Hollywood: Hidden Doors Part I

Sometimes Los Angeles isn’t what it seems. Unassuming storefronts can hide Michelin-starred restaurants, the quest for a candy bar can bring you back to the ’80s. In this two-part series, I am offering to be your guide to the hidden doors of Hollywood. Today, I talk about tips for getting into the Magic Castle.

The Magic Castle

One of the hardest tickets to get in Los Angeles is an invitation to the Magic Castle. This restaurant, hotel, and club is located between the hubbub of Hollywood and Highland and Yamashiro, on Franklin Avenue. What makes getting in so exclusive is that this is one of the few places where money doesn’t buy your way in but is all about who you know or being at the right place at the right time. Really, what can be more L.A. than this?

Tips for getting into the Magic Castle

There are a few options to be a guest at the Magic Castle, staying in its adjacent hotel, by invitation from one of the over 2,500 members, or seeking out special events, like the Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival. Going to the LAFW event would have been one of the easiest ways, especially if you are not connected to anyone in Los Angeles’ magic community. For a list of other ways to earn that invite, click here.

Once you have your invitation

Dress code

After you score an invitation, the next thing you need to think about is what to wear. The Magic Castle is one of the few places in this city that has a strict evening-wear dress code. I want to say that the dress code is enforced–see the episode “Magic” of Judd Apatow’s Love on Netflix–however, when I went a few years ago, there were a couple of women who looked like they had just shopped the racks at Frederick’s of Hollywood. (NSFW) Dressing up is not something you have to do very often in Los Angeles, so take this opportunity to go all out. For details about the dress code, go to their website.

Once you are in

Once you enter Magic Castle dressed in your finest, you are greeted by an attendant in a small library space, a space so small that you wonder if you are in the wrong place. I want to keep how you get in a surprise, so follow the attendant’s directions very carefully.

All invitations include dinner and the magic show, and you can’t do one without the other, well maybe just the dinner, but why would you go to the Disneyland of Magic and not stay for the show? The restaurant is in an Edwardian-style parlor, which was most likely inspired by when the mansion was built in 1909.

The dinner menu is la carte, or if you are bringing ten to twelve friends, there is a chef’s table experience. They have had a recent food and beverage overhaul. This is excellent news because I remember dining there a few years ago, and the food tasted very similar to what you would get at a suburban chain, like Chili’s or Applebee’s. Now, I hear that there is much better options coming from the kitchen.

Post dinner, there is a wide range of magic shows to enjoy. The main stage show features illusions with individual magicians’ flair. It was my first time seeing a woman sawed in half. Afterward, feel free to grab another drink and wander the side rooms where you can see card tricks and other sleights of hand until 2:00 in the morning.

Hours, cost, and other information

• Website: The Magic Castle
• When is it open: Seven nights a week starting at 5:PM except for major holidays. Saturday and Sunday brunch, 10:am-3:PM
• Cost: Even if you have an invitation, it is not free. There is a ticket charge of $25 on the weeknights and $30 on the weekends, plus dinner and drinks for around $70.
• Ages: This is strictly 21+ except for brunch

The Magic Castle is a great L.A, thing to do. I hope these tips for getting into the Magic Castle helped you strategize how to get in whether you are visiting this city or a local.

Coming soon, I talk about the next hidden door location in Hollywood.

More hidden doors await!

Image caption: The old cards of Hungary – 1930’s year – Classical Germany Cards, but the people know its name: Cards Hungary, Author: Takkk | March 2010. Sourced from Wikimedia Commons