Houdini Museum facts for kids

The Houdini Museum is a super cool place in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It's all about the famous magician, Harry Houdini! He visited Scranton many times and performed amazing tricks and challenges there. His brother, Hardeen, also performed in Scranton and nearby Wilkes-Barre.

Harry Houdini spent more time performing in this part of Pennsylvania than anywhere else in his career. He was with the Welsh Brothers Circus for two whole seasons! You can see old letters and documents about this at the museum, which is in a cool, old building that's over 125 years old. Houdini even performed at a theater in Scranton that was part of a big show circuit back then.

The Houdini Museum offers a fun tour and a magic show. It's a very popular spot in Scranton! The museum has lots of cool things that belonged to Houdini, like special items, old photos, and films of him performing. The tour and show usually take about two and a half to three hours.

The live magic show at the museum features two well-known magicians, Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks. They perform incredible magic tricks for everyone to enjoy.

The Museum's Story

The Houdini Museum was started by magicians Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks. They put together the exhibits using items from their own collections. Dick Brooks also received artifacts from his father, who actually saw Houdini perform live!

Some parts of this collection were shown for 15 years at the Magic Towne House in New York City. That was from the 1970s to the 1980s, before the museum moved to Scranton.

Helping Houdini's Grave

The museum also helped take care of a special statue of Houdini. This statue is a copy of a bust (a sculpture of his head and shoulders) that was at Houdini's grave site. The original statue was sadly damaged by vandals and went missing for 36 years.

On September 27, 2011, The Houdini Museum, along with a group called "Houdini Commandos" (Dorothy Dietrich, Dick Brooks, and Steve Moore), replaced the missing statue. They had permission from the cemetery and Houdini's family. The museum paid about $10,000 for this important project. Because of the Houdini Museum's efforts, the Society of American Magicians now helps pay for the upkeep of Houdini's grave every year. The Scranton Houdini Museum, the cemetery, and volunteers also help keep the grave site looking nice.

Other Places to Learn About Houdini

• 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
• Houdini Museum of New York at Fantasma Magic
• The House of Houdini
• University of Texas Library, which has many of Houdini's letters and other items

See also

• List of magic museums