Houdini Magical Hall of Fame

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Houdini Magical Hall of Fame A Houdini museum in Niagara Falls, Canada, in operation from 1968 to 1995 Why? This page serves as a small online memorial to the museum. Thanks!

The Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada, was a public museum and tourist attraction devoted to the legendary magician and self-liberator Harry Houdini (1874-1926). Opened on June 6, 1968, at 1019 Centre Street, the museum housed many significant items from Houdini's personal collection, including a multitude of handcuffs and leg irons, a wooden packing crate he used for underwater escapes, and the famed Water Torture Cell. Four years after opening, the Hall of Fame moved a half block southeast to 4983 Clifton Hill, into the old Victoria Park Railway Station, where it remained until it burned down 23 years later, on April 30, 1995. While some of the collection, including the Water Torture Cell, was destroyed in the fire, a lot of the paraphernalia survived and exists in many private collections, including that of illusionist David Copperfield. If Houdini knew any of his magical equipment survived, he would probably be infuriated. Because he clearly stated in his will that all of his paraphernalia, bequeathed to his brother Theodore Hardeen, should be "burnt and destroyed" upon Hardeen's death. Of course, many people have fun speculating that the spirit of Houdini himself caused the 1995 fire. But in the true spirit of critical thinking, which Houdini used in the latter part of his career to expose fraudulent mediums, let's assume the fire was an unfortunate coincidence. Please feel free to share any pictures, videos, or additional information you might have. Page created by Tom Interval, owner of Interval Magic (http://www.intervalmagic.com) and the creator of the Houdini Museum website (http://www.houdinimuseum.org). Content copyright 2013 Tom Interval and any other copyright holder whose work appears on this page. Please ask permission before using any content; and please link back to this page if you do use it (for personal and nonprofit use only).

Remember these shirts? My dad took this picture sometime in the 1980s. Unfortunately, I no longer have my shirt.
10/12/2026

Remember these shirts? My dad took this picture sometime in the 1980s. Unfortunately, I no longer have my shirt.

From a brochure.
08/26/2026

From a brochure.

Renowned escapologist Dean Gunnarson was kind enough to share these photos. His connection to the Houdini Magical Hall o...
08/19/2026

Renowned escapologist Dean Gunnarson was kind enough to share these photos. His connection to the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame is significant. “The Houdini Museum was like a Mecca to me,” he wrote in a recent message. “It was the only place you could go to see Houdini’s history and props. It was like making a pilgrimage to see it whenever I could. And Henry Muller was an extremely kind and generous host whenever I came to visit Houdini. I truly miss both Mr. Muller and the museum because they both played such an important part in who I became as an escape artist. I am forever grateful to getting to experience such an incredible place.” Thank you, Dean!

08/14/2026

Here’s a Houdini books cameo in the movie Magic Moments (1989). These characters are researching Houdini to see if they can come up with the next big stunt for the magician protagonist. You’ll definitely recognize some of the books.

Update: According to Ken McCreedy, who worked in the magic shop in 1976–77, this was from Clifton Hill. I wasn’t aware o...
03/26/2026

Update: According to Ken McCreedy, who worked in the magic shop in 1976–77, this was from Clifton Hill. I wasn’t aware of a magic shop at that location because my first visit was in 1981, when there was no shop.

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A Houdini Magical Hall of Fame sticker! I hadn’t seen one before I found this copy of Practical Magic, a classic beginners’ booklet on magic by David Robbins. This copy, which has the sticker on its title page, is from Canada. So I can only assume the booklet was for sale in circa 1968 for $1.50 in the magic shop at the museum’s original Centre St. location. The booklet itself was originally published in 1953, so this copy was probably around 15 years old at the time it was in the shop.

152 years ago today, Erik Weisz, later to be known as Harry Houdini, was born in Budapest, Hungary. Happy birthday, Erik...
03/24/2026

152 years ago today, Erik Weisz, later to be known as Harry Houdini, was born in Budapest, Hungary. Happy birthday, Erik.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your loved ones. Happy Leftovers Weekend!
11/28/2025

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your loved ones. Happy Leftovers Weekend!

In honor of Harry Houdini, who died 99 years ago today, here’s another jack-o’-lantern, carved earlier today. Hope you’r...
11/01/2025

In honor of Harry Houdini, who died 99 years ago today, here’s another jack-o’-lantern, carved earlier today. Hope you’re all having a happy and safe Halloween!

08/02/2025

*UPDATE (8/21/2026): I no longer post AI content. I was playing with the technology for some time when it was new, but now I oppose its use.*

Rare 1985 footage of Houdini‘s ghost escaping the water torture cell as it sat in the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada.

07/30/2025

*UPDATE (8/21/2026): I no longer post AI content. I was playing with the technology for some time when it was new, but now I oppose its use.*

Rev. Dr. Mayer Samuel Weisz (1829-1892), later spelled Weiss, was Harry Houdini's father. (Houdini's birth name was Erik Weisz, later to become Ehrich Weiss.)

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4983 Clifton Hill
Niagara Falls, ON
L2G3N5

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