HARRY HOUDINI RETURNS TO KANSAS CITY

Harry Houdini, one of history’s most iconic magicians, transformed escape artistry into a global phenomenon. His daring challenges to police departments around the world and his breathtaking public stunts cemented his legacy as a master showman whose name remains instantly recognizable a century after his passing. 

On September 11, 2026, almost exactly one hundred years after the death of the world’s most renown escape artist, the local chapters of the two largest and most prestigious magic organizations in the world will unveil a large historic marker at the courtyard located at 10th and Main, Kansas City, Missouri, at 2:00 p.m. The marker commemorates the site of Houdini’s very first public suspended straitjacket escape, performed on September 8, 1915 in Kansas City. Houdini’s breathtaking escape from a regulation strait jacket while suspended upside down hundreds of feet off the ground became a publicity stunt that put him on the front page of more newspapers than anything else he did in his entire career. On September 8, 1915, over five thousand spectators crowded the 10th and Main intersection that day to witness the spectacle, yet few Kansas Citians today realize that this landmark moment in Houdini’s career happened right here. 

The Society of American Magicians (SAM), the oldest organization for magicians in North America, and the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM), the world’s largest organization for magicians and magic enthusiasts, have combined efforts to commemorate this event and will unveil a historic marker at the courtyard located at 10th and Main, Kansas City, Missouri, at 2:00 p.m. 

The ceremony will feature remarks from the local SAM and IBM presidents and a reading of the Kansas City Proclamation signed by Mayor Quinton Lucas, officially recognizing September 2026 as Harry Houdini Month. Additional guest speaker John Cox, the nation’s leading Houdini historian who has consulted for radio, television, stage, and film, will travel from California to participate. 

The ceremony will conclude with a live upside-down straitjacket escape attempt by Kansas City area magician and escape artist Lance Rich on the very spot where Houdini performed it for the first time 111 years ago. 

In partnership with the Kansas City Public Library, SAM and IBM will also host a Houdini lecture by John Cox on September 9 at 6:00 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library – Central Library, located just up the street from the site of Houdini’s 1915 escape. Details are available at kc/ibrary.org. 

This project represents a long-term effort by the local SAM and IBM to ensure Houdini’s Kansas City legacy is preserved rather than lost to time. Both organizations reflect the city’s vibrant community of magicians and magic enthusiasts. Funding for the historic marker and lecture has been provided through grants from the national SAM and IBM organizations. 

A century after Houdini’s death, Kansas City continues to honor a man whose daring spirit reshaped the art of magic and continues to inspire performers around the world. .