade, a picture display of known hired killers, video and pictures on how they got started in their lives of crime and violence, and an interactive computer video with a mobster who is quizzing you about what you must be able to do if you want to join them.
There are also large pictures of all the mobsters posted on a wall, with a description of what they did and what happened to them. Yikes. Also there are exhibits and videos on how the FBI caught and shut them down.
We also saw a 1950 courtroom or two that were intact; a place where some important cases and inquiries were held concerning Mob activities, and where many mobsters were brought to justice.
Other interesting displays include old outfits, personal possessions and other artifacts that wow the visitor. In the basement, there is a speakeasy set up that serves real drinks.
Besides buying a general admission ticket, you can pay more to be involved with the Crime Lab Experience or The Use of Force Training Experience. If you want it all, you can buy an all access pass.
HISTORY
The design and construction of this fabulous building was under the direction of James A Wetmore, between 1931 and 1933. It opened in 1933 as the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, a judicial representative of the Federal Court. For its first 12 years, it was mostly used as a Post Office because the nearest Federal judge was in Carson City, 400 miles away. Twice a year, this judge would make the trek to Las Vegas to hear cases.
This changed in 1945, when a Federal judge was assigned to the Las Vegas United States District Court. By 1950, the joint was jumping, beginning with “one of the famed Kefauver Committee hearings. On November 15, 1950, the U.S. Senate Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, led by Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver, heard testimony in the courtroom on the second floor.”
Who was on the hot seat? Las Vegas casino owners and managers who had ties to notorious Mob bosses arrived November 15th, 1950 up to the second-floor courtroom to answer questions about Mob involvement from members of the U.S. Senate’s Special Committee. Hopefully they didn’t pay for their testimony with their lives.
Probably sometime in the late 1990s, it was decided that this 1933 Federal Courthouse no longer met the needs of Las Vegas, so a new building was planned and constructed at 333 S Las Vegas Blvd., probably by 2001.
In 2002, this 1933 Federal Courthouse building was sold for a dollar to the city of Las Vegas with the attached condition that they would turn it into a museum. With the help of Federal, Nevada State and Local Government grants, the building was restored and renovated with great success.
Wanting the best mob museum, they hired leading designers to create one that told the true story of “organized crime and law enforcement in the United States.”
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS
Personal artifacts, and memorabilia can draw spirits back to see their possessions and look at the old pictures, and publicity about their lives.
Buffalo Bill Rest Ranch, NE (The spirit of Buffalo Bill relishes all of his memorabilia on display at his old ranch, now a state museum).
El Rancho Hotel, NM (Memorabilia has acted like an environmental trigger, drawing in spirits).
Custer House, ND (The spirits who loved this place must be thrilled to not only see their old, comforting habitat historically restored, but their actual favorite stuff as well being on display).
The Mob Museum, NV (The exhibits on display attract the spirits of mobsters and lawmen involved in their demise).
Spirits of convicted criminals sometimes like to hang out in the places where they were jailed, tried, convicted and/or died.
Alcatraz Prison Museum, CA (Mob hitman the Butcher was murdered in the laundry room. He is afraid to leave to go to the spirit world due to his evil behavior during his lifetime).
Cell Block Nightclub, PA (Death in jail causes a hopeless afterlife for some. Some of the spirits who were executed here are afraid to go to the other side, and another one was hung for something he didn’t do).
St Augustine Jail Museum, FL (The spirit of a convicted inmate who was hung for something he didn’t do, doesn’t want to cross over out of fear that what he did do will be judged).
The Mob Museum, NV (Many Las Vegas mobsters were tried and convicted in this courthouse, the beginning of the end of their lives in freedom, sometimes resulting in a trip to the death house).
Sometimes spirits of victims of violence are attached to an item, room, or building, where they were slain.
Museum of Shadows, NE ( While some spirits have attached to items they owned while alive, other spirits are attached to an item that killed them).
Wyoming Frontier Prison, WY (While many inmates died at the hands of bullies, the self-hanging device, the Julien Gallows, cruelly executed nine condemned men. Some guards also were killed by inmates. The spirits of these victims are still in the areas where they were murdered or executed).
The Mob Museum, NV (Some of the display items are connected to violent murder. Many of these items have spirits attached to them).
MANIFESTATIONS
Who are the spirits who haunt the building?
The Spirits of Victims
The Mob Museum has been described as a “monument to organized crime, and is a colorful and loud eulogy to the era’s countless victims.” Perhaps some of the spirits of the Mob’s countless victims make themselves feel better as well.
Anyone who got in the way of mobsters was “taken care of.” Perhaps, a witness or two who had to testify against a mobster but didn’t live because of their testimony also comes with their regrets and relives what they did to get murdered.
The spirits of lawmen who were gunned down by the mob also may visit.
The Spirits of Convicted Mobsters
The obvious spirits who stay here or visit are all the unhappy, convicted mobsters and their underlings who heard their fate in this court house.
There are exhibits here that they would enjoy and remember their days of power. Their names are remembered and their pictures are displayed.
General Activity Hallways
Activity on the 2nd floor where the courtroom was located has been very noticeable.
Shadows and apparitions have been seen floating and moving down the halls who haven’t been in a happy mood for a very long time.
2nd Floor Courtroom
Many people have felt spirits in this courtroom and experienced cold spots.
The Exhibits
There is something for every restless spirit, helping all find some comfort .
The spirits of mobsters relish in reliving all their wrongdoing, and are proud to see their faces and exploits on display, seeing the whole picture of their operations.
The spirits of lawmen who chased and battled with these mobsters also have prided themselves in their accomplishments before they died in the line of duty.
The many victims of mob violence realize that their killers didn’t have good ends, and many paid for their murders. There is one big wall exhibit of all the mob’s hitmen and what happened to them.
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Wall of bricks
It is amazing that all the bricks are still together. They are said to have soaked up a boatload of negative energy.
While most were kept together hoping to sell them as part of a wall, others were smuggled out and sold piece by piece.
However, they were returned when the recipient suffered from bad luck and misfortune.
The wall radiates a negative, uncomfortable aura and sensitive Julie Carr didn’t get too close to them.
The Barber Chair
Crime boss Albert Anastasia was murdered in this chair.
It possibly draws the spirit of Albert Anastasia back for a visit or two.
The chair also sucked in negative energy.
PARANORMAL FINDINGS
Current Staff and visitors late at night have had personal experiences but haven’t publicly shared them.
The figures of convicted mobsters probably were noticed before the building became a museum, so that story has been shared.
Julie Carr knew what she felt as a sensitive, which falls under having personal experiences.
The Mob Museum claims that their building is haunted but doesn’t explain any of the details. They want the public to buy a ticket and go on a ghost hunt where participants can’t keep any of the evidence they capture.
No evidence that may have been caught has been shared with the public.
Several sources claim that the building is haunted but with just general statements.
STILL HAUNTED?
Yes Indeed! The museum attracts spirits not only because of the building, but also because of all of the exhibits. The spirits of gangsters, lawmen, witnesses and victims have probably been seen for years, giving the building the reputation of being haunted amongst the Las Vegas Community.
LOCATION
The Mob Museum: The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement
300 Stewart Ave,
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
THE MOB MUSEUM: The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement is located in downtown Las Vegas at N. 3rd Street, and Stewart Avenue, just across the street from Downtown Grand Hotel and Casino.o.
SOURCES INCLUDE
- themobmuseum.org
- www.thrillist.com
- www.inverse.com/article/10682-the-mob-museum-in-las-vegas-is-a-moment-of-silence-amid-lights-and-sounds
- godaddywp.com/chicago_saint-valentines-day
Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr
Our Photos are copyrighted by Tom Carr
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