Houdini Museum

The Houdini Museum is located at Scranton, Pennsylvania. It is a special place where you can learn about the amazing life of Harry Houdini, one of the most famous magicians in history.

Houdini once performed in Scranton and took on some very difficult challenges there. His brother, Hardeen, also performed in Scranton and nearby Wilkes-Barre. Houdini spent time in this area, working with the Welsh Brothers Circus.

The museum is inside a very old building, more than 125 years old. It shows many interesting documents and letters about Houdini’s time in Scranton. Visitors can also see where he performed, at Sylvester Z. Poli’s theater. This theater was part of the famous Keith-Albee-Orpheum circuit and later became part of the RKO Pictures circuit.

The Houdini Museum is a popular attraction in Scranton. It has many interesting items, like old objects, clothes, models, and films showing Houdini’s magic. There is also a special magic show called the Houdini Tour. This tour and show takes about two and a half to three hours. During the live show, two well-known magicians, Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks, perform amazing tricks.

History

The Houdini Museum was started by Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks (also known as John Bravo and Ray Carter) in the 1970s. They collected many interesting items related to the famous magician Harry Houdini. These items were shown at the Magic Towne House in New York City for 15 years before being moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania.

In 2011, the museum helped replace a bust of Houdini at his grave site that had been destroyed. This was done with the support of the cemetery and Houdini’s family. The museum also helps take care of the grave each year.

Other Houdini museums

There are several other places where you can learn about Houdini and his magic tricks. Some of these include the American Museum of Magic, David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, which is not open to the public, The History Museum at the Castle in Appleton, Wisconsin, the Houdini Museum of New York at Fantasma Magic, The House of Houdini, and the University of Texas Library, which has many items related to Houdini.