List of magic museums
Encyclopedia
There are nineteen notable (all but one are publicly accessible) museums concerning magic
, magicians and magical apparatus.
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
, magicians and magical apparatus.
Bricks and mortar museums
- American Museum of MagicAmerican Museum of MagicThe American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, houses a large collection of magical paraphernalia and illusions, including an extensive collection of devices that once belonged to famed magician Harry Blackstone, Sr., .-Museum collection:...
, Marshall, MichiganMarshall, MichiganMarshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
is the largest magic museum in the United States open to the public. - BloisBloisBlois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
's La Maison de la Magie Robert-HoudinLa Maison de la Magie Robert-HoudinLa Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin is a museum which fronts on the Royal Château de Blois. It is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France, in the center of the city of Blois...
(the house of Magician Jean Eugène Robert-HoudinJean Eugène Robert-HoudinJean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a French magician. He is widely considered the father of the modern style of conjuring.-Early life and entrance into conjuring:...
) fronting on the Royal Château de BloisChâteau de BloisThe Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France, in the center of the city of Blois. The residence of several French kings, it is also the place where Joan of Arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her...
, 1, Place du Château Blois 41000 “The museum displays automatonAutomatonAn automaton is a self-operating machine. The word is sometimes used to describe a robot, more specifically an autonomous robot. An alternative spelling, now obsolete, is automation.-Etymology:...
s from the XIX century." As a museum of France and bearing the official label of "Musée de France", it is the only public museum in Europe which incorporates in one place collections of magic and a site for permanent performing arts. - Musée de la MagieMusée de la MagieThe Musée de la Magie, also known as the Musée de la Curiosité et de la Magie and the Académie de la Magie, is a private museum located in the 4th arrondissement at 11, rue saint Paul, Paris, France...
in Paris, France is underneath the 16th century house of the Marquis de SadeMarquis de SadeDonatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle...
with exhibits in the cellars. - The History Museum at the CastleThe History Museum at the CastleThe History Museum at the Castle is a local history museum located in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin across College Avenue from Lawrence University...
is a local history museum located at 330 East College Avenue in downtown Appleton, WisconsinAppleton, WisconsinAppleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
54911. Owned and operated by the Outagamie County Historical Society (OCHS), the museum has previously operated under the names The Outagamie Museum and The Houdini Historic Center. - Houdini Museum, started out at the Venetian, now at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. - The Houdini MuseumHoudini MuseumThe Houdini Museum was established in 1988 at 1433 N. Main Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. It is in a turn-of-the-20th-century building that has been entirely renovated. Houdini performed in Scranton and did several special challenges there. His brother, Hardeen, also appeared in Scranton...
, 1433 North Main Avenue, Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
18508. It features memorabilia, artifacts, mannequins and films of the master magician. The Houdini Tour also includes a magic show as part of the tour. - David CopperfieldDavid Copperfield (illusionist)David Copperfield is an Emmy Award-winning American illusionist, and was described by Forbes as the most commercially successful magician in history. Copperfield's network specials have been nominated for 38 Emmy Awards and won a total of 21 Emmys...
's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, which is closed to the public, but available to researchers. It claims to be the largest collection of magic artifacts (80,000 items), notwithstanding the American Museum of Magic. It began in 1991 when Copperfield purchased the Mullholland Library of Conjuring and the Allied Arts, which contained the world's largest collection of Houdini memorabilia.
- Le Grand David and His Spectacular Magic Company at the Larcom TheatreLarcom TheatreThe Larcom Theatre is located on Wallis Street in Beverly, Massachusetts and houses the two-hour Le Grand David production, An Anthology of Stage Magic....
13 Wallis Street in Beverly, MassachusettsBeverly, MassachusettsBeverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
09515 has three galleries of exhibits, and is also the site of the longest continuously running magic show in the world. - Magic Circle Museum, 12 Stephenson Way LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
NW1 2HD, United Kingdom. - MartinkaMartinkaMartinka & Company is America's oldest magic company. Throughout the years the company has acquired and combined with over 30 other magic firms including Hornmann and Milton Chase and its roots date back to the early 19th century.-Beginnings:...
& Co. Museum of Magic, 85 Godwin Avenue, Midland Park, New JerseyMidland Park, New JerseyMidland Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,128....
07432. - Magic and Movie Hall of Fame, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
89109 (702) 737-1343 which includes exhibits on "local acts" Lance BurtonLance BurtonLance Burton is a stage illusionist. He has appeared on numerous television programs, and also performed for Queen Elizabeth and President Ronald Reagan...
, Siegfried & RoySiegfried & RoySiegfried & Roy are two German-American former entertainers who became known for their appearances with white lions and white tigers....
and David Copperfield. - Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical MuseumMarvin's Marvelous Mechanical MuseumMarvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum is Tally Hall's debut studio album. Their previous recordings were all independently produced and distributed demos. All of the tracks on the album are fleshed-out, finished versions of their demo tracks, with the exception of "Haiku," which is a completely new...
31005 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MichiganFarmington Hills, MichiganFarmington Hills is a community in southeastern Michigan. It is the largest city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 79,740 at the 2010 census...
48334 - Ray Goulet's Mini Museum of Magic, 137 Spring Street, Watertown, MassachusettsWatertown, MassachusettsThe Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
02742 - Museo Fournier de Naipes, Calle Cuchillería 54, 01001 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
- Museo del Naipe, Carrer de l'Hospital, 1, 12594 Oropesa del Mar, Spain
- Museo Nazionale della Magia, Cagliari, Italy
- Museum of Magic. Five galleries, coming soon, will include five permanent exhibits:
- Houdini
- Magic in the 1800s This exhibit will concentrate particular on Robert Houdin;
- The Passing of the Mantle This exhibit will expostulate upon the unspoken apprenticeship that existed among three of the greatest illusionists: Harry KellarHarry KellarHarry Kellar was an American magician who presented large stage shows during the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
, renowned Howard ThurstonHoward ThurstonHoward Thurston was a stage magician from Columbus, Ohio.-Life:Thurston had the largest traveling magic show for the time, requiring more than eight entire train cars to transport his props across the country...
, and DantéHarry August JansenHarry August Jansen , was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and settled in the United States. He traveled the world as a professional magician under the name Dante the Magician.-Biography:... - Women in Magic “This exhibit will examine women's role in the evolution of magic. Contrary to popular belief, women in magic are not restricted to a role of assistant. There have been many female magicians, several of whom have been extremely influential to the conjuring arts.”
- The Life and Times of Howard Thurston This exhibit displays an "all-encompassing collection of artifacts" which relate to Howard Thurston "considered one of the greatest magicians of all time."
- In addition to the five permanent exhibits, they will have revolving installations, including "Magic in the Movies," "How Magic Changed History," "The Science of Magic," "Magic in New York." These special exhibits will rotate on a quarterly basis.
- Musée de la Curiosité et de l'Insolite, 39 Beaumont, 06100 Nice, France
- Norwegian Museum of Magic founded in 1997 as the "Norwegian Magician Archives", concentrating on Norwegian magicians. Oslo, Norway.
- Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, F Street Northwest Washington D.C., DC 20004. In 1985, on the 100th anniversary of his father's birth, Harry Blackstone, Jr.Harry Blackstone, Jr.Harry Blackstone, Jr. was an American stage magician, author, and television performer.-Career and life:Blackstone was born in Three Rivers, Michigan, the son of noted stage magician Harry Blackstone, Sr. .As an infant, he was used as a prop in his father's act...
donated to the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington D.C. the original floating light bulb - Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
designed and built it - and the original Casadega Cabinet, used in the "Dancing Handkerchief" illusionIllusionAn illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
by his father, Harry BlackstoneHarry Blackstone, Sr.Harry Blackstone was a famed stage magician and illusionist of the 20th century. Blackstone was born Harry Bouton in Chicago, Illinois, he began his career as a magician in his teens and was popular through World War II as a USO entertainer. He was often billed as The Great Blackstone. His son...
. This was the first ever donation accepted by the Smithsonian in the field of magic. - Society of American MagiciansSociety of American MagiciansThe Society of American Magicians is the oldest fraternal magic organization in the world. Its purpose is "to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art, to promote harmonious fellowship throughout the world of magic, and to maintain and improve ethical standards in the field of...
Hall of Fame and Magic Museum, Los Angeles, CA. Museum in storage, seeking new location. - Teatro Museo El Rei de la Màgia, Carrer de la Jonquera, 15, 08003 Barcelona, Spain The King of Magic Museum is one of the oldest establishments in the world dedicated exclusively to sale, manufacture and teaching of illusions. In 1881 it was opened by Partagas Catalan Joaquim. In celebration of it 130th anniversary, it expanded to include a theater museum dedicated to the art of sleight of hand and the study and dissemination of illusionism. History and art, nineteenth century ephemeraEphemeraEphemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters,...
including hand games, posters, photographs of premier magicians, books, pictures, etc. are exhibited. Exhibitions illustrate the history, evolution of magic and its influence on Spain long before "the arrival of Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
to our lives." Magic shows will include important illusionists, such as Micky Xavier Conesa (a/k/a Giro), winner of the 2010 Merlin Award (the 'Oscar of Magic').
Temporary exhibitions
- Before the Magic Towne HouseMagic Towne HouseThe Magic Towne House was a well known magic show spot on three floors at 1026 Third Avenue, north of 60th Street, New York City, in the 1970s and 1980s. It was in the posh area of the Upper East Side of Manhattan on Third Avenue and 61st Street next to Bloomingdale's Department Store...
in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
closed, some of Harry HoudiniHarry HoudiniHarry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
's artifacts were displayed there for thirteen years. - Houdini’s Art and Magic is an exhibition of Houdini paraphernalia and art inspired by him at Manhattan’s Jewish MuseumJewish Museum (New York)The Jewish Museum of New York, an art museum and repository of cultural artifacts, is the leading Jewish museum in the United States. With over 26,000 objects, it contains the largest collection of art and Jewish culture outside of museums in Israel. The museum is housed at 1109 Fifth Avenue, in...
. The show closed in New York on March 27, 2011, and then will be displayed in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Madison, Wisconsin. - In 2010, fifteen museums in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
cooperated in hosting itinerant magic shows over the entire year.