The hook
Behind a hedge in Hollywood is a Victorian mansion full of magicians, and you can only get in if one of them invites you or you stay at the hotel next door.
01Why it's worth it
The Magic Castle has been the private clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts since 1963, a rambling old mansion where professional magicians perform close-up card work inches from your face, stage illusions in little theaters, and a ghost named Irma plays any song you request on a piano that plays itself. It's deliberately hard to enter, which is most of the mystique: you need a member to sponsor you, or a night at the Magic Castle Hotel next door that comes with access, plus a strict formal dress code, no one under twenty-one at night, and no photographs anywhere inside. If you can engineer your way in, it's one of the strangest and most delightful nights in the city.
02How to experience it
It's in the Hollywood hills, about six hours from the Bay. You cannot just walk up, so plan the entry in advance through a member's guest card or by booking the adjacent Magic Castle Hotel, which arranges reservations. Dress formally, leave the camera in your pocket, and expect to pay for dinner. It's worth the scheming.