At the beginning of this year, Magic Castle Enterprises (MCE) began managing operations of The Magic Castle, a job previously held by the Academy of Magical Arts. During Founders’ Day on January 2 (which Shawn McMaster covers in detail in his Magic Castle column on page 54 this month), Randy Pitchford—who, along with his wife, Kristy, owns The Magic Castle and cofounded MCE—shared details on short-term and longer-term renovations, expansions, and improvements to the space.
A relatively minor but noticeable change has already happened with the dining room tables. The old ones were in rough shape, to put it mildly, and the new ones are hardwood tables, each with inlays designed to look like a playing card. They also have technology that lets the tables self-correct for any wobbling, which is neat!
Renovations are also already underway in The Cellar. There, the three rooms—the Hat & Hare Bar, the lounge, and the Cellar Theater—are all getting substantive upgrades. The Hat & Hare will have a better layout for watching magic and enjoying cocktails, and will also now include the infinity wine cellar, which previously was in the hallway. The room formally known as the Cellar Theater will become the Museum Theater once again, and have museum display boxes along the walls and display hero pieces from magic history. Previously used as an impromptu performance space, it will also become a spot with regular, curated shows. The lounge will see real stone and real oak casks replace the faux ones previously there, and the John Shrum artworks will be preserved, restored, and returned to their place aside the original stained glass. The illusions in the hallway, including the Haunted Mansion ballroom and the reverse mirror gag, are also getting repaired and/or upgraded.
But perhaps the most intriguing update Randy provided was initial plans to expand the footprint of The Castle, including building an elevator, adding new members’ only spaces, and more places for magic. Randy invited AMA members to send him thoughts and feedback on the proposed plans. Those changes require significant engineering and development work, so while MCE is iterating on plans now, construction won’t begin until at least 2028.
Photos courtesy of Magic Castle, LLC | LMCaptured