Top 5 Things To Do When Visiting Alcatraz East Crime Museum
Alcatraz East Crime Museum, located in Pigeon Forge, is a must-see for true crime and history buffs
PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee While visiting the Pigeon Forge area theres a must-see destination for everyone who considers themselves to be a true crime fan or history buff. Alcatraz East Crime Museum is a popular destination for those tourists and residents alike. The museum puts the spotlight on crime and punishment, giving people an experience they cant find elsewhere. Not only will guests learn about some of the most notorious crimes, but they will also learn about the consequences of crime and the important role that law enforcement plays.
Many people are not sure what to expect when they walk through the door, but once they leave they are happy they did so, says Summer Blalock, manager for Alcatraz East. Its truly a unique experience and something that everyone can get something out of.
Temporary Exhibits And Programs
The museum is frequently adding to its collection.
They have a panel of experts who make up the Advisory Board, including people in law enforcement, collectors, a medical examiner, crime scene investigators and more.
Temporary exhibits are often done in partnerships with outside programs and are included with every ticket.
A Notorious History Of American Crime
Take a virtual journey through the ages in the Notorious History of American crime gallery! You can find it all, from the gunslingers of the Old West to the white collar criminals of today! This gallery examines the criminal masterminds of many different eras. You can experience a variety of interesting artifacts. Including a showcase for Jesse James and other Wild West outlaws, as well as the bizarre punishments and witch hunts of Colonial America. You also have the opportunity to have your picture taken in a pillory! This is your chance to find out first-hand what it was like to experience this punishment device during colonial times!
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Sheriff Richard Allen Smoot Schmids Cowboy Boots
Smoot Schmid was a Dallas County sheriff who nearly captured Bonnie and Clyde. When the infamous robbers attempted to visit family members near Sowers, TX in 1933, Sheriff Schmid lay in wait for the couple. However, Bonnie and Clyde realized that a trap had been set and they narrowly escaped the ambush with minor injuries from a bullet that pierced their car. Schmid, who was 65 ½ tall, wore size 14 cowboy boots!
How Much Does The Alcatraz East Crime Museum Cost
At the time of this writing, an adult ticket to Alcatraz East will cost you $26.95. A childs ticket will cost $14.95.
The museum also offers discounts for seniors, law and military, and Sevier County residents .
Sometimes booking on Tripster also saves you a couple of bucks.
There are add-ons, of course. You can choose to buy an audio tour or additional challenges if you want to opt for the VIP treatment.
If you add all of the bells and whistles, youre looking at about $36.95 per adult and $24.95 per child.
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Counterfeit Crimes And Pop Culture
Encounter the trillion-dollar industry of counterfeit goods in the Counterfeit Crimes and Pop Culture exhibit! The illegal traffic and sale of counterfeit items affects our daily lives as it impacts large corporations, small businesses and American jobs. The International Anti-Counterfeiting Association has teamed up with the museum to create this interactive gallery so that you can see the hazards you face when purchasing a counterfeit product. You can also view a wide range of counterfeit items, including Rolex watches, Playstation consoles, Ugg boots and much more!
Where To Stay In Pigeon Forge
When you stay with Hearthside Cabin Rentals, you will be just a short drive away from the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge. With everything from 1 bedroom cabins for romantic getaways to 18 bedroom lodges for family reunions, we are guaranteed to have the perfect property for your escape. To start planning your vacation, browse our selection of cabins in Pigeon Forge!
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Alcatraz East Crime Museum
- Overview
Alcatraz East Crime Museum “A must see for CSI fans”, includes interactive exhibits covering the history of American Crime.
- Map
811 East Parkway, P.O. Box 527Gatlinburg, TN 37738
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Revolvers Used By The James
In post-Civil War Missouri, Jesse James and his brother Frank orchestrated a number of robberies with a band of outlaws. The revolvers on display at the crime museum in Pigeon Forge belonged to gang members Robert Wood Hite and Clarence Hite, who were cousins of Jesse and Frank. Wood Hite was ultimately murdered by Robert Ford, who killed Jesse James four months later.
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About: Alcatraz East Crime Museum
Description
Spread across 25,000 square feet and with more than 100 interactive exhibits across two floors, Alcatraz East Crime Museum is sure to satisfy everyone, from junior detectives to true crime aficionados. See artifacts of American crime like O.J. Simpson’s Ford Bronco, try your hand at crime scene investigation, and even try cracking a safe!
Opening hours
John Dillinger Exhibit At Alcatraz East Crime Museum
Alcatraz East Crime Museum will open a temporary exhibit on March 3, 2022, that focuses on the anniversary of one of the most infamous prison escapes in American history. Titled The Beginning of the End: John Dillingers Final Jail Break, the exhibit will feature information and artifacts about the gangsters final prison break. The exhibit will run for one year in the prison section of the museum.
This is an escape story that captured the nations attention back in the 1930s and continues to do so, says Ally Pennington, artifacts and programs manager for Alcatraz East. We are thrilled to share what happened and show people some interesting artifacts from the story.
John Dillinger is remembered as one of the most famous bank robbers in the country. Along with his gang, they killed 10 people, wounded seven others, and robbed a string of banks in just over a year. In addition, he is also widely known for his escaping authorities. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations , he staged three jailbreaks, killing a sheriff during one of them.
On March 3, 1934, Dillinger used what turned out to be a gun that he carved out of wood to escape from jail for the final time. The Indiana jail was thought to be escape-proof, but he pulled it off, taking hostages with him. When he was in the clear and released the hostages, they told the FBI how he escaped and in what direction he went. A nationwide search led the FBI to him, where he was shot to death while escaping.
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Whats Inside The Alcatraz East Crime Museum
Initially, I assumed Alcatraz East Crime Museum would mostly be a dedication to its namesake, with loads of fun Alcatraz facts and some miscellaneous American crime history sprinkled in.
Surprisingly, its a bit of the inverse. Its mostly American crime history with a few Alcatraz facts sprinkled in.
You begin the tour with how most criminals start their prison time with a mugshot. And as you walk through the 25,000 square feet museum, you walk through various galleries dedicated to the antiheroes of American history.
The museum makes a point to humanize the stories of the victims and celebrate law enforcement.
You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about all types of crime. Theres exhibits and artifacts on pirates, Old West gunslingers, white-collar criminals, mobsters and serial killers.
One of my favorite exhibits was the Crime Scene Investigation gallery, where you learn about the use of forensic science, DNA, facial reconstruction and fingerprinting AND see a real body in the middle of the room. .
Along the walls, you also see morgues. Despite the sign that says they do not open, you can tell almost every guest passing through attempts to open them.
The museum also has a dedication to 9/11. Its very respectfully done, and guests can write notes about where they were when it happened. Some of the notes said they were there when it happened. Its definitely a solemn part of the tour.
Alcatraz East Crime Museum Pigeon Forge
The Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge is an interesting and unique interactive attraction to learn about the crime and its impact on history. Five separate galleries make up this intriguing museum, including A Notorious History of American Crime and Crime Fighting. These galleries contain 28 areas with over 100 interactive exhibits along with more than 500 historic artifacts that are significant to American Crime.
The Alcatraz East museum was originally opened in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., with John Walsh being one of the original founders. This amazing museum is home to artifacts such as the infamous white Ford Bronco that O.J. Simpson tried to make his getaway in during the nation’s most famous televised car chase, Al Capone’s rosary, John Dillinger’s death mask, and even a lie detector test straight from 1967! Named for the infamous prison off the coast of San Francisco, the Alcatraz East museum gives fascinating insight into the penal system, famous artifacts, crime stories, and even interactive museum displays about American crime history and topics like prison artists and original artifacts like Al Pacino’s Machine Gun and getaway cars like the Bronco OJ Simpson used to run away from the police.
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Alcatraz East Crime Museum To Display Prison Artwork
Each year, tourists visiting San Francisco make the journey to the must-see Alcatraz Island. Since its closing in 1963, the former penitentiary continues to intrigue people of all ages. There is also a huge fascination with the artwork of prison artists. This summer, the two subjects are being brought together at Alcatraz East Crime Museum. The new temporary exhibit, called Alcatraz Art Escape, will feature artwork created by incarcerated artists. The exhibit opens to the public on August 23, 2019 and will run through the Spring of 2020.
P.A.T.H
Alcatraz East Crime Museum has teamed up with P.A.T.H. to make these artworks available to the public. The organization focuses on providing a voice for incarcerated artists. Their efforts help to support prison art programs and provide opportunities for artists to sell their work to support community causes. The exhibit will also include some never displayed Alcatraz artifacts. These objects include handcuffs from Alcatraz, a guards ID and prisoner roster pamphlet with handwritten notes. You can also see Al Capones rosary, as well as rare artwork made by an inmate while incarcerated at Alcatraz.
There are additional new artifacts that have recently been added to the museum, including:
About Alcatraz East
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.alcatrazeast.com.
More About The Alcatraz East Crime Museum
The Alcatraz East Crime Museum is located at The Island in Pigeon Forge and allows visitors to explore American history from a different perspective. Its five unique galleries dive into criminal profiles, the penal system, victims stories, crime prevention, forensic science, law enforcement, and the justice system. Alcatraz East wants to offer something that the whole family can enjoy, which is why they have exhibits for the junior detectives too! Kids will love trying to break into a locked safe, computer interactives, and getting up close with McGruff the Crime Dog! You will love this unique opportunity to learn more about American crime history in this museum.
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Fascinating Galleries To Experience At The Alcatraz East Crime Museum
The Alcatraz Crime museum is a unique attraction in Pigeon Forge where you can view more than 100 interactive exhibits on American crime history! The 25,000 square foot museum features 2 floors where you can explore various galleries, temporary exhibits and an artifacts center featuring the White Bronco from the famous O.J. Simpson televised chase! Here are 5 fascinating galleries to experience at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum:
Alcatraz East Crime Museum Located In Pigeon Forge Is Adding A New Pop Culture Exhibit Featuring Binge
Guests Weigh in On Binge-Worthy Crime Shows at New Whats Your Crime? Alcatraz East Crime Museum Exhibit
Alcatraz East Crime Museum, located in Pigeon Forge, is adding a new pop culture exhibit featuring binge-worthy crime shows
PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee During the pandemic closures, one of the most popular activities is binge-watching crime shows. In fact, Nielsen reports that the series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, was watched by 34.3 million people during the first 10 days it was released. Now, Alcatraz East fans can see a new exhibit Whats Your Crime? featuring some of the favored crime docuseries. This new display, located in the museums Pop Culture section, also gives fans a chance to share their opinions through their social media platforms. The new pop culture exhibit is scheduled to open this Friday, July 24, 2020.
The museums survey results, from museum fans on social media and the monthly newsletter, had these shows as the top 10 favorites:
- Making a Murderer
Whats Your Crime? features objects from a few of the top shows. The first 100 guests who visit to see the new exhibit will get a free magazine courtesy of Big Cat Rescue.
Our visitors enjoy making connections in the museum to things theyre already familiar with, says Janine Vaccarello, chief operating officer at Alcatraz East Crime Museum. We hope theyll be excited to see these objects or be inspired to watch one of the shows.
About Alcatraz East Crime Museum
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What Is There To Do
Kids, you have the right to remain playful, and any play you have or do may be possible in Alcatraz East – do those sound like pretty cool rights to you? We think so!
Alcatraz East Crime Museum is home to the largest collection of crime & law related artifacts in the entire nation, with over 100 interactive exhibits set across five unique galleries that burrow deep into criminal profiles, victim’s stories, forensic science and law enforcement.
It’s also an all ages museum, which is great news!
There is so much to see and do at this 25,000 sq ft crime museum. You can explore the gallery of American criminal and their crimes, from greed-driven pirates to the gunslingers of the Old West.
You can learn all about various punishments, from the line up, the mug shot to how it feels to be in a jail cell.
Kids can learn how to fight crime from local police officers to famous lawmen, as well as the FBI
There are authentic artifacts throughout Alcatraz East to help tell these fascinating and some unbelievable stories, from guns, to death masks, and even cars!
A fun and hands-on crime museum in Pigeon Forge, that will make kids realize how great it is to be good!
Its A Crime Not To Visit This Place
If youre visiting the Island of Pigeon Forge, the Alcatraz East Crime Museum is the ideal place to include along with your stops. Located in the center of all the action, there are shops and attractions
This museum has fun and interactive exhibits that cater to families and couples alike. Even if you dont know much about serial killers or true crime, heres an opportunity to explore the inner workings in the minds of criminals as well as the masterminds that solve the crimes and bring the bad guys to justice.
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Crime Museum In Pigeon Forge Introduces New Artifacts And Exhibits
The Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge is a cant-miss destination for true crime fans! This popular attraction traces the history of neer-do-wells and scoundrels from the Wild West to the present. The museum is famous for displaying a number of artifacts that belonged to the nations most notorious criminals, including Bonnie and Clydes getaway car, Al Capones rosary, and O.J. Simpsons Ford Bronco.
Were excited to report that the museum recently added a number of intriguing new artifacts and exhibits to its collection. Read on for a look at all of the additions to Alcatraz East.
Alcatraz East Debuts Exhibit On Ted Bundy Murders Pornography Addiction
The new 2-year temporary exhibit at Alcatraz East focuses on the historical nature of Ted Bundy’s crimes and the dangers of pornography addiction
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A temporary exhibit opened on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum titled, From Car to Incarceration: Ted Bundys Final Arrest.
Bundy was known as one of the most notorious serial killers of the 20th century, and his crimes are still discussed in books and films today.
The exhibit will feature information about his final murders, arrest, conviction, and death. This exhibit also spotlights that a serial killer can look just like anyone else in your community, and provides warnings against pornography addiction.
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This is such an important part of our countrys crime history, because it reminds us to take measures to keep safe, says Candice Cook, director of operations at Alcatraz East. In addition, we hope this exhibit helps raise awareness on fighting the $15 billion dollar pornography addiction our country faces.
Bundys final arrest was ultimately made in a traffic stop by Pensacola Police Officer, David Lee.
A Pensacola police officers uniform is among the many items on display at the new exhibit.
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