ERIE, Pa. - From the outside, Room 33 appears to be a book cafe. But like a true Prohibition-era speakeasy, you have to go through the secret door to get to the bar.

"There are Prohibition-era drinks, everything from a French 75 to a Sazerac," said Co-Owner Rebecca Styn. "We have our own Midnight Herring, which was based on the experiences here during the Prohibition era."

Styn and her husband, Rob Mahrt opened Room 33 just a few weeks ago. They wanted to bring something more than just the traditional bar to downtown Erie; their business is complete with 1930s signage, even silent movies are projected onto the wall.

"New York City, Chicago, other big cities," Styn said of other areas with speakeasies. "There are a ton of them out there."

Of course, there are plenty of moderns "amendments" to the building, located at 1033 State St. They're working on a cigar lounge now; live music is also a popular attraction.

But Room 33 is one of several new bars hitting Erie's downtown night life. About a block away, is something pretty "big."

BigBar officially opened Friday night in the former sluggers location on E. 10th St. But this isn't a sports bar like Slugger's was, owner Dave Freeman told Erie News Now. Freeman has spent months revamping the interior, including a stage for live music. The food, the drinks and the entertainment, he says, are all big.

BigBar is more than just a name, it's actually a real thing. The main bar is 60 ft. long and, when combining both sides of both of the upstairs and downstairs bars, the counters total over 200 ft. in length.

"Slugger's was mainly a sports bar and we did entertainment at night," Freeman said. "We're really stepping up the entertainment and we're going a lot bigger with everything."

Two new bars, one a blast from the past and another, promising "big" entertainment from tomorrow's stars, are now a part of the downtown Erie nightlife.