This exhibit combines content from the Virginia Library’s 2017 exhibit “Teetotalers and Moonshiners: Virginia’s Prohibition Experiment” with research and artifacts from the Hampton History Museum on the local experience. On November 1, 1916, Virginia Breweries and distilleries closed their doors as the state began a grand experiment in Prohibition. From that date until 1933, state inspectors and federal agents attempted to stem the flow of illicit alcohol to a thirsty populace. In many ways, Hampton’s relationship with alcohol mirrors Virginia’s as a whole. But, Hampton’s own Prohibition story differs in distinct and unexpected ways. Hampton History Museum. hamptonhistorymuseum.org

The exhibit will be on display at the Hampton History Museum from February 4, 2023 – February 4, 2024.