The other night my wife and I paid a large sum of money to a vendor who immediately started scamming us. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened in Hollywood. But this time we appreciated it.

In fact, we walked from room to room with drinks in hand, hoping to be tricked again.

This deception is what has made the Magic Castle a rare destination over the past 60 years. Mystery and misdirection are at the core of the brand, and unless you’re prepared to be puzzled, you’re not actually setting foot in a castle, a customized mansion on top of a Hollywood hill. And you can’t enter unless invited by a member of the Academy of Magical Arts or if you’re staying at the Magic Castle Hotel next door. More on that later.

Since co-founders Milt Larsen, William Larsen Jr. and Eileen Larsen opened the castle as a private clubhouse for members and guests in 1963, the castle has had its ups and downs. There was an attic fire behind the scenes in 2011 performer’s death In 2017, there was a pandemic shutdown and layoffs, and in 2020 a management scandal involving sexual misconduct and racism allegations exposed by The Times. The club’s last surviving co-founder, Milt Larsen, died on May 28 at the age of 92.

However, the club continues its comeback with new leaders for 2021 and 2022.

We are watching Magic Castle move into a new era.

Handcuffs used by Harry Houdini hang in one of the Magic Castle’s private dining rooms.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

What happens in the castle?

These dimly lit rooms offer part Old Hollywood, part Las Vegas, part Harry Houdini and part Harry Potter. (He’s also part of Harry Anderson. I found an old headshot of the late comedian-magician on a corner of the wall.)

You show up in full dress at a dramatic turreted three-story mansion built in 1909.Just up the hill from the Dolby Theater and down the hill from the panoramic restaurant Yamashiro.

The entrance to the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

Outside the front door, an usher will check to see if you have a reservation and, in accordance with the club’s formal rules, will greet you and see you soon. Dress codeDenim, sneakers, shorts, skorts, athletic wear, hoodies, exposed navels, and exposed underwear are prohibited.

they mean it. I was wearing a coat and tie, but I was almost denied entry because I was wearing shoes that were too casual (wool, not leather). In fact, the guard put a pink plastic bracelet on my left wrist to keep the guard from kicking me out. Thus I entered the enchanted castle, bound by the bracelets of shame.

Walk into the entrance room for an evening visit and pass $35-$45 per person, slightly higher than pre-pandemic. Then you say the magic words and go through the secret door (damn it! Bookshelf!) and the adventure begins. Climb the stairs and pass through rooms filled with oak paneling, stained glass, eerie oil paintings, and posters announcing old magicians and tricksters.

The guest disappears behind a false bookshelf, which can only be opened by a password spoken to the owl on the shelf.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

The challenge for the new leadership is to wipe out sexism and welcome a diverse, modern crowd while still maximizing the old-world vibe.

While the majority of active magicians are men, there are 38 women in the club’s regular rotation of performers (out of 482 magicians over the past three years), according to Magic Castle spokeswoman Vicky Greenleaf. She also noted that the club has rewritten its guest dress code to eliminate all gender-specific requirements, and that most of the 67 children taking Magic classes through the club’s Junior Society are girls, people of color, and women of color. Or you mentioned that you are an international student.

“We can’t change the past, but we can change the future,” said Chuck Martinez, president of the Academy of Magical Arts, in a statement. “We make every effort to ensure that our club culture is inclusive and diverse for our members, guests, staff and on stage.”

We came on a Monday night and were prepared for late business. It wasn’t. The dining room and main theater were nearly full and the bartenders seemed busy.

A talking owl named Archimedes watches over the Magic Castle’s Owl Bar.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

People order drinks at the bar inside the Magic Castle.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

As you explore, every other room appears to be a bar (there are five in the building), and every cocktail is imbued with a mysterious nomenclature (Sorcerer’s Sangria? Tropical Trickster?). It looks like Dinner is mandatory and costs about $45-$60 per entree. The dining room is fancy and the menu skews towards steakhouse fare. Our server was welcoming and attentive. My filet mignon wasn’t my favorite this year (it would be Nipomo’s Jocco’s Steakhouse), but it was tender and tangy.

If you start with dinner like we did, proceed to a 45-minute magic show at the 130-seat Palace of Mystery (aka the building’s main venue). First, Danny and Stacey Cole did crazy things with shirts, ties, and chairs. Then came Levent Chimkentri, probably the fastest magician and comedian I’ve ever seen.

After dinner and a big show, explore the mansion on your own time, stopping by close-up galleries, top parlors, library bars, card tricksters, magic artists, and other entertainers at the Peller Theatre. and the Hat and Hair Pub.

At the Owl Bar on the left, seats are reserved for Old Fashioned cocktails in honor of Magic Castle co-founder Milt Larsen. Magician Shapo (right) shows the 10 of spades while performing a magic trick.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

The Palace of Mysteries and subsequent rooms saw levitation, disappearances, apparitions, juggling, fake rabbits, card tricks, interlocking rings, and many visual and audio gags. (You can’t see anything on Instagram. Photography is prohibited once you cross the entrance.)

The crowd varied in age and tradition, and all were impressively dressed. People-watching is top-notch, whether you get a glimpse of a celebrity or not.

Even after video game mogul and magician Randy Pitchford purchased the castle building and adjoining hotel in 2022, co-founder Milt Larsen kept the castle until days before his death on May 28. A regular at the Palace Bar.

Cary Grant and Johnny Carson were once members. Visitors include Johnny Depp, Katy Perry, Ryan Gosling and more. Performers include Steve Martin and Neil Patrick Harris, who were presidents of the Academy from 2011 to 2014.

Shortly after my visit, I heard that the club had kicked out Siegfried Fischbacher (of Siegfried and Roy fame), who once showed up in jeans.

The castle is for adults only. brunch performance Guests under the age of 21 are admitted on weekends and entertainment is adapted for children.

The Magic Castle dining room is decorated with vintage slides from the Orpheum Theater.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

Patrons have dinner in the dining area of ​​the Magic Castle.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

how do i get in

You can make a reservation if you are invited by the club’s approximately 6,000 members. (If you don’t know the members, check out the Castle website. see who’s performing On the night you wish to visit, please DM the performer on social media and politely request an invitation. )

If you don’t know any members and don’t want to chase them around the internet, you can rely on the Magic Castle Hotel, as my wife and I did.

For reservations of 1 night or more, Magic Castle Hotel, you’ll automatically gain access to the castle next door (but you’ll have to pay an entrance fee). Once a 1950s apartment complex, the hotel is painted bright yellow and features an 88-degree pool, pool toys, games, and complimentary soft serve ice cream and snacks.

Most rooms are suites with fold-out sofas in the kitchen and living room. Prices start at about $225. On the west side across the street is Highland Gardens HotelJanis Joplin died of an overdose in Room 105 on October 4, 1970.

The Magic Castle Hotel is quirky. The furnishings and grounds are worn and I must say the decor is spartan. I would not recommend spending a romantic weekend here.

The Dante-themed dining room awaits the dinner rush.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

However, I found it definitely family-focused, the location was central, the rates were cheaper than many Hollywood hotels, and the service was snappy and bright. A lot would be forgiven if they offered guests a welcome glass of champagne, as hotels do. A good way to do this is to poll your family on whether they would like to see a movie on the wall above the pool at night.

(FWIW, judging by the Vegemite bottles and accents I heard at the breakfast buffet, I’m guessing this place is popular with Australian travelers.)

One more thing about this hotel. There is a red telephone next to the pool. At any time of the day, you or your child can pick it up and someone responds to the “popsicle hotline!” Free delivery continues. And if you’ve learned anything from this experience, you can pop the popsicles.