The Pigeon Forge, Tennessee recreation, vacation, and resort area is teaming with great things to do. Just along the main drag, visitors who are traveling from near and far, will encounter any number of museums, shows, gift shops, experiences, and more. Pigeon Forge and neighboring Gatlinburg are oases of family entertainment, theme parks, outdoor recreation, water parks, and more. One incredible location nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains is the Alcatraz East Crime Museum.
What’s the Alcatraz East Crime Museum?
Alcatraz East is a privately owned and held museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The location is home of all kinds of macabre and interesting artifacts related to crime, the criminal element, and the penal system. Any so-called “true crime” addicts of detective T.V. specials or other crime dramas would make themselves at home at the museum.
“The museum is 25,000 square feet, spread over 2 floors and includes over 100 interactives. So much fun it’s a crime!” Stated on their website.
Explore American history from a different perspective in five unique galleries that burrow deep into criminal profiles, the penal system, victim’s stories, crime prevention, forensic science, law enforcement and our justice system.
The museum is broken up into different thematic areas and elements. Those galleries include:
- A Notorious History of American Crime
- Punishment: The Consequence of Crime
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Crime Fighting
- Counterfeit Crimes and Pop Culture
A little history
Alcatraz East is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in The Island entertainment district. That’s not where this unique destination was born though. The National Museum of Crime & Punishment was a three-story museum, launched by prominent attorney and businessman John Morgan. That museum was located in Washington, D.C. The Crime Museum, as it was also referred to, was in operation from 2008 until September of 2015.
The National Museum of Crime & Punishment
When located in D.C., the Crime Museum had many of the same artifacts and exhibits that Alcatraz East currently has. However, one thing that was unique about the D.C. location was the “America’s Most Wanted” studio in the basement.
A 2008 “L.A. Times” piece noted that “once a month, host John Walsh [from “America’s Most Wanted”] will film the show in a basement studio that also will house the call-in center where viewers submit tips on suspects highlighted in the weekly episodes.”
Relocation
In 2015, due to provisions in their lease, The National Museum of Crime & Punishment was forced to vacate the location.
The leap from Washington D.C. to Pigeon Forge, Tenn. may seem like a big one, but perhaps not. Morgan already had existing interests in Pigeon Forge.
In addition to his law firm, Morgan had/has a variety of other businesses. He’s the founder and owner of WonderWorks Family Attractions. The second WonderWorks facility had been operating in Pigeon Forge since 2006. It’s not a foregone conclusion that this connection is why the Crime Museum rebranded as Alcatraz East in Pigeon Forge, however it probably had something to do with it.
The museum at its current location at The Island opened in December of 2016.
Our visit to the museum
My travel companions and I had a chance to visit Alcatraz East in July of 2023. We had a good cross-section of ages and interests, with fellow adventurers aged six, seven, 14, 40, and 41. There was something there for everyone. “The museum has mature content, but the younger audiences only see the fun things for them to do,” the FAQ notes. “This is a place where both you and your children will be engaged.”
Tickets
For the younger people in our group, we got them general admission passes, and added on to them “Top Detective Challenge” guide books – “The Case of the Missing Medallion” – and admission to the “Heist!” There’s a VIP bundle that includes an audio tour with those options. By bundling, we were able to save quite a few bucks, even though we did not utilize the audio tour option.
For myself and the eldest of my roommates, we just got general admission tickets.
As far as family entertainment goes and museums, this location is priced fairly consistently with other attractions that are similar. Depending on what ticket you decide to go with, prices run from $28.95 to $38.95 for adults and $14.95 to $24.95 for kids. A visit isn’t “cheap,” but it won’t break the bank either.
The exhibits and sections of the museum
A Notorious History of American Crime
The first exhibit in the museum starts on the second floor. This is a journey from early punitive and criminal artifacts and events, segueing into the history of American crime. From there visitors wind through the different areas. In that first room, museumgoers are greeted with some awesome and gnarly medieval and 17th Century punishment tools.
A menacing “hand axe” was one of the first artifacts we encountered. It wasn’t called a “hand axe” like we’d think of one today. It was a hand ax that was used to cut off hands. Next to the hand removing device was a set of 15th Century “tongs” that were used to pull flesh off the bodies of people being tortured or executed.
We rolled up next on some interesting detainment devices from the Middle Ages.
The exhibits continued from there to:
- Colonial times
- Salem witch trials
- Pirates and Blackbeard
- The Wild West
- An interactive shooting gallery
The next few exhibits begin in a more modern era, in the early 20th Century, starting with Prohibition in the United States. The rooms covering Prohibition, the Depression Era, and the Mob were ones we spent a fair amount of time in.
OC
When you think of organized crime and the beginning of the American gangster, it all started during prohibition. Exhibits feature gangsters such as these “public enemies:” “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Harry Pierpont, Lester “Baby Face Nelson” Gillis, John “Red” Hamilton, George “Machine Gun Kelly” Barnes, and Homer Van Meter.
The Depression
In the Depression Era exhibit, Bonnie and Clyde are featured. There the story of these two notorious gangsters is told. Artifacts from Bonnie and Clyde were also at the museum as part of a temporary exhibit. On the first floor, Bonnie and Clyde’s “death car,” from the 1967 movie “Bonnie and Clyde,” is also on display.
The Mob
The Mob exhibit room features a display of some famous firearms with some other artifacts. Prominently displayed in the middle of the glass case is an Uzi used by Al Pacino in the movie “Scarface.”
“Scarface” was not the only famous movie to have some firearms on display. There were two Colt revolvers that were used in the movie “The Godfather.” One of the revolvers, a Colt MK III, was a prop for Sonny, played by James Cann. The other revolver, a Colt chambered in .357 Magnum, was used by the character Luca Brasi, played by Lenny Montana.
Modern crimes
Proceeding the Mob section, visitors enter into modern crimes from the mid 20th Century and beyond.
- Modern Crimes
- Serial killings
- Kidnappings
- Assassinations
- Terrorism
The 9/11 exhibit
At the end of the hall dedicated to terrorism, visitors can enter the 9/11 exhibit. There’s a movie about the 9/11 terror attacks against the United States playing, with a seating area. The room also has a glass case of artifacts, and some steel from the wreckage of the towers is in the opposite corner.
The entire museum is electric, in the way that items and stories speak to visitors subliminally. Some of the images you can feel in your teeth.
The 9/11 exhibit really jolts the system. Perhaps due to the magnitude of the attacks that came during peace-time America. Perhaps because 9/11 happened in the middle of my lifetime, at a time where the focus was supposed to be on self-discovery. Regardless, the exhibit might leave younger visitors confused, as they see latent emotional responses from their parents come to the surface.
If you have a heart, bring a hankie or some tissues.
Crime Scene Investigation
The next few exhibits are dedicated to Crime Scene Investigation.
- Unsolved Crimes
- Crime scene investigation
- Crime labs
The crime labs exhibit is really cool and gives visitors a chance to check out a mockup of an autopsy table.
Punishment: The Consequence of Crime
After any good and proper successful investigation, someone’s going to jail. The museum takes guests through all things punishment related, highlining The Consequence of Crime. Those consequences start with booking and end with capital punishment.
Some of the cool interactive displays let visitors go through a booking “line up,” try their hand at beating a lie detector, and you can get your fingerprints done.
Exhibits in this area include:
- Booking
- Lineup
- Police station
- Mug shot
- Court
- Warden
- Prison life
- Cells
- Al Capone’s cell
- Capital punishment
Capital punishment
The capital punishment room is eerie. One of the larger rooms in the museum, it houses everything related to unaliving those who have been sentenced to death.
Much like the energy coming from the 9/11 exhibit, the capital punishment one is oozing emotion. The vibrations blanket sentient visitors with the taste of final moments and death.
The most famous and macabre artifacts in the capital punishment exhibit include; “Old Smokey,” Tennessee’s electric chair, which ushered 125 convicted death row inmates to the other side, the Delaware lethal injection machine, and a gas chamber.
Getaway Cars Gallery
Back on the first floor, you’ll encounter the Getaway Cars Gallery. The famous crime cars of Alcatraz East include: the 1934 Ford from the movie “Bonnie and Clyde,” John Dillinger’s 1933 Essex Terraplane, Ted Bundy’s 1968 Beetle, and Al “A.C.” Cowlings’ 1993 Ford Bronco – made famous from the O.J. Simpson “slow speed” chase.
The Bonnie and Clyde Ford
What’s on display at Alcatraz East is the car used in the movie “Bonnie and Clyde.” The real vehicle that Bonnie and Clyde made their last stand in is located in Nevada.
Just a 33 minute drive from the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” is the Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino, part of Primm Valley Resorts. The current final resting spot of the Ford V8 that the duo met their demise in is at the resort.
John Dillinger’s 1933 Essex Terraplane
John Dillinger was at one time “Public Enemy #1.” The notorious bank robber apparently loved fast cars ”which is how he was able to escape from law enforcement so often.” The National Museum of Crime & Punishment procured the car “around 2007 from a Colorado-based collector of Dillinger artifacts. The car, originally black, is said to be drivable, though it has been drained of fluids for display.”
Ted Bundy’s 1968 Beetle
The prolific serial killer, Ted Bundy, had two infamous Beetles in his life. When Bundy was caught in Florida in 1978, he was in a stolen Orange Beetle. The other Beetle is the 1968 model on display at the museum.
In 1975 Bundy was arrested for evading police. He was found in possession of what could be described as a “murder kit.” That murder kit was in the 1968 Beetle.
Subsequent to his arrest, Bundy was released, only to be arrested again almost a week later. While out on bail from the second arrest, Bundy decontaminated the car and sold it.
That Beetle was eventually tracked down and DNA evidence in it was able to link Bundy to the crimes of attempted murder and kidnapping. After being convicted and imprisoned, Bundy escaped and murdered on until his eventual and final 1978 capture.
Al “A.C.” Cowlings’ 1993 Ford Bronco
A lot of people think that the Ford Bronco from the O.J. Simpson chase was his. It was not.
Simpson’s Bronco was “seized as part of evidence-gathering for his [] trial,” because there were “blood samples found inside of [it], which [were] discovered outside Simpson’s home the next day, were equally matched to Simpson and both victims.”
After the trial, Simpson’s Bronco, which actually was owned by Hertz rental car company – Simpson was the spokesperson for Hertz until the day after the chase – was “eventually destroyed after the conclusion of the trial.”
The Bronco from the chase belonged to Al “A.C.” Cowlings. A.C. was a close friend of Simpson’s going back to when they grew up in San Francisco. An April 2024 blog post over at TheForkBall.com best describes my understanding of the A.C./O.J. relationship after listening to many interviews about the duo’s friendship.
Al Cowlings often didn’t have a name; he was just OJ Simpson’s right-hand man. He did most of the things that The Juice did, but with less success and no notoriety.
The exhibit page from Alcatraz East observes, “Many people mistakenly believe that the Bronco from the chase was owned by O.J. Simpson. Both men owned the exact same make and model of vehicle because Cowlings had purchased his Bronco intentionally identical to one owned by Simpson.”
Currently the Bronco is owned by Simpson’s former agent Mike Gilbert, along with friends of A.C.’s; “Michael Pulwer and a man Gilbert would call only ‘Stan’.” According to several reports, the vehicle is on loan to the museum.
Crime Fighting
There’s a large portion of the museum dedicated to our boys and girls in blue, Crime Fighting. This second to last leg of exhibits in the museum has a good pile of fun and illuminating interactive exhibits. Some of those exhibits include a firearm training simulator and a mock DUI/DWI/OWI checkpoint.
The full lineup of what’s in the crime fighting exhibit:
- FBI’s 10 most wanted
- Famous lawmen
- Eliot Ness
- Law enforcement branches
- Tribute to fallen officers
- Uniforms/animals/equipment
- Bomb squad/body armor/SWAT
- DUI checkpoint
- Chase lab
- Patrol training
- “The Heist” laser maze challenge
“The Heist” laser maze challenge is the final stop in the exhibit prior to the last section of the museum. To note, additional tickets are required in order to participate in going into the maze. Our little adventurers enjoyed this attraction quite a bit and I highly recommend it. Inside, guests have to try to manipulate themselves around laser beams, so as to not get caught during a faux burglary.
Counterfeit Crimes and Pop Culture
What about those pesky FBI warnings and public service announcements about how pirating movies, music, and video games is a crime? Trying to convince me about how hurt Hollywood, the music industry, and gaming companies really are by illegal downloads, is going to be a high burden to reach. That does not change the fact that these are crimes. In the Counterfeit Crimes and Pop Culture section, the museum touches on the crime of illegal game downloads and other crimes involving “knock-offs.”
My heart doesn’t necessarily pour out for some of the many “designer” names who are mentioned to be injured by counterfeit goods sales. However, on Alcatraz East’s page about the exhibit, the “why” counterfeit goods are bad for society is touched on.
From internet sales to street vendors, these crimes effect [sic] our everyday lives and impact not just large corporations, but small businesses, and have a direct influence on American jobs. The sale of counterfeit goods is known to support the drug trade, human trafficking and child labor, and even terrorist activities.
What you’ll see at the Counterfeit Crimes and Pop Culture section:
- Counterfeit crimes
- Global infringement
- Crimes against celebrities
- Sports crimes
- Gangs of New York
The store
Before exiting the museum, visitors get a chance to do some shopping at the gift shop. There’s some cool stuff at the store. We did not really get much of anything, but we did show our completed guidebooks for a “prize.”
I won’t speak too disparagingly about or give any spoiler alerts about the “prize” you receive when you correctly complete the workbook – which is an additional fee – but, we could have been told, “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine,” and have left just as fulfilled.
Overall experience
The Alcatraz East museum is a fantastic destination. It could be trying with younger adventurers, but overall the exhibits will captivate the attention of most everyone visiting.
The FAQ for the museum states that “guests usually take 2 to 3 hours to go through the museum, but if you love ‘all things crime’ you could spend all day there.” We did spend about three hours while visiting, and again, we were a party of five, with two junior adventurers under the age of 10.
I could see my eldest roommate and myself being able to spend double the amount of time we spent in the museum if we were flying as just a duo. We’d be like O.J. and A.C., maybe a bad example. Bonnie and Clyde? Never mind. You get it.
If you’re looking for a fun and unique way to spend a morning, afternoon, or whole day while visiting the Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg, Tennessee area, put Alcatraz East on your list. There’s a lot to see and take in and this destination is on my “to return to” list.
Alcatraz East Crime Museum is located at: 2757 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
