Bill Jr. and Milt Larsen founded of the Magic Castle in 1963. (photo courtesy of the Larsen family)

Atop a hill above Franklin Avenue in Hollywood sits a longstanding institution. While the surrounding film and television studios spin illusions out of light and shadow, this stalwart of the city makes magic the old-fashioned way – with hat tricks, card decks and sleight of hand. The Magic Castle is the ultimate ticket. An invite-only club since its inception in 1963, the castle is now celebrating its 60th anniversary, as the Larsen family – who has operated the club snice the beginning – continues to welcome and amaze guests of all ages night after night.

Erika Larson is the daughter of Bill Larsen, Jr. Along with his brother Milt, Bill carried out the vision of creating a magician’s club on a 1962 handshake deal with the property’s then-owner Thomas O. Glover.

“The owner was going to tear it down,” Erika said. “And my uncle convinced them to give him a year. So, he did. And one year turned into another year into another year into another year. And here we are 60 years later.”

Glover owned a number of properties in the Hollywood area, including the famed Yamashiro restaurant. The 1909 French Chateau-style mansion that would become the Magic Castle, originally constructed for real estate investor and philanthropist Rollin B. Lane, had fallen into disrepair, with the large property having served as a boarding house. The Larsen brothers set about updating the property. Milt handled the renovations, salvaging much of the ornate furniture pieces from film sets and demolition sites of vintage estates. Bill was in charge of business affairs. On Jan. 2, 1963, the Magic Castle opened its doors for the first time. By the late-1960s, famous people regularly appeared within its walls. Cary Grant was even on the board of directors.

“He performed magic. He had started out in vaudeville,” Erika said. “He performed at some of our award shows.”

The dream of the castle predated Milt and Bill, however. The family had toured the country in vaudeville as “The Larsen Family of Magicians.” Their parents, William and Geri, settled in Hancock Park in 1942 at the former home of the L.A. Thayer Magic Company founder, a magic company they also bought. Their home, Brookledge, became an informal gathering space for the magic community, with luminaries like Bess Houdini among the guests.

Both William and Geri made a name for themselves in the world of magic, with Geri becoming KTLA’s “Magic Lady” in the late-1940s with a children’s entertainment program.  William started the Academy of Magical Arts in 1952, which today boasts about 6,000 members.

“My grandfather wanted this club to be for magicians without politics, just for magic lovers,” Erika said.

When William died the following year, his sons kept the magic alive, and a decade later opened the Magic Castle, which has remained the preeminent magician hub worldwide ever since. While William was never able to see this dream reach fruition, Erika said that he would be proud of the family legacy because this “was all he ever wanted.”

A typical night at the club involves a dinner and several magic shows.

“People generally come up with guests, and they have a nice dinner,” Erika said. “And then there are magic shows throughout the castle. So, on any given night … you could easily see five magic shows.”

Magician Eric Buss creates music and magic with his audio looper in the Parlor of Prestidigitation at the Magic Castle. (photo courtesy of Eric Buss)

Magician Eric Buss has been performing at the Magic Castle since 1996, 27 years of the institution’s 60 year-history.

“The audiences are always amazing. They come mentally prepared for magic,” Buss said. “You can always find somebody to connect with in the audience. We are spoiled there.”

He also noted that the club was created to help magicians support other magicians.

“There are no bigger magic fans than magicians themselves. So, the club is designed for magicians, [and] we come out and support each other. You’re surrounded by your passion, which is the art of magic.”

A level of decorum is expected among Magic Castle guests. There is a dress code, and men are required to wear suit jackets.

“It’s really put an eye toward maintaining the elegance. It [used to be] a lot harder. Our worst time was in the early-1990s. Nobody wanted to dress up. Nobody wanted to see magic. Now everyone wants to dress up, and everyone wants to see magic,” Erika said. “There is no substitute for seeing [magic] right in front of your face. We see so much CGI and all this [artificial intelligence]. [But to] see someone do a miracle right in front of your eyes, with a group of people who are experiencing it at the same time, it’s really great.”

Buss said that the castle holds such a unique space in the magic community, that he believes only an “act of God” would keep it from continuing to its 120th anniversary.

“I don’t think anything can compete with what the Magic Castle has to offer. It’s Disneyland for adults,” Buss said. “It caught on fire in 2011. It survived. There’s been numerous earthquakes, floods and all that and it rises from the ashes every time. I don’t know if that’s magic or not, but I definitely think it will survive the next 60 years.”