Did you know that California is the home of a Magic Castle? Did you know that this Castle is not in any Disney theme parks? Well, for those who did not know it, here is an account of the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, a place where magic really happens…

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Today the Magic Castle is known as a performance venue, restaurant and private club, but the truth is that it was built in 1909 for the banker Rollin B. Lane, by the architects Lyman Farwell and Oliver Dennis. It was built as a family residence and in fact it stayed in Lane’s family until 1955, when it was sold to the actual owners.

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The Magic Castle underwent a number of changes and additions. In 1952 it became the headquarters of the Academy of Magical Arts (AMA), and in 1953 was officially opened to the public. Today it has 5 bars, restaurant and several theaters ready to host the magic shows.

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The academy has some strict rules for both members and non-members equally. One of the main ones is that only members can participate in lectures and have full access to the castle’s grounds. All guests have to be dressed properly to access the castle’s facilities (Men in a suit and women in a skirt or dress). Non-members can sign up for classes of magic inside the castle, but are still not granted full access to it.

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An interesting fact is that many celebrities have been spotted at the Magi Castle such as  Cary GrantSteve MartinJohnny Carson, and Neil Patrick Harris was actually the President of the club and Ambassador of Magic.

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One spooky fact about the Magic Castle? It caught on fire on October 31st, 2011. If the fact that it was Halloween were not enough, you should know it was also the anniversary of the death of one of the most famous magician in the world Houdini. We leave all speculations on this fact to your imagination.