Where Illusions Are Made: Colon, Michigan’s Abbott’s Magic CO

For Gen X, there is a pretty short list of magicians we grew up watching:

1. David Copperfield
2. Doug Henning
3. Siegfried & Roy
4. Penn and Teller
5. Harry Anderson (better known as Harry from Night Court)
6. The Amazing Johnathan

I was lucky enough to see David Copperfield at East Lansing's Wharton Center and managed to meet him. He looks (well, looked) EXACTLY like he does (did) on TV like at any moment he could turn his head, smile, and a puff of smoke would come out of nowhere, and he'd disappear.

Related: How Colon, Michigan Became "The Magic Capitol of the World"

He didn't.

My dad took me to see Penn and Teller at the Fox Theatre in Detroit too. I was picked as a volunteer and sat next to Teller on stage, who was in disguise the entire time. Being a tall awkward kinda guy I identified with Penn.

Related: The Magic Capitol of the World is Colon, Michigan

My parents saw I had an interest in something and did everything they could to encourage exploration. This support included regular road trips to Colon, Michigan. For years we would load up the family truckster and set sail for the place that sold hats you could pull rabbits out of and boxes in which you could saw a lady in half.

Abbott's Magic Company is Where Magic Was Literally Made

Colon, Michigan is home to Abbots Magic Company and a big part of the reason the city is referred to as the Magic Capitol of the World. In the following gallery, you'll see Abbott's as it is today and it hasn't changed since I was a kid. The squeaky floor, the world's most expensive ceiling, and the way you are treated the moment you walk through the door. No matter how old you are, you're a wide-eyed child getting a peek at where magic is made.