Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Magic Castle bids goodbye to the Houdini aquarium

The Magic Castle has quietly retired their Houdini aquarium. The aquarium was made for the AMA as part of an episode of the reality show Tanked in 2012. It resembled Houdini's Water Torture Cell.

True be told, the aquarium was problematic from the start. When the exotic fish were not eating each other, they feasted on the Houdini mannequin. The straitjacket was also not waterproof and began to rapidly decay. Eventually, the mannequin was removed. There was talk of replacing it, but that never happened, and now the tank has pulled a similar, merciful vanishing act.

It was a fun idea, but even I could see the Houdini fish tank was a little tacky and didn't really fit with the Castle decor of vintage magic memorabilia. At the moment, the AMA is considering what to do with it. Member suggestions have ranged from taking it to the desert and blowing it up, to making it into a giant popcorn machine. (Okay, that last one wasn't a serious suggestion -- I don't think.)

Ironically, this Friday, Tanked will be running a "Best Of" show in which hosts Wayde King and Brett Raymer remember making the Magic Castle Houdini aquarium. Sounds like they need some reality.

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5 comments:

  1. Leo HeviaJune 9, 2015 at 9:01 PM

    Too bad the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls is gone. You could put that aquarium on display in there and just stand back and let the museum do its thing. Years of manhandling and graffiti will eventually take its toll. The aquarium would eventually perish in a fiery blaze and wind up as a small pile of ashes.

    Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we know Maj. Tom's a junkie...

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  2. AnonymousJune 9, 2015 at 9:13 PM

    I've never been to the castle, but it's surely on my bucket list. But this is one item I will not be sad to not see there. It DOES look tacky! & kind of in not so good taste in my opinion. Yeah, I say I go along with the idea of blasting it. LOL! :)

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  3. CarnegieJune 10, 2015 at 6:26 PM

    I must admit the idea sounded cool on the episode of the TV show, but the final result was far from what I had imagined. It was kind of an eye sore.

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  4. AnonymousJune 11, 2015 at 8:08 AM

    I think you're all overstating a tad. The idea for the tank was OK. The tank when first installed was OK. The tank actually working and lasting was NOT OK. That's all.

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  5. UnknownFebruary 14, 2018 at 1:11 PM

    I just saw the episode and thought it looked great and very appropriate to it's surroundings. The guys in the show are usually careful of what goes in the tank and will it last.It is a shame.

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