The past comes alive during River City History Tours at The Durham Museum! River City History Tours are historically accurate, entertaining and share the fascinating history of Omaha. Explore the city’s vibrant past aboard comfortable transportation or up close on our walking tours and hear stories that highlight the unique history of various neighborhoods and locations in Omaha, ranging from the city’s infamous bootlegging past to the site of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition.

Last Call for Alcohol: Omaha's Bootlegging History

By the time prohibition was the law of the land in the U.S., Nebraska had been “dry” for two years and organized crime syndicates had established a well-oiled machine to turn profits. Local and federal authorities spent years putting together a case that ultimately brought down the “kingpin” of Omaha’s crime scene, Tom Dennison. This tour, based on Dennison’s 1931 federal indictment, takes a look at hotels, speakeasies and other key locations in prohibition-era Omaha.