Last week I was invited to Kansas City, Missouri, to participate in the events commemorating a new Houdini historical marker. I had an amazing time thanks to the incredible generosity of all the members of
IBM Ring 129 and
SAM Assembly 38. I also saw a heck of a lot of historic Houdini locations, because Kansas City has many Houdini connections.
DAY 1
My primary task this trip was to deliver a talk at the
Kansas City Central Library about Houdini in Kansas City. In return, the IBM and SAM paid my expenses and treated me like a king. I flew in the day before, and my discoveries started almost immediately. I was booked into the large downtown Marriott Hotel, but my room was actually across the "skybridge" in what's called the
Muehlebach Tower. Muehlebach!? I immediately recognized that name as having a Houdini connection. I knew the building that replaced Houdini's second Orpheum has the name Muehlebach on the outside. Was I near that historic site?
Turns out, I was! This new tower is actually connected to the historic Muehlebach Hotel, which used to buttress the Orpheum Theater. When the Orpheum was razed, the Muehlebach built their convention hall on the spot. I dropped my bags and went out to explore and, yes, the building was right next door. My first Kansas City Houdini location. Houdini appeared here in 1915 and twice in 1923. While the newer building (built in 1966) is no beauty, it appears to be the same size as the Orpheum, and the Muehlebach vertical signage echoes the Orpheum's sign blade. So you get a great sense of the theater's footprint here.
While the historic
Muehlebach Hotel is currently empty and undergoing renovation, the beautiful original lobby is accessible. I explored the space and wondered whether Houdini ever stayed here. It was next door to the Orpheum, so it made sense that he would. However, I have no evidence of this, and Houdini has a stronger connection to the nearby Savoy Hotel, so it was just wishful thinking that I could be staying where Houdini stayed.
That evening, Dennis Burks, the mastermind of this entire historic marker project, and Jason Moore, who created a commemorative Houdini Coin for this event, took me out to dinner at the
Savoy Grill. It's said that whenever Houdini came to Kansas City, he had a steak at the Savoy Grill. So did we, and it was delicious! The restaurant is still much the same as it was in Houdini's day, and it feels like a time capsule. You can really feel Houdini's presence here.
The Savoy Grill is located inside the historic
Savoy Hotel, where Houdini stayed during his 1900 and likely his 1907 appearances in Kansas City. (I'm unsure where he stayed in 1899.) A famous story, reported in the
Kansas City Globe in 1900, says that a mischievous traveler recognized Houdini in a phone booth in the Savoy lobby and locked him inside. Houdini did not find this funny.
Now, many such stories were reported in the papers during Houdini's career, and I believe most were just publicity. But I think this one actually happened. While the inside of the Savoy has been modernized, some features from the old lobby, such as the glass rotunda and reception desk, both mentioned in the Globe article, survive. The exact location of the phone booth is unknown, but it's said the Globe article used to hang on the wall beside it. No one who works there now remembers that.
Another surprise discovery was that the first Kansas City Orpheum, where Houdini appeared in 1899, 1900, and 1907, was located right across the street from the Savoy. This is where Houdini got his all-important try-out in 1899. It was also where he escaped from handcuffs in full view of the audience for the first time (Escaping Obscurity page 314). I hadn't expected to find this right across from the Savoy, and you've never seen someone get so excited about a parking garage!
DAY 2
My talk wasn't until 6 PM, so I had the whole day to explore the city. One thing I quickly discovered was that all the Houdini locations are clustered within just a few square blocks. This was the heart of Houdiniland! My first stop was just a few blocks from my hotel. This is the old
Fire Headquarters, where Houdini, Hardeen, their wives, and the 4 Picolo Midgets (also performing at the Orpheum that week) took a series of famous photos. You can see one on pages 80–81 of Doug Henning
Houdini: His Legend and His Magic. You will see more in my own upcoming book,
Handcuff King: The Conquests of Harry Houdini, 1900–1909. The building is still here and looks exactly the same. I passed by this sacred spot many times during the week.
The Kansas City Athletic Club, where Houdini escaped from handcuffs in their pool in 1907, was located right next door to the Fire Station. That's two major Houdini locations side by side! That building is long gone. Today it is the Kansas City Police Department's Foot Division. But I recently acquired a postcard capturing both buildings. It arrived after my talk, and it's too late to add to my book, so I will share it here.
The next stop was the site of the Shubert Theater, where Hardeen performed in 1907. Houdini and Hardeen both performed in the city that week (the first time the brothers competed head-to-head in the same city). Today it is the parking lot for the Central Library, where I would be giving my talk. The parking lot even has a photo of the Shubert on the outside.
Nearby is the historic
Coats House Hotel, aka Kansas City's most haunted hotel. Harry and Bess performed here in 1899 for a Manufacturers Association dinner. Today, it is an apartment building, so it's not accessible, but I wonder if that dining room survives?
I then passed through the intersection of 10th and Main and got an early look at the historic marker. Next stop was the
Mainstreet Theater, the only Houdini location not clustered in this area. But it's an easy 10-minute walk down Main Street and, best of all, it's the only Kansas City Houdini theater that still survives. It still looks very much as it did in Houdini's time, at least on the outside (it is now a multiplex). Houdini appeared here in January 1924. It was his last Kansas City appearance.
I returned to my hotel and worked the photos I had just taken into my presentation. Before I knew it, the time had arrived. Dennis, as always, offered to pick me up and drive me the few blocks to the library, as it was threatening to rain. But I loved the idea of walking past the fire station on my way, so I went on foot and made it to the Central Library just moments before the rain started to come down.
It's been a while since I've given a talk for a general audience (these days it seems like I'm always talking to magicians), so it was fun to work in some general biographical beats, and there was plenty of Kansas City content to fill the 40 minutes. In fact, I had to cut a few things. But I think the talk went over really well. I even received a standing ovation! Thank you, Kansas City. And thank you to the Kansas City Central Library.
DAY 3
On this day, I got a very special treat. Dennis Burks picked me up at my hotel and took me to St. Joseph, Missouri, which has some important Houdini history and locations. But our first stop was at a future magic location. This is the private museum and theatre that David Sandy and Lance Rich are building in St. Joseph. Lance and David gave us a full walk-through of the current construction and explained what they have planned. It's stunning! They also have some important historical magic props already on site, which I will keep secret, but these were amazing to see. This place is going to be a new magical mecca!
After lunch, thanks to David Sandy, we got an impromptu tour of the historic
Missouri Theater in downtown St. Joseph. Not a Houdini theatre, but a beautiful old theatre lovingly cared for by the city and Frank Polleck. Look at the auditorium ceiling.
Lance then gave us a tour of the Houdini locations he'd sussed out. First was the site of the Rock Island building and A.O.U.W. Hall, where Houdini performed his very first spirit exposures in 1897, and later gave his own “Startling Spiritualistic Seance” in 1898. Today it is a parking lot, but this is an important Houdini location and very exciting to see.
Directly across the street at the intersection of 5th and Edmond was Bert Martin's Eden Musee, where in 1898 Houdini and Bess performed not just their magic act, but also appeared as part of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Franklin’s Dramatic Company in the play Ten Nights in a Bar Room (Escaping Obscurity page 137). Just up the block is the site of the Wonderland Musee Theatre, where The Houdinis performed in 1896. These St. Joseph locations are tough to nail down because most are long gone, but we think the surviving building below might have housed the Wonderland Museum.
Lance also went the extra mile and located the Schroder photo studio, where Houdini took a portrait that became his famous "King of Cards" poster. He also located the Banning Studio, where Houdini took a series of photos showing him escaping from a rope chair with the aid of a helpful spirit. These aren't just the first photos showing him doing any kind of escape; they're also his first spirit photos. Some great history in St. Joe. Thank you, Lance!
The day was not over. After a change of clothes (I just had to wear my Houdini
poster-print shirt from the SAM convention), we went across the state line into Lanexa, Kansas, for some authentic KC barbecue at Zarda Bar-B-Q with the members of IBM Ring 129 and SAM #38. Here I received a big surprise. Jason Moore presented me with his Houdini commemorative coins, including the larger size, of which only 10 were made. David Sandy then made me an honorary member of Ring 129's "Sorcerers' Circle." I even got a medallion and ribbon, which now hangs proudly in my office. Very honored. By the way, Jason is selling a limited quantity of his coins
HERE.
If you have ever joined one of Lance and David's Magic Collectors Corner zooms, you know they love to host games, and they had one for us tonight. It was a Houdini-themed trivia game, and it was a blast. No, I didn't play. I was the lifeline if a player got stumped on a question. All they had to say was, "David, I need to go to the John." I also handed out the last of my Handcuff King promo cards to everyone who answered a question correctly. It was Team Houdini vs. Team Hardeen, and just like in life, Team Houdini came out on top.
DAY 4
This was the big day! I got a little work done in the morning (my new book is at the printer, and we're finishing up the cover and slipcase designs), but the magic hour of 2 PM quickly arrived. We worried it might rain, since it had been on and off all week, but the skies were crystal clear! As always, I walked past the fire station and library and joined the crowd at 10th and Main for the unveiling of the historic Houdini marker.
Despite the heat, a good-sized crowd had gathered, and the ceremony opened with remarks by Dennis Burks, followed by me. Kelly Rusk, IBM Ring 129 President, read the Kansas City Proclamation recognizing September 2026 as Harry Houdini Month. Matt Gurley, SAM Assembly 38 President, read an email from the national President Michael J. Heckenberger. The marker itself was then unveiled to applause. As you can see, it's fantastic!
David Sandy then took over as emcee, and Lance Rich performed a suspended straitjacket escape using their compact equipment. If you are wondering why Lance wasn't 100 feet in the air, know this isn't 1915, and getting permission from the city to do such a stunt is a magic trick even Houdini couldn't pull off today. So this was a perfect solution, and still thrilling. (You can watch
video of the escape on my Patreon.) Congratulations, Lance! And congratulations, Dennis Burks, for making this all happen.
We were officially finished, and someone suggested grabbing a bite to eat. I decided not to join because I had plans to eat that evening with my aunt and uncle, who live just outside the city. Also, I had just received a message from the Kansas City Library. Jason Moore had tipped me off that the library has the Kansas City Post on microfilm, which hasn't been digitized or put online yet. The library called to say they had pulled the years I wanted and they were waiting for me on their top floor.
I had only a little over an hour before the library closed, so I dove into the microfilm and reviewed all the papers from the weeks Houdini performed in 1915, 1923, and 1924. I was actually surprised at how little there was overall, but I did land on one significant article, and it made my trip!
This is yet another story of Houdini being ambushed by a "Cynic," and this time locked in his hotel room. But Houdini easily escaped with a quip. But the best part is that the hotel is identified as being the Muehlebach! Room 525, to be exact. Yes, I was staying (more or less) at Houdini's hotel, and the old lobby now had new significance. It was my last discovery of the trip and the last piece of the Kansas City puzzle. Houdini was here!
Thanks to Dennis Burks, Jason Moore, Rod Sipe, David Sandy, Lance Rich, and everyone associated with IBM Ring 129 and SAM Assembly 38 for giving me the Kansas City Houdini experience of a lifetime!
Want more? You can read the entire Kansas City Post article about Houdini's hotel room escape as a member of my Patreon below.
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