The Magic Castle. A place of mystery and enlightenment. A secret academy of the magical arts. A place of hidden caverns, moving bookcases, and many, many owls. Traditionally, only those invited by a magician may enter. So when I received an invite, delivered to me by an undisclosed source, I unraveled the parchment, and jumped at the chance to visit this mysterious kingdom. What follows is a journey through a supernatural realm few have seen, and even fewer have lived to talk about.
Many muggles have not heard of the legacy that is the Magic Castle, due in part to its secret nature. So for those muggles, let me give you a little background. In the words of the establishment itself, “The Magic Castle is the private clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc, a very special organization devoted to the advancement of the ancient art of magic.”
The academy sprang from the ruins of a worn-down apartment building. Milt Larson, a television writer and son of a magician, saw the treasure that seeped in the mortar. He bought and restored the building back to it’s Victoria grandeur. Its doors were opened to a select few on January 2, 1963. Since then its members number around 5,000, yet it remains a “secret” social order.
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