From bottles to buried clues, see how archaeology reveals Pensacola’s secret bars of the 1920s! Join the Florida Public Archaeology Network on Saturday, October 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the FPAN Destination Archaeology Resource Center, 207 East Main Street in Downtown Pensacola, for the opening reception of its newest temporary exhibit: Prohibition on Palafox: The Archaeology of Speakeasies. This free public event will include complimentary light refreshments.

Step back into the Roaring Twenties and discover Pensacola’s hidden nightlife. During Prohibition (1920-1933), alcohol was outlawed, yet demand gave rise to secret bars known as speakeasies. Along Palafox Street, at least 27 were documented in local newspapers, but many more left no written trace. This exhibit reveals how archaeology helps uncover these lost establishments, from bottles and glass fragments to other discarded clues. Explore artifacts from potential speakeasy sites and take a digital walking tour that traces Pensacola’s clandestine bars and the people who kept them alive.

This event is part of the UWF College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities Gulf Coast Culture: Pensacola Noir series. Artifacts for the display are provided by the UWF Department of Anthropology and Archaeology Institute. The exhibit is based on the thesis work of UWF alumna Taylor Brown, now Artifacts Lab Manager with the Veterans Curation Lab. Taylor will join us during the evening and will be available for chatting and questions about her research and career in public archaeology since graduating from UWF.