Harry Houdini's Historic Laurel Canyon Estate Is Giving Major 'Alice in Wonderland' Vibes
Laurel Canyon neighborhood in Los Angeles trekandshoot via Shutterstock
Harry Houdini remains an endlessly fascinating figure even almost a century after his death. The world-famous magician and escape artist performed hundreds, if not thousands, of stunts that are legendary even to this day, paving the way for modern illusionists like David Blaine and Criss Angel while cementing his title as the greatest escape artist in history.
Houdini's performances were bold, fantastical, and incredibly captivating. Is it any surprise that Houdini's mansion shares these qualities? This week, vintage Los Angeles enthusiast Alison Martino had the privilege of touring the fabulous Houdini Estate in Laurel Canyon. Not only is this home essentially one big Harry Houdini museum; it feels like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Check it out and see if you agree:
See what I mean? Alison (@vintagelosangeles on TikTok) was instantly enchanted by the mansion's 5 acres of lush gardens, an overgrown oasis with striking sculptures and eye-catching flora distracting from the grounds' hidden secrets. According to Alison, the Edwardian mansion and its gardens still have the original caves and secret hidden tunnels that Harry Houdini used while he was alive. What else would you expect from the iconic escape artist?
Between the lush vegetation, maximalist decor, fairy lights, and giant mirrors, the whole garden felt like a psychedelic wonderland. I expected to see the Mad Hatter and White Rabbit bounding around a topiary at any moment! But the Houdini Estate didn't lose any of its surreal opulence on the inside. If anything, it became even more labyrinthine as Alison was ushered past multiple secret doors, discovering "hidden" rooms in the enormous mansion.
Even if you aren't enraptured by the estate's lavish architecture and landscaping (but how could you not be?), it's still the perfect bucket list visit for anyone fascinated by Harry Houdini, or just the art of illusion in general. The home was full of Houdini memorabilia, including some of the contraptions Houdini trapped himself in for his famous escape acts, plus many fun "optical illusion" interactive art pieces perfect for fun photo-ops. What a trip!
The Houdini Estate's Biggest Surprise
Secrets and surprises abound around every corner of this opulent Los Angeles estate. But its strangest surprise of all isn't even a secret: Harry Houdini most likely never actually owned the Houdini Estate!
Therein lies a little mystery. According to Atlas Obscura, the estate actually belonged to Houdini's friend, Ralph M. Walker, who let Houdini practice his escape routines there. As for where Houdini and his wife actually lived, well, that's the mystery. Atlas Obscura puts forth the popular theory that Houdini lived in Walker's nearby guesthouse and used those secret tunnels to move between the main mansion and the guesthouse. Unfortunately, that guesthouse no longer exists. Looks like that's one mystery that will remain unsolved. "Curiouser and curiouser..."
I'd say you should go explore it for yourself, but you might have to wait a while. Nowadays, the Houdini Estate functions primarily as an event space and wedding venue, and it even has a listing on Airbnb. Unfortunately, the Houdini Estate's website claims that they're taking no more reservations in 2024. Still, it'll be well worth the visit once availability finally opens up again!
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