Raise A Toast At The Historic Spot In Arizona That Was A Prohibition-Era Speakeasy
By Katie Lawrence|Published March 02, 2023
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and began writing for OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Today, Katie writes, edits, and performs several other tasks for OnlyInYourState and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on with a hot cup of coffee, practicing yoga, baking, or exploring the beautiful Lone Star State (in particular, the vast and mystical West Texas desert).
One of the oldest bars in Arizona, The Monte V in Flagstaff, happens to be located inside a haunted hotel that has hosted a number of famous guests. Are you interested yet? If not, what if we told you the bar also served as a speakeasy during Prohibition? Hotel Monte Vista is one of the mountain town’s most iconic landmarks, and The Monte V Cocktail Lounge is among its most historic aspects.
Arizona's Hotel Monte Vista has quite a storied past.
Located in the heart of historic downtown Flagstaff, this century-old landmark first opened on New Year's Day 1927. It's one of the oldest hotels in the city, with a rightful spot on the National Register of Historic Places, and has hosted such famous guests as Bing Crosby and Bob Hope over the years. The hotel is even rumored to be haunted!
Since the hotel was built during Prohibition, it only makes sense for it to have played host to a speakeasy.
The hotel's cocktail lounge, The Monte V, operated under the guise of a newspaper publishing house until 1931, when local officers discovered the bootlegging operation. The lounge reopened just two years later when Prohibition was repealed, and it has been going strong ever since.
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Descending the staircase into the bi-level lounge still feels a bit scandalous, and when combined with the Gatsby-esque décor of the hotel, you just might feel like you're back in the 1930s.
Have you ever been to The Monte V? If so, we’d love to hear all about your experience in the comments! Don’t forget to check out our previous article to learn about the nearby Lowell Observatory where Pluto was discovered in 1930.
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