![]() ![]() The mold was put in storage in case anything happened to the rare copy of the bust. Because of this, the cemetery now closes on Halloween.īefore the bust was returned a mold was made by owners of The Magic Towne House, Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brookz, for sake of posterity. With all the publicity, it became such a media circus that it brought more destruction tot the grave site. In 1979 it was returned to the Society of American Magicians who used it at the grave once a year for a special event on Halloween, the day Houdini died. This bust was on loan from The Society of American Magicians. In the 1970's a bust was on display for many years at at the Magic Towne House on Third Avenue, in New York City. A temporary plastic bust has been used from time to time, for special events, but gets hidden in storage, misplaced, lost, stolen, etc. These two work too hard for an audience of skeptics.PRESS RELEASE: For the last 36 years the Houdini bust at Houdini's grave site at the Machpelah Cemetery in Queens, New York has been missing. If you can’t go in with a patient and compassionate eye, then I don’t want you to go at all. In some ways, they are their own form of magic history performing right in front of your eyes. Dorothy and Bravo’s magic also feels more over-the-top Vaudville than the current slick style of magic made famous by the Davids – Copperfield and Blaine. Some of the faded photos and dusty cabinets betray the fact that all work is done in-house and to the best of their ability. While not as famous of some of her male counterparts in the community, Dorothy is the only woman to have successfully completed a bullet catch and was part of the inspiration for Isla Fisher’s character in Hollywood’s magic move, Now You See Me.īefore you visit, you should also know that this museum, while busy, is not a money making machine. As noted above, the museum tour also includes a magic show by Dorothy and Bravo, which is likely worth the price of admission on its own. Their gift shop is also a nook full of magic tricks, books on magic, and basically anything else magic related that you can buy. There are shelves and cases stuffed full, plus very little free wall space – all of which is somehow connected to the great magician. They have a huge collection of original Houdini memorabilia, so much so that it can be a little overwhelming. Obviously this museum is a must-see for anyone interested in magic. Room filled with Houdini memorabilia, and a full on magic show by Dorothy andīravo, it is amazing that it only takes about three hours! Is this Museum for You? Two worldįamous magicians couldn’t run a magic museum without showing off their craft,Ĭould they? Between the movie, the exhibit room on Houdini’s life, the exhibit Wondering how this museum with three rooms can fill three plus hours. If you are bringing kids (or adults with short attention spans), be forewarned that when the website says the doors open at 1:00 pm and the tour finishes at 4:00 pm, they mean it. Regardless, all the kids present on our tour seemed to have a good time. Some jokes make everyone laugh and some jokes go over the kid’s heads and only land with the adults. This tour is family friendly in same way that kid’s movies are. There were kids as young as four all the way up to adults. (There’s also a small discount if you call and pay in advance.) Our tour also encompassed a wide range of ages. Although I’m not sure how many people constitutes a ‘full tour’, our group was easily made up of about thirty. This may be the most popular attraction you’ve never heard of, so before heading to Scranton, I’d call and make a reservation. Now they’re able to offer tours and a magic show year round in The Electric City. Rising costs in the city and Houdini’s performance connection to Scranton made the city an easy choice when they were ready to relocate. Before relocating to Scranton in the late 1980s, Dorothy and Bravo ran the Magic Townhouse in New York City, where some of their Houdini memorabilia was first on display. With a pale blue front, a marquee sign that proclaims ‘Houdini Lives in Scranton’ and some faded paintings of the famous magician himself, this museum is obviously a true labor of love. ![]()
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