Alcatraz East opens extended John Dillinger exhibit
Exhibit at the Pigeon Forge crime museum shows all about Dillinger’s final escape from prison before he was killed
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A new exhibit at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge gives you a look at one of America’s most famous prison escapes: John Dillinger’s final break from jail on March 3, 1934.
At the museum you can see what his jail cell would have been like, his prison record and even death mask.
Along with his gang, he killed 10 people, wounded seven others, and robbed a string of banks in just over a year. In addition, he is also widely known for his escaping authorities. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he staged three jailbreaks, killing a sheriff during one of them.
He escaped from jail with a gun he carved out of wood and took hostages with him. It would be his final escape as he would be killed while on the run.
“We curated some artifacts together to kind of look into it. It’s an interesting story and so we’re highlighting that end jail break of his life because it sort of triggers the end of his career,” said Ally Pennington, Alcatraz East Crime Museum. “This is an escape story that captured the nation’s attention back in the 1930s and continues to do so.”
The temporary Dillinger exhibit at Alcatraz East Crime Museum includes the FBI’s wanted poster, escape “gun,” Crown Point prisoner’s record, and Dillinger’s famous death mask, which was created 12 hours after his death at the Cook County Morgue.
“The Beginning of the End: John Dillinger’s Final Jail Break” exhibit will run through March 3, 2023. His car is permanently on display in Pigeon Forge.
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