During Prohibition, New York City became the speakeasy capital of America.

Officially, alcohol was illegal. Unofficially, it was available almost everywhere.

From lavish nightclubs catering to celebrities and politicians to cramped back-room bars hidden behind barber shops and candy stores, thousands of illegal drinking establishments operated throughout the city. Some were elegant. Some were dangerous. All were illegal.

Inside these hidden venues, jazz echoed through smoke-filled rooms while waiters served bootleg whiskey and champagne. Gangsters controlled supply chains. Police officers accepted payoffs. Politicians looked the other way. The city’s elite mingled with criminals, entertainers, and ordinary New Yorkers looking for a night of excitement.

Many of the era’s most famous establishments became legends. The Stork Club, the Cotton Club, Club Richman, Club Durant, and countless lesser-known speakeasies helped shape New York’s nightlife culture while quietly ignoring federal law.

Each speakeasy had its own story, its own clientele, and its own secrets. Some became cultural landmarks. Others disappeared without a trace after a police raid, a mob dispute, or the repeal of Prohibition.

Step through the hidden entrance and explore the clubs, bars, and back rooms that kept New York drinking when America was supposed to be sober.