Prohibition, otherwise known as the Volstead Act or the Eighteenth Amendment, barred the manufacture, transportation, and sale of all alcoholic beverages in America from 1919 to 1933 – but for some people, the appeal of the “forbidden” remains today. Despite the illegality of drinking establishments during prohibition, hidden bars could be found in just about every major American city if you knew where to look. Today, speakeasies are making a comeback in a very big way.

Blind Barber – NYC, Brooklyn & Los Angeles

The name of this establishment may sound like a cruel joke or even an anti-advertisement, but it’s all part of a brand that has come to represent a simpler time. Past generations have enjoyed gathering and socializing in barber shops, and even today customers trade gossip as they get a haircut and enjoy a glass of wine in upscale salons.

This type of community gathering place is recreated in Blind Barber. An old-timey barber shop up front provides a bright and friendly place to sit and shoot the breeze as you enjoy a shave or a trim. Take a little walk through the secret door in the back and you’ll enter an a very different type of space.

The bar is outfitted in rich wood, low lighting, and period-appropriate black and white tiles on the floor. The owners wanted to create not only an enjoyable drinking establishment, but a place where people could get together to socialize, relax, and maybe pretend for a bit that they are part of a small crowd of those who are “in the know” about a secret club.

Flask and The Press – Shanghai

It might be surprising to learn that there is an American-style speakeasy in China (although if you’ve been there you will have seen quite a few), but it’s even more surprising to witness someone actually entering the bar. The building’s front contains a bright, cheery sandwich shop with a classic Coca-Cola machine on the back wall.

Pulling a lever on the soda machine reveals a “secret” passage that leads to Flask, an intimate and delightfully mysterious bar designed by Alberto Caiola. An eclectic mix of furniture calls to mind the furtive nature of assembling these establishments during prohibition.

A floor-to-ceiling display of 25 liter jugs filled with whiskey is a visually stunning detail which may or may not be historically accurate – speakeasies were generally designed to be easy to disassemble if the cops came sniffing around, after all. Regardless, it is still a charming deviation from the loud, crowded urban bar.

Williams & Graham – Denver

The first thing that will strike you as unusual when you walk into the small Denver “bookstore” called simply Williams and Graham is that it’s only open from 5 pm to 1 am. Good news for insomniac bibliophiles, perhaps…or maybe there’s a little more to this story.

At the back of the shop, a heavy curtain swings open to reveal a very cozy little space with scarce seating, low lighting, and vintage furnishings. One can imagine the hoodlums and society folks alike lining up in the 1920s for a tasty libation while always keeping a wary eye trained on the door.

The bar serves cocktails straight out of the prohibition era – though admittedly, not with liquor made in clandestine basements distilleries or delivered only under the cover of night. The establishment emphasizes its mission to replicate the speakeasy with its fancy drinks, relative exclusivity (reservations are recommended), and general air of mystery.

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You’d never guess that there’s anything amiss at ‘The Press,’ a sandwich bar in Shanghai, unless you actually witnessed the surreal sight of someone pulling a lever on a vintage Coca-Cola machine and disappearing into it. The soda machine acts as a secret entrance to ‘The Flask,’ a contemporary lounge that forms a stark contrast to the brightly-lit sandwich shop.

Collectively known as The Flash and the Press, this hidden speakeasy by Alberto Caiola may not be the only such concept in town, but with the Coke machine and unexpected visuals, it adds another layer to the experience of accessing an exclusive-feeling ‘secret’ space.

Once you open the door to that machine, the fun, bright, upbeat environment of the diner melts away and you’re enveloped by a dark, angular elegance marrying traditional speakeasy details like oversized glass liquor bottles with modern aesthetics. The bar is dimly-lit and eclectically furnished to recreate the subversive, fly-by-night feel of the originals.

Another hidden speakeasy, this one in New York, requires a bit more of visitors in order to gain access – you have to meander up a winding path through a deserted building to reach what seems like an industrial wasteland. ‘The Night Heron’ was held illegally inside a water tower on top of a vacant building in Chelsea.

For all of humankind’s history, we’ve been fascinated with hidden places. Before they were a fun architectural addition to new homes, hidden rooms and secret passages served a purpose. Most often, that purpose was to allow someone to hide or escape from some kind of danger. At other times, though, they have served a much more sinister purpose. Here are ten notable hidden chambers, secret rooms, and concealed passages from throughout history from priest holes to royal escape routes.

(image via: Lost Chord)

There are few cultures more mysterious than the Ancient Egyptians. Their enormous monuments defy our ideas about ancient technology. Countless explorers, marauders and archaeologists have struggled to uncover the secrets of the Giza Plateau pyramids for centuries. The designers of the monuments must have anticipated this, because their ingenious designs allowed many mummified remains to lie undisturbed since they were initially laid to rest. The pyramids often contain a decoy room filled with a few items to throw off tomb raiders, while the actual burial chamber is concealed. Only with the progression of our own technology have we been able to detect the rooms hidden deep beneath the main passages.

(image via: Craig Thornber)

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, practicing Catholic rites was punishable by up to life in prison or even death. Some brave Catholic priests roamed the country to visit loyal Catholics and perform services in their homes. The Queen’s men also roamed the country to catch Catholic priests in the act. As a result, many homes featured hidden chambers called priest holes. Priest holes were tiny, cleverly concealed spaces designed to hide a Catholic priest during raids and searches. Searches could last for days or even weeks, and often involved experienced builders who were trained to look for hiding places. Some priests were known to starve or suffocate in the cramped quarters while waiting out a search.

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10 Historic Secret Rooms And Hidden Passages