Making An Appearance
With a guest pass, you'll pay a cover charge to get in, even before dinner. The Castle's ambiance is elegant, and the food is first rate. Entries and a dessert for two can easily run into the $60-70 range. With dinner, you receive passes that guarantee you seats in the Palace of Mystery theater. Seating is still first come, first served, so it's best to get in line as early as you can.
A few tips: when you arrive, be sure to review the show schedules at the entrance to the close-up room, or in front of the Palace of Mystery, and plan your evening around your dinner reservation time, and the show times. On most nights, allow at least fifteen minutes prior to each parlor and close-up show to get in line. The close-up room has the most limited seating, so allow the most line time for this theater. Keep in mind that the acts in the parlor and close-up rooms change mid-evening, and you can see an entirely different show in the same room after 10:00.
Even with a guest pass, you must make a reservation ahead of time. The Castle has a strict dress code--men must wear a tie, coat, and dress shoes, and woman need dressy apparel as well. No children are allowed into The Castle, except for Sunday brunches. On Sunday afternoons, a meal is part of the deal, and families get to see a big stage act (typically a shortened version of the stage act that is appearing that week), a kid-oriented parlor act and close-up magic performed by the Castle's junior members (magicians under 21). On Sunday afternoons, the Castle lifts the dress code.
Without a doubt, there's no magic venue in Southern California–or, for that matter, the world--that has the history and, well magic, of The Magic Castle. If you're lucky enough to know a member, do not miss an opportunity to visit it.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
