Houdini Museum of New York facts for kids
| Established | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Location | Wayne, NJ |
| Type | Magic museum |
| Owner | Roger Dreyer |
The Houdini Museum of New York is a super cool place where you can see amazing items that belonged to the famous escape artist, Harry Houdini. It's located inside Fantasma Magic, a company that makes and sells magic tricks.
Contents
Discovering Houdini's World
This museum opened in October 2012. It holds hundreds of items that once belonged to the legendary magician and escape artist, Harry Houdini. Imagine seeing the actual objects he used!
Amazing Houdini Exhibits
Some of the biggest and most exciting items in the museum include Houdini's 1907 escape coffin. He was sealed inside it with six-inch nails and then escaped! You can also see the "robot" from his 1919 silent film, The Master Mystery. Another highlight is Houdini's Metamorphosis Trunk. This was a special trunk used in one of his most famous illusions.
Other cool things to see are the original bust from Houdini's grave. It is on loan from a magic club. You can also find Bess Houdini's stage outfit. Bess was Harry Houdini's wife and stage partner. The museum also has many smaller items. These include Houdini's personal magic tricks and escape props.
Houdini's Fight Against Fakes
Harry Houdini was also very interested in proving that some spiritualists were fake. Spiritualists claimed they could talk to spirits. The museum has many items related to his efforts to expose these tricks. All the Houdini items in the museum are worth a lot of money.
Where to Find the Museum
The museum is in a quiet spot, so it can be easy to miss. But it has been featured on many TV shows. These include ABC World News, Fox & Friends, NY1, MTV, and Good Day New York.
The Owner and Designer
The museum is owned by Roger Dreyer. He is a big collector of Houdini items. He also owns Fantasma Magic. A famous architect named David Rockwell designed the museum. It has over 1,500 "Houdiniana" pieces. This means the displays are always changing! Roger Dreyer's collection is the second largest in the world. The biggest collection belongs to the Las Vegas illusionist David Copperfield.
Other Places to See Houdini's Legacy
There are other places around the world where you can learn about Harry Houdini.
- The Houdini Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania is one such place.
- The American Museum of Magic also has items related to Houdini.
- David Copperfield's International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts has a huge collection. However, it is not open to the public.
- The History Museum at the Castle in Appleton, Wisconsin also features Houdini.
- The University of Texas Library has many Houdini letters and writings.
See also
- List of magic museums
