The House of Houdini

The House of Houdini is a private exhibit and performance venue located at 11, Dísz Square, within the walls of the Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary. The building houses the only collection of original Houdini artifacts in Europe.[1][2][3]

The House of Houdini
The House of Houdini
Location11, Dísz Square, Budapest
FounderDavid Merlini
Built1500
Architectural style(s)neobaroque
The House of Houdini is located in Hungary
The House of Houdini
Location of The House of Houdini in Hungary

History

The owners' private collection includes original Houdini memorabilia: e.g., handcuffs, personal correspondence, and "precious artifacts." A Bible once owned by Houdini is part of the collection.[4][2][5][6] It also includes original props from the Houdini film – Oxygen (1999), which featured Adrien Brody, an Oscar winner, and the later miniseries.[7][1] The facility opened on June 16, 2016.[7][8]

Budapest was selected as the location of the premises as Houdini was born in the city.[2] [upper-alpha 1]

The owner is David Merlini, an escapologist who served as technical advisor on the Houdini miniseries.[upper-alpha 2] Its artifacts were previewed at Budapest's National Széchényi Library.[10] Joe M. Turner[upper-alpha 3] exchanged commemorative plaques with Merlini at the then proposed site of exhibit on Houdini's birthday. This followed an earlier exhibition in Milan, Italy.[13][14]

The venue is also a center for research into Houdini's life, highlighting his Hungarian and Jewish origin.[2][3][15][4] Notwithstanding his Hungarian birth, Houdini never performed in Hungary.[5]

Six magicians rotate performance in the "Orpheum" the in house small theater.[3]

Admission

As of September 2023, admission is 3,600 forints for adults and 2,400 forints for children under age 11. English and Hungarian language shows are available.[16] Visitor entrance can only be gained through decoding a secret "arcane" message; if the visitor fails to solve it, they refund the price of admission

Awards

The House of Houdini has been jointly recognized as a world magic heritage institution by the National President of the Society of American Magicians and the International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.[17]

Confusing names and claims

This "house" should not be confused with the "House of Houdini" which was a former Houdini home, purchased in 1908, at 278 West 113th Street, Harlem, now called Morningside Heights, New York City that also displays artifacts.[18][19][20]

Likewise, in 1919 he rented the cottage at 2435 Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles,[upper-alpha 4] while making movies for Lasky Pictures. His wife occupied it for a time after his death. As of 2011 the site of the cottage was a vacant lot and up for sale.[19] The main mansion building itself was rebuilt after it was destroyed in the 1959 Laurel Canyon fire, and is now a historic venue called The Mansion.[21] While Houdini did not likely live at the "mansion," there is some probability that his widow did.[22]

Acquisition rumors

News reports in the preceding months had raised the suspicion that the majority stake of the company and its assets were to be purchased by Centurion, a US based capital fund for $18.6M. The offer was reportedly turned down by the owner David Merlini.[23]

Other Houdini museums

See also

References

Notes
  1. "Visitors can enter The House anytime during operating hours, but admission to The Show and Collection is only open to guests that can solve the "Entrance Arcane". You read that correctly, entrance to the magic area is possible only after successfully decoding the secret message on the ticket. If a visitor fails to decode the message, the secret passage will not appear and The House of Houdini will refund the ticket. Of course, the staff is always happy to provide helpful hints to solve the secret."[4][1]
  2. "David joins a small and prestigious fraternity of magicians that includes Dunninger (advisor on Houdini (1953)), Harry Blackstone Jr. (The Great Houdinis), and Jim Bentley (Houdini, 1998)."[9]
  3. Turner is an American magician, mentalist, and professional speaker.[11] Based in Atlanta, he is widely respected as a leader in the field of corporate magic as well as an authority on the process of customizing magic performances, keynotes and seminars for trade shows, product launches, and other marketing efforts, conferences, or corporate events.[11][12] He was erroneously reported to be "IBM President".[10]
  4. "Not the home, which was sensationally dubbed "the Houdini mansion" when it burned in 1959, and has been rebuilt using the name "Houdini Estate."[19]

Citations
  1. "House of Houdini Official website". The House of Houdini. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  2. Zalman, Jonathon (December 9, 2016). "The Scroll: Museum Dedicated to Harry Houdini Opens in Budapest". Tablet. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  3. Fenyo, Krisztina; Than, Krisztina; Williams, Alison (Editor); Szabo, Bernadette (Photographer) (December 20, 2016). "Budapest museum lifts lid on Houdini's magic, Hungarian roots". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved January 23, 2016. {{cite news}}: |first3= has generic name (help)
  4. Compeer (December 13, 2016). "House of Houdini Opens in Hungary". The Magic Compass. Society of American Magicians. Retrieved January 23, 2017. It's true, the American illusionist was Hungarian, born in Budapest in 1874, the son of a rabbi and part of a large family with seven children.
  5. "Legendary 'handcuff king' Houdini's secrets unlocked in Hungary". Malay Mail. December 6, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  6. Cox, John (December 4, 2016). "The Ehrich Weiss Bible is in The House Wild About Harry". Wild About Harry. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  7. Cox, John (June 16, 2016). "The House of Houdini opens today in Budapest". Wild About Harry. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  8. Walker, Jennifer (August 26, 2016). "Inside the Budapest Escape Room That Started the Worldwide Craze: Why Hungarians are so good at puzzles—from Houdini and Rubik's Cubes to escape rooms". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  9. "Meet Houdini's technical advisor: David Merlini". October 23, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2017. David Merlini is serving as technical advisor on the Houdini miniseries currently shooting in Budapest.
  10. Cox, John (March 29, 2016). "New Houdini Museum Rises in Budapest". Wild About Harry. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  11. Kawamoto, Wayne (November 26, 2007). "Interview with Joe M. Turner". Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  12. "Abracadabra!". Gwinnett Business Journal. October 2007. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  13. Cox, John (October 3, 2015). "Houdini in Milano, October 22–29". Wild About Harry. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  14. Cox, John (November 11, 2015). "Photos from "Houdini in Milano" Escape artist". Retrieved January 23, 2017. David Merlini shares with us today photos from the recent Houdini in Milano exhibition at the Expo Milano 2015. The display was presented by David and the General Commissioner of Hungary and marked the first major Houdini exhibition in Europe.
  15. Murphy, Peter (December 8, 2016). "'Handcuff king' Houdini's secrets unlocked in Hungary". France24. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017. Set high in the capital's lofty Castle district, the House of Houdini lifts the veil on the box of tricks used by the famous magician, who lived most of his life in the United States.
  16. Berende, Petra (July 19, 2016). "Culture and Museums: Budapest's new House of Houdini honors the famous Magyar magician". We love Budapest. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  17. "House of Houdini Opens in Hungary". The Magic Compass. December 13, 2016.
  18. Cox, John (January 17, 2011). "Discovering 278: the home of Houdini". Wild About Harry. Retrieved January 22, 2017. ... I certainly knew the famous address -- "278" which is how Houdini always referred to his Harlem home.
  19. "Houdini's Homes: Houdini owned homes in New York and California". magictricks.com. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  20. Cox, John (June 25, 2017). "Inside Houdini's 278". wildabouthoudini.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  21. "Welcome to the Houdini Estate". The Houdini Estate. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  22. Cox, John (March 30, 2012). "Inside the Laurel Canyon Houdini Estate". Wild About Harry. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  23. Mueller, Rosie (25 August 2020). "Houdini's magic worth more than 18.6M". New York: WFMJ.com. Pacific West. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
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