Now in its ninth year, the House of Houdini is open every day of the week in the Buda Castle, where magical moments await every visitor. The House of Houdini pays tribute to Hungarian-born Harry Houdini, the greatest escape artist of all time, and aims to preserve his memory and art for posterity.

If you come here, the life of Harry Houdini will come to life in front of you on a guided tour, among incredible objects and memorabilia, followed by a magic show, in total of 45 minutes. Do you already know when you will arrive in Budapest and want to visit this museum? If so, book now and you will be sure to enjoy the programme in a language you speak. Of course, the tour and the magic show are also available in English.

"Not only is the language of the tour important to us, but so is the audience. A grandmother and her grandson won't have the same experience as, say, a group of Japanese tourists, we aim to taylor the experience" explains the House of Houdini's director David Merlini, a world-renowned escape artist and world record holder himself.

Magical objects from the past

"The House of Houdini aims to fill a gap that has always been important to me. Harry Houdini, born Erik Weisz in Budapest, is one of our most famous Hungarian compatriots. And it has always bothered me that his legacy is not properly presented to the younger generations. In fact, the mission of the House of Houdini is that everyone who is interested in escape art and Harry Houdini can find the historical pillars, objects and documents that defined Houdini's life," he explains.

Speaking of objects, there are three types of objects on display in the exhibition. Those that actually belonged to Houdini (they were bought at auctions), some props from the latest American Houdini film starring Adrien Brody are also on display as decorations, and the third type is old banking equipment, safes, locks.

"I have always been interested in the stories associated with these objects. For example, there is a very old bank cage at the entrance, a beautiful copper-bronze work of art, where we issue tickets when you enter the museum. Later, at another auction, I found the sign with the inscription 'Cash Register’ together with an information sign, and then at a third, the booklet that went in and out on such a grid. And it is at times like this that I wonder who would have thought, when the booklet of a cashier slipped through the grid, that these objects would meet again in Budapest a hundred years later," says David Merlini. He adds: "The imprint of the past and many, many imaginary stories drive my passion for collecting. I would like to convey a sense of this to the everyday visitor and invite all those who are interested to join us on a journey through time".

Ongoing research and a legacy to cherish

The House of Houdini research team is working on a detailed presentation of Harry Houdini's early years, Hungarian roots and family connections. David Merlini also points out that the research is ongoing and there are developments almost every day that are not always published, but are always very interesting. 

Although the escape artist did not have any children, his brother's grandson, George Hadreen is still alive, and he maintains a very good condition with the House of Houdini. "He has been here several times and is very happy that we are also trying to cherish the legacy," says David Merlini proudly.

As we chat, the last visitors of the day leave the museum giggling. Merlini adds that he expected a much quieter and less popular place, but Houdini disagrees. 

 

 

 

 

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The House of Houdini (@harrys_shadow) által megosztott bejegyzés

"I remember in 2016, we hadn't even opened the gate, the workers were still working inside and visitors were already sneaking in to see something. It surprised me at the time, but now I know that everyone is curious. There is a mystery, a mystique around Harry Houdini and I feel it is my duty to do everything I can to preserve his memory," concludes David Merlini.

Article by Mia Balogh