The Speakeasy — Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center

Beneath the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center — originally the Heidelberg Hotel, Huey Long's base of operations — runs a brick-lined tunnel built for the Long political machine. It connected the capitol complex to the hotel and let Huey and Earl Long move between the statehouse and their preferred quarters for drinking and deal-making without attracting attention. The tunnel is now The Speakeasy, a basement bar reached through what looks like a utility corridor, built into the restored 1920s ballroom space where the political machine operated. The bar leans into the legend hard. The legend earns it.