ONCE A VESSEL of scandal and greed, the tunnels were the infrastructure of choice for infamous gangster Al Capone as he smuggled alcohol during the Prohibition from 1917 to 1924. Chinese immigrants originally built the tunnels to sneak into Canada from the United States. The hideaways crammed into the long narrow living quarters and worked in steam laundries and gunnysack factories to save money to pay the “head tax” required for Canadian citizenship. Many of the tunnels had either caved in or were being built over until 1997 when the non-profit company Tunnels of Little Chicago stepped in to preserve the site by opening it up to tourists. It now hosts theatrical tours that retrace the bootlegging era and exhibit how the tunnels were decorated and used during that time.

Tours run daily, and admission varies: adults, $14; seniors, $11; youth, $10.50; children, $7.50.

tunnelsofmoosejaw.com