How do you get into Speakeasy DC?
We have not confirmed it. Speakeasy DC is in the directory because it calls itself a speakeasy, and that is the whole of what we can stand behind about its door.
The drinks at Speakeasy DC
How the venue describes itself: “A great story is irresistible and unforgettable. Let us share the gift of storytelling with you through our live shows, podcast, classes, & consulting services.” (from its own website, retrieved 9 October 2026)
Beyond what the venue publishes we have not verified a list, so what follows is the period rather than the bar: Bee’s Knees, Southside, and Last Word are all drinks of this era, and each links to its origin and its build.
The building
Documented — Speakeasy DC occupies the Gibbons, James, Cardinal, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 07001051. The listing is a federal record maintained by the National Park Service, and the nomination document is the primary source for the building’s architectural and social history.
National Register reference 07001051 · NPS nomination document
Where Speakeasy DC sits
Speakeasy DC is in Washington, District of Columbia, in District of Columbia, in the Mid-Atlantic of the United States. The city sits inside the DC, Maryland and Virginia metropolitan area.
Our directory currently lists thirteen speakeasies and hidden bars in Washington. The full list is on our guide to hidden bars in Washington.
Measured from the map pins, the closest of those to Speakeasy DC are The Gibson, about 1.8 km away, Secret Lounge, about 2.1 km away, and Capo Backroom, about 2.2 km away.
District of Columbia holds thirteen listed venues in this directory. See them all on our District of Columbia speakeasy guide.
Prohibition in District of Columbia
District of Columbia came under national prohibition on 17 January 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment took effect and the Volstead Act defined an intoxicating beverage as anything above one half of one per cent alcohol — a threshold strict enough to close breweries that had expected to survive.
More on the period in our history of Prohibition in District of Columbia.
What the newspapers recorded in Washington
Searching the Library of Congress run of District of Columbia newspapers for speakeasy, blind pig and bootlegger across 1920 to 1933 returns dated pages anyone can open. These are from Washington:
- The Washington daily news, June 24, 1930 — read the page at the Library of Congress
- The Washington daily news, March 14, 1929 — read the page at the Library of Congress
- The Washington daily news, December 26, 1931 — read the page at the Library of Congress
- The Washington daily news, January 14, 1931 — read the page at the Library of Congress
Planning a visit
You can reach Speakeasy DC by phone on (814) 861-6010, through its own website, and on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube.
The address is 1525 Newton St NW, Washington, DC 20010-3103. Open in Google Maps.
What we have confirmed
For Speakeasy DC we hold street address, telephone number, official website, social accounts, and a listed-building record. We do not yet hold opening hours, a published drinks list, or an online booking link.
It is in the directory because its own name calls it a speakeasy.
Overture Maps carries this venue; OpenStreetMap has no matching record.