Houdini Centennial Séance Draws 60 to Marshall Museum

Harry Houdini did not answer the call in Marshall, but the 100th-anniversary séance held in his honor still gave the American Museum of Magic a memorable Halloween.

About 60 people gathered at the downtown museum on October 31st, 2026, marking a century since the legendary escape artist died in Detroit.

The event recreated a tradition that museum founder Robert Lund began in 1978, 48 years before this year’s gathering.

Six living participants formed the official séance circle around Houdini’s own Milk Can Escape apparatus, while an empty chair honored Lund, who died in 1995.

The circle included magician and organizer John Sherwood, séance supervisor Phillip Hagerty, Marshall Mayor Scott Wolfersberger, museum board president Jania Taylor, museum co-chair David Schwaninger, Marshall Historical Society representative Jeffrey Greene and retired educator Georgia Marsh.

Organizers barred magical illusions so that any unusual activity could be evaluated without a staged trick getting in the way.

Historic objects connected to Houdini were brought out for the occasion, including his Spirit Trumpet and the Milk Can Escape that served as the center of the circle.

The group even placed a lox-and-bagel sandwich inside the Milk Can in hopes that the offering might help draw Houdini back.

It did not work.

Hagerty concluded that the group witnessed no unquestioned manifestation and that uncertainty was not enough to count as proof.

The absence of a supernatural visitor did not make the afternoon a failure.

Instead, participants said that remembering Houdini’s career, determination and enduring place in popular culture brought him back in a more meaningful way.

The séance also honored Lund, his late wife Elaine and the people who helped build the museum’s earlier Houdini traditions.

Sherwood participated in Lund’s first museum séance in 1978 and later organized the 2016 and 2026 versions around the original format.

The museum’s Houdini artifacts make Marshall an especially fitting place for the centennial remembrance.

The museum’s official history traces its founding to Robert and Elaine Lund and describes a collection that grew to include thousands of books, posters, photographs, costumes and other pieces of magic history.

Its mission centers on preserving and sharing the stories of magicians for audiences of all ages.

The Halloween gathering also produced a practical result for that mission.

The museum reported that supporters contributed more than $10,345 to its annual appeal during the month surrounding the séance.

Those gifts support a nonprofit museum that relies on members and individual donors to maintain its collection and public programs.

Visitors can find the museum at 107 East Michigan Avenue in Marshall.

The museum’s current visitor information says it is open by appointment from November through March, so visitors should call 269-781-7570 before making the trip.

The museum also continues to offer magic programs, speaker events, research resources and seasonal Saturday demonstrations through its events calendar.

Houdini may have skipped this appointment, but Marshall’s celebration showed that his story still has the power to fill a room.

Q: Did Houdini appear at the Marshall séance?

A: No unexplained manifestation was confirmed during the October 31st, 2026 gathering.

Q: Where was the Houdini séance held?

A: It was held at the American Museum of Magic, 107 East Michigan Avenue in Marshall.

Q: How many people attended the centennial séance?

A: The museum reported that about 60 people attended.