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Home » Blog » Pigeon Forge Attractions » Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge Opens New Exhibit: Alcatraz Art Escape
Alcatraz East Crime Museum

Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge Opens New Exhibit: Alcatraz Art Escape

The Alcatraz East Crime Museum just announced a new exhibit for visitors to enjoy! The exhibit, called “Alcatraz Art Escape,” will feature Alcatraz Island-themed artwork. There has been a huge fascination with the artwork of prison artists, and now when you visit Pigeon Forge you can see for yourself! We’ve got all the details on the new exhibit at Alcatraz East and what else you can expect at the Pigeon Forge crime museum:

Alcatraz Art Escape

Alcatraz Island in San FranciscoIn 1963, the federal penitentiary closed on Alcatraz Island. Since then, a fascination has grown with the artwork of the prison artists. Each year, people visiting San Francisco make the journey across the water to see Alcatraz Island. The Alcatraz East Crime Museum wanted to combine the artwork and the popularity of Alcatraz Island in a new exhibit: Alcatraz Art Escape. According to a press release about the exhibit, Alcatraz Art Escape will feature artwork inspired by Alcatraz Island and created by incarcerated artists. It will also include the following Alcatraz artifacts that have never been displayed before:

  • Handcuffs from Alcatraz
  • A guard’s ID and prisoner roster pamphlet with handwritten notes
  • Al Capone’s rosary
  • Rare artwork by an inmate who was incarcerated at Alcatraz

To make this exhibit possible, the Alcatraz East Crime Museum partnered with the California-based P.A.T.H, Prison Arts Touching Hearts. The organization focuses on providing a platform and voice for incarcerated artists.

Alcatraz Art Escape opens to the public on August 23, 2019 and runs through the spring of 2020.

What Else to Expect at Alcatraz East

The Alcatraz East Crime Museum at The Island in Pigeon Forge.The new Alcatraz Art Escape isn’t the only interesting exhibit you can expect to see when you visit Alcatraz East Crime Museum! Another new display you can see this summer is one of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award trophies awarded to the survivors of former USA Gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar. Alexis Alvarado was one of the 140 survivors who appeared onstage at the 2018 ESPY Awards to receive the honor. You can also see a collection of pieces from sketch artist Michael W. Streed, whose skills have been used to catch criminals and identify remains.

The museum has also added items to its section on mass shootings, including those at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival, Columbine High School, and Aurora Theater. Some of the new items include a backpack and school planner of a Columbine survivor and items preserved from the memorials for Las Vegas victims.

More About the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge

Alcatraz East invites visitors to explore American history from a different perspective. Throughout its 5 unique galleries, you can learn more about forensic science, the penal system, our justice system, and more. One of the most popular exhibits is the getaway cars exhibit, which includes the infamous white Bronco from the O.J. Simpson chase and Ted Bundy’s Volkswagen Beetle. Here are the 5 galleries you can visit at the museum:

hands behind bars in jail cellA Notorious History of American Crime: Learn about the evolution of crime and criminals, from pirates to white-collar criminals.
Punishment: The Consequence of Crime: This gallery includes a police lineup, mug shots, a lie detector test, and a jail cell.
Crime Scene Investigation: Solve crime through the use of forensic science, like DNA and blood analysis and fingerprinting.
Crime Fighting: This gallery showcases the network of law enforcement agencies and departments that are dedicated to keeping our country safe.
Counterfeit Crimes & Pop Culture: Learn about counterfeit crimes and crimes that are related to entertainment figures and sports stars.

Visit Pigeon Forge Today

We bet you can’t wait to start planning your trip to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge to see the new Alcatraz Art Escape exhibit and all the other exhibits the museum has to offer! To plan the perfect trip, learn more about all the fun things to do in Pigeon Forge.