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Houdini Museum of New York facts for kids

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The Houdini Museum of New York now Houdini Revealed
Established 2012
Location Wayne, NJ
Type Magic museum
Owner Roger Dreyer

The Houdini Museum of New York is a museum exhibiting memorabilia related to the escape artist, Harry Houdini. It is located at Fantasma Magic, a retail magic manufacturer.

History

Opened in October 2012, the Houdini Museum of New York contains several hundred pieces of ephemera, most of which belonged to magician and escape artist Harry Houdini. Of the museum's many pieces, Houdini's 1907 escape coffin (in which Houdini was sealed with six-inch nails and subsequently escaped), the "robot" from Houdini's 1919 silent film The Master Mystery, and Houdini's Metamorphosis Trunk are the largest. Other notable pieces include the original bust from Houdini's grave (on loan to the museum from S.A.M. Parent Assembly Number One), Bess Houdini's stage outfit and a large selection of smaller pieces such as Houdini's personal magic and escape props. There are also many items related to Houdini's interest in the debunking of spiritualists. The Houdini memorabilia is said to be worth more than $1 million. and has been variously estimated to have cost "several million."

It is in an unassuming and almost unheralded location, and as such is easily missed. The museum has also been featured as both a point of interest and a background location on several television shows including ABC World News, Fox & Friends, NY1, MTV and Good Day New York.

The museum is owned by Houdini collector Roger Dreyer (also the owner and CEO of Fantasma Magic) and was designed by architect and designer David Rockwell. It features over 1,500 pieces of "Houdiniana," which portends an "ever changing display." Dreyer's Houdini collection is the second-largest in the world; the first being the collection of Las Vegas illusionist David Copperfield.

Other Houdini museums

See also

  • List of magic museums
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