The Magic Castle, located at 7001 Franklin Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, is a nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It bills itself as "the most unusual private club in the world."Country Club of MagicThe Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant and private club. A typical evening features several magic and sometimes variety arts performances, as well as a full service dining room and several bars in a country club atmosphere. A dress code of formal party attire is strictly enforced. Entry is only allowed to members and their guests.The lobby of the Castle has no visible doors to the interior, and visitors must say a secret phrase to a sculpture of an owl to gain access, exposing the entrance to the club. Magicians perform in several different theaters, including the intimate Close-up Gallery, a larger Parlour of Prestidigitation, and the large stage in the Palace of Mystery. Nightly, five different magic performances are showcased in these three different theaters, and on weekends additional performances are added in the Peller theatre as well as Hat and Hare Pub and W.C. Fields Bar. Informal performance areas near the five bars give magician members the space for impromptu magic for guests and other patrons. In the music room, a piano is played by invisible "Irma," the Castle's "resident ghost," who takes musical requests.In addition, there are regular Houdini Séances at the castle in the Houdini Seance room, conducted by Leo Kostka, Rob Zabrecky, or Misty Lee.
The John Anson Ford Theatres complex is situated in the Cahuenga Pass in Hollywood and consists of a 1,200-seat, outdoor amphitheatre. Located in a County regional park, the facility is owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles through a three-way partnership between the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Ford Theatre Foundation.HistoryJohn Anson Ford Amphitheatre was built in 1920 as the site of The Pilgrimage Play. The author, Christine Wetherill Stevenson, believed the rugged beauty of the Cahuenga Pass would provide a dramatic outdoor setting for the play. Together with Mrs. Chauncey D. Clark, she purchased the land along with that on which the Hollywood Bowl now sits. A wooden, outdoor amphitheatre was built on the site and the play was performed by noted actors every summer from 1920 to 1929, until the original structure was destroyed by a brush fire in October 1929.The present theatre, constructed of poured concrete and designed in the style of ancient Judaic architecture to resemble the gates of Jerusalem, was built on the same site and opened in 1931. The Pilgrimage Play was again performed there until 1964, interrupted only by World War II. In 1941 the land was deeded to the County of Los Angeles. The Pilgrimage Play continued to be presented until a lawsuit in 1964 forced its closure because of its religious nature.
The Hollywood Heritage Museum, also known as the "Hollywood Studio Museum," is located on Highland Ave. in Hollywood, California, United States.The museum is opposite the Hollywood Bowl and is housed in the restored Lasky-DeMille Barn, which was acquired in February 1983 by Hollywood Heritage, Inc., and moved to its present site. It was dedicated on December 13, 1985.Since 1985, Hollywood Heritage has funded the preservation, restoration and maintenance of early Hollywood treasures. The museum features archival photographs from the silent era of motion pictures, movie props, historic documents and other movie related memorabilia. Also featured are historic photographs and postcards of the streets, buildings and residences of Hollywood during its golden age. Special events entitled 'Evenings at the Barn' are open to the public and regularly programmed including speakers, screenings and/or slideshows with a focus toward Hollywood's early history. Occasionally, historic silent films are screened in cooperation with the Silent Society.