“Houdini 100: Magic & Mystery”
Detroit Historical Museum
Detroit
Oct. 31, 2026
Part Halloween party, part history lecture, the Detroit Historical Museum tried to cover it all Saturday during its Houdini 100: Magic & Mystery celebration, with mixed success. The event commemorated the 100th anniversary of the death of legendary magician Harry Houdini, who died in Detroit on Halloween 1926. The museum leaned into the time period, transforming its charming “Streets of Old Detroit” lower level into an early 20th century circus while using its central main floor Allesee Gallery of Culture for historical lectures and demonstrations, with refreshment stations spread throughout the galleries.
My friend and I enjoyed ourselves, embracing the historic circus theme with our Halloween costumes and exploring as much as we could of everything the museum had to offer. Getting into the hidden speakeasy required the password “Rosabelle, believe,” the secret code between Houdini and his wife to connect from the afterlife. It was a charming detail, as were the occasional circus performers. Martinis made with Sanders chocolate, a Detroit brand, were also delicious and a nice local tie-in. But as the main party hub, the “Streets” were relatively empty and music was inconsistent, so it was largely people sitting and chatting at tables.
Circus performer in the “Streets of Old Detroit.”
Most of the attendees — many disappointingly not in costume — were in the upstairs lecture gallery, which was at capacity and standing room only. I knew there would be a Houdini history presentation at the event, but I didn’t realize it would be a nearly hour-long PowerPoint presentation, followed by a second 45-minute presentation about the history of sideshow performers. That’s a lot of learning for a four-hour Halloween party, and as much as I like to nerd out about stuff, I was not in a classroom mood — even if I could have found a seat.
But apparently most of the attendees were in a classroom mood and most looked quite enraptured by the presentations. I caught part of Nathan “McScary” Wakefield’s sideshow history lecture — accompanied by his own sword swallowing demonstrations, which were pretty awesome — and it was interesting. We learned about the history of juggling and buried alive escape acts — many of which were unsuccessful — and performers admired by Houdini for their authenticity.
Nathan “McScary” Wakefield’s sword swallowing act.
The highlight of the evening was Anthony Grupido’s magic act, an engaging mix of illusion and comedy. Grupido did a series of impressive card and “mind reading” tricks, including one that culminated in a giant-sized photo of Justin Timberlake, which still baffles me. His grand finale was, appropriately, an escape act: he broke free from a straitjacket and chains in under two minutes.
Magician Anthony Grupido’s grand escape act.
Houdini 100 was a fun way to celebrate both Halloween and Houdini’s legacy, but its intention and target audience felt unfocused and, perhaps, overly ambitious. It seemed more like two different events happening in the same building rather than a fully cohesive experience. Shorter, rotating presentations repeated throughout the evening in separate rooms might have encouraged the crowd to move and mingle more, while giving others the chance to sit and learn as well. Ultimately, it was a unique and enjoyable evening, and a Halloween event unlike anything I’d experienced before or likely ever will again — unless I make it to Houdini’s 200. Maybe that will be the rager.
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