Grand Rapids Public Museum Welcoming New Exhibition ‘American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition’

'American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition' will open at Grand Rapids Public Museum on September 26, 2015.

'American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition' explores bootlegging, organized crime and more.

The collection will showcase over 100 rare artifacts, including: temperance propaganda, flapper dresses from the Roaring ’20s, Carry Nation’s hatchet used during her barroom-smashing raids, and authentic items used for making moonshine and other illegal liquors.

Visitors can take a quiz to find out if they are a “wet” or a “dry,” learn the Charleston in a re-created speakeasy and play the role of a federal Prohibition agent chasing rumrunners in a custom-built video game.

Displays will show why and how laws differ from state to state and how the idea of drinking responsibly evolved.

American Spirits is a national touring exhibition created by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The exhibit includes 11 artifacts on loan from the Collection of the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

“Prohibition left an indelible mark on America, redefining the role of the federal government and leaving its mark on everything from our personal habits to our tax policies,” said exhibition curator Daniel Okrent. “And though it may have been a wild card in our constitutional history, it came into being through the invention and deployment of political tactics and strategies still in play today.”

Admission to 'American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition' will be included with general admission to the Grand Rapids Public Museum.